Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2018: took place on September 22, 2018 at 2pm (EDT).
If you have any questions regarding the AGM please contact our office at office@lllc.ca or call 289-660-5900.
La Leche League Canada 2018 Annual Report
pdf copy available; 2017-18 Annual Report
Message from the Board
The 2017-2018 fiscal year marked a period of renewal and re-invigoration for La Leche League Canada (LLLC). During this time, LLLC has made significant administrative improvements to streamline the organization, improve reporting and better support the volunteer Leaders who are at the heart of our organization.
Highlights include:
- Responsive website with updated layouts, menus, and colours
- Addition of Group specific donation pages
- Addition of an Equity and Land Acknowledgement policy
While administrators have been busy behind the scenes, Leaders across the country have continued to serve families from coast to coast. Monthly meetings and helping parents by phone and email remains the mainstay of our work in each community. Leaders also undertake outreach activities at community events and celebrations as well as to health care providers individually and at conferences and educational fairs.
Ensuring that LLLC has the funds available to support these activities is an ongoing Board priority. We have continued to look for efficiencies in our day-to-day operations to ensure that funds are focused on the needs of the families and communities we serve, while also learning what our existing and potential donors need to begin and continue donations. In the past year, we have particularly focused on increasing the number of monthly donors and using social media to reach donors in a low-cost way.
Times change and so must we, whether that means reducing administration costs, adapting to new platforms for helping or offering meeting styles that resonate with parents. The heart of LLLC remains the same and so does the commitment of our Leaders whether they have led for one year or forty-one. We hope that this annual report reflects the commitment and love that Leaders bring to mothers, parents, babies and all those who care for them every day across the country.
Melisande Neal - LLLC Board Chair 
Who we are
La Leche League Canada is a registered non-profit that provides mother-to-mother/parent-to-parent/peer support for pregnant women, new parents and beyond. We are parents like you who have breastfed or chestfed our own children and now volunteer to support others to reach their goals. As volunteer Leaders we are accredited within La Leche League Canada after a detailed training program and have access to current scientific and legal information to help support others.
Connection and respect are at the heart of what we do and we strive to ensure that all families are welcomed and reflected in every aspect of La Leche League Canada, including in our volunteer Leaders. We believe that nobody knows your baby or family better than you and that everyone deserves the right circle of support in which to raise their children.
La Leche League Canada is a national registered Canadian charity and part of a global organization, La Leche League International (LLLI), LLLC has been supporting families in Canada for over fifty years.
What we do
In person, by phone, online, and in informal Group meetings our volunteer Leaders will be there to support you by providing evidence-based information on breastfeeding and human milk. We live and parent in the communities we serve and tailor programs to the needs of each community.
Our goal of supporting parents in raising happy, healthy children in every Canadian province and territory is shared by the health care system. LLLC contributes to this common goal by building connections, sharing resources, and providing education programs such as our Health Care Provider seminars across Canada.
There is no cost to receive support from a Leader and all regular informal Group meetings are free of charge.
It is our privilege to support families during the exciting first days, weeks, months and even years of raising children. Welcome - we are here for you.
Where we come from
Our Leaders are located across Canada. Some lead Groups with multiple co-Leaders while others are in more isolated locations running Groups alone.
With today’s technology and globalization we try to ensure all Leaders feel connected to provide the services in their community no matter where they come from.
LLLC Stats *statistics are based on LLLC data as of August 2018
The People
Volunteers are at the heart of what we do. 
The five basic responsibilities of a Leader are:
- lead Series Meetings with the public
- help others over the phone, in person, or via distance communication
- stay up to date with the latest information
- manage their Group activities
- work with Leader Applicants and others considering LLL leadership
During volunteer week in April 2018, LLLC honoured Leaders serving LLLC and their communities across Canada. Events such as these as well as volunteer and community awards highlight the contribution of our volunteers. Some of our Leaders were nominated for and received provincial volunteer awards. We are proud of the commitment our volunteers have to serving the communities in which they live and we continue to seek out opportunities to bring attention to the amazing work that our Leaders do.
Leader Accreditation Department
Initiated 67 applications
Accredited 39 new Leaders
Published 4 issues each of Chrysalis, the LLLC newsletter for Leader Applicants and Butterfly, the LLLC newsletter for supporting Leaders
2017 year in review
April - June
Individual Group Donation Pages launched
Health Provider Seminar with Cathy Watson-Genna (Calgary, AB)
90th Birthday Celebration of Margaret Bennet-Alder with LLLI Founder Marian Tompson (Toronto, ON)
July - September
Parent and Community Conference (Newmarket, ON)
October - December 
Fall Appeal Launched
Breastfeeding Challenges including the Ottawa Global Latch On
LLLC AB/NWT Parenting Conference with Deborah MacNamara (Edmonton, AB)
Updated LLLC Policies approved
2018
January - March
Re-designed website launched
Fundraising 
Fundraising at LLLC is an activity shared by all. At the Group and Area level, Leaders come together at spaghetti dinners, garage sales and clothing swaps to raise money to sustain their Group and Area activities. Leaders work hard to identify and organize events and sales that are profitable, appealing to young families and feasible to deliver with their volunteer teams.
At the national level, our campaigns focus on raising cash and in-kind donations to ensure that every Group receives basic funding, regardless of their own fundraising and to provide shared services and programs that facilitate and support the work of Leaders across Canada.
Following a successful Fall 2017 appeal, we launched our first ever social media fundraising campaign in Spring 2018. Recognizing that most donors have a long-term relationship to LLLC and that one-time donations still make up the bulk of our fundraising, we aimed this new campaign at increasing our monthly donor base by 20%.
With the #EveryDropCounts campaign, it was the first time LLLC attempted an appeal with a zero-dollar budget. Although it fell slightly short of our target, we developed techniques and effective strategies for future campaigns. LLLC plans to continue the Fall 2018 campaign with the ‘Every Drop Counts’ messaging in our traditional appeals.
Our Leaders give freely of their time and expertise to families and it will always be our commitment that our support and information is available to parents at no cost. Recognizing that the early years of parenthood can be the ones when it is the most difficult to budget for charitable giving, we are grateful for every small donation. We are also grateful for the ongoing support of those whose parenting journeys and wider communities have benefited from our support over the years.
2018-2019 workplan
Equity & Inclusion
-
Equity and Land Acknowledgement Policy passed
-
Equity & Inclusion Committee struck
-
Guidance and training materials for Leaders
Brand Identity
-
Launched new Brand Identity Guide
-
New and updated resources for Leaders
-
Refresh of the website
Communication
-
Communication Plans for specific target audiences
-
Social Media Guidelines for Leaders
Capacity
-
Fill all staff positions: national and Area roles
-
Improve succession plan
-
Survey Leaders
-
Launch new Leader campaign
Financials
| Financial Summary | 2017-2018 | 2016-2017 | % change |
| INCOME | $99,689 | $79,478 | +25.4 |
|
donations |
59,175 |
64,505 |
-8.3 |
| INCOME EXPENSES | $15,827 | $10,376 | +52.5 |
|
donation & fundraising costs |
0 |
3,367 |
-100.0 |
| OPERATING EXPENSES | $82,086 | $149,053 | -44.9 |
|
advertising |
3,273 1,291 9,841 7,657 16,962 28,764 14,295 |
206 15,753 10,578 5,221 17,027 84,104 16,161 |
1,486.1 -98.1 -6.9 46.6 -0.4 -65.8 -11.5 |
| NET INCOME | $2,298 | $(79,715) | +102.8 |
** Final Reviewed 2017-2018 Financial Statements will be available after the 2018 Annual General Meeting
La Leche League Canada
PO Box 147
Pickering, ON L1V 2R2
(289) 660-5900
