Indeed, there are 80 of us bureaucrats in development and alumni relations. Without a doubt it is reasonable to expect a charity, like McGill, to keep administration costs as low as possible. Even if those costs were another million dollars, the ratio of costs to charitable dollar raised would be within a respectable 10 percent range. McGill pays for raising money through a combination of general operating funds, and through levies on annual fund donations, endowment fund income and on each unit purchased. These fees help cover the costs of raising money and administering the programs and purchases that result.
Canadian laws give some assurance to donors.
In order for McGill to qualify for charitable status with Revenue Canada, the University must spend no more than 20 percent per dollar raised on admin-istration costs and fulfill one of four mandates. This means that Canadian charities are held more accountable than in some countries, and less accountable than in others such as the United States or Britain, for instance. However, with the explosion in charities in Canada, some 75,000 to date and hundreds added each year, we can expect more attention to be paid to this sector. You're right to ask a lot of questions. Just remember that, when you see the tally for administration costs, the bureaucrats aren't all bad.