FAQs

Gifts of Light are practical, meaningful gifts that meet the unique needs of patients at CAMH. When you purchase Gifts of Light on behalf of your friends and family, you help people experiencing mental illness on their journey to recovery.

Gift of Light was founded in 2008 thanks for the generosity of our donors and continues today as a 100% donor-funded program. Gifts of Light works with patients, families, and front-line clinical staff to identify the patient wellness gaps in our system with the goal of improving the patient experience.

Today, over 13,000 patients each year benefit from the everyday essentials, unique activities and meaningful experiences provided by this patient-centred program.

Yes! Money raised from Gifts of Light goes towards providing tangible gifts and meaningful experiences for CAMH patients.

Since 2008 — thanks to our supporters — we have provided over 7,500 gift bags to patients at CAMH.

Thanks to our generous sponsors your gift will go twice as far when you purchase any of the following:

Dental Check Up
Thanks to Wolverine, every gift of Dental Check Up purchased will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $30,000.

Emergency Kit
Kinross Gold will generously match each Emergency Kit purchased, dollar for dollar, up to $25,000.

How Did You Know?
For every gift of How did You Know purchased, target="blank">P&G Canada will match your donation, dollar for dollar, up to $25,000.

Pet Therapy
For every Pet Therapy purchased, Purina will match your donation, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000.

Milestone Celebrations
For every Milestone Celebration purchased, the AGF Group Foundation will match your donation, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000.

You have the option of sending your recipient one of the following:

1. A traditional printed card that features the gift you selected, with a brief explanation of your purchase. CAMH Foundation will send this to your recipient on your behalf.

2. A PDF that you can print off at home, customize, and deliver to your recipient. Note: the PDF is made available to you via a hyperlink in the email that you receive with your tax receipt. Please download the printable card from here.

3. An e-card that will feature the gift you selected, and — if clicked on — will direct your recipient to the gift page on our website so that her or she can learn more about your purchase. CAMH Foundation will send this to your recipient on your behalf either immediately after you complete your transaction, or at a later date of your choice.

You certainly can!

If you’ve opted to have CAMH Foundation send a printed card to your recipient on your behalf, you will be prompted to provide your recipient’s name, mailing address and a personal message. Also, the card that we’ll send will reflect the gift you’ve selected and include a brief description of your purchase and the Gifts of Light program.

If you’ve opted to download a printable card, you can print this off at home, and write in a personal message letting your recipient know of the item you’ve selected to purchase, and its significance. Note that the printable card is made available to you via a hyperlink in the email that you receive with your tax receipt.

You can choose from three e-card designs. Your options are:



The following message is included at the bottom of the card:

Gifts made to CAMH Foundation's Gifts of Light program go towards providing thoughtful gifts and meaningful experiences to CAMH patients. Through Gifts of Light you can honour someone special and help brighten the lives of patients at CAMH. When you give a Gifts of Light, you help restore dignity, offer hope and promote healing for some of our community's most vulnerable.

This what the front cover of the printed card looks like:



The inside of the card will feature the gift you selected, include a brief description of the item and explain its significance. The back of the card includes a description of the Gifts of Light program, and a brief explanation about CAMH.

You will be prompted to personalize your card and provide your recipient’s mailing information, after which it will be sent directly to your recipient. During non-peak times (February to September), it can take 7 to 10 business days for a card to reach your recipient. During peak times, it can take up to 14 business days. If you are concerned about your cards arriving in time to suit your needs, consider selecting a printable card that you can print off at home.

Printable cards are designed to print out on one side of a standard 8.5” x11” piece of paper — you simply fold the sheet in half to create the card. Unlike the printed mailed cards, the printable card does not reflect the gift you purchase. This gives you the opportunity to personalize and customize the card to your liking. These cards are a great way of giving a last minute gift!

You will need a PDF reader, like Adobe, to print your cards. Download the program here if you need to.

Gifts made to CAMH Foundation’s Gifts of Light program go towards providing thoughtful gifts and meaningful experiences to CAMH patients. The products, services, and programs described in our catalogue are representative of many of the initiatives that CAMH patients engage in and/or are provided and made possible by the Gifts of Light program.

When you select a Gifts of Light item, you are donating to CAMH Foundation, which makes your purchase eligible for a tax receipt.

If you have purchased your gifts online, your tax receipt will be emailed to you.

Alternately, if you made your purchase over the phone or mailed in a cheque, your tax receipt will be mailed to you.

We require your email address so that we can confirm your online transaction and email you your tax receipt.

To purchase Gifts of Light by phone, please call the Foundation at 416.979.6909 or 1.800.414.0471. Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m to 5 p.m. To purchase Gifts of Light by mail, please send order information and payment to:

CAMH Foundation
100 Stokes Street, 5th Floor
Bell Gateway Building
Toronto, ON M6J 1H4