Canada is a vibrant place; from its world-class cities to its neighborly attitude, Canada offers more than you can imagine.

The United Nations has ranked Canada "the best country in the world in which to live" for eight consecutive years. It is a nation globally recognized for its outstanding quality of life, stable and progressive political environment and boasts one of the healthiest economies in the world. Its citizenry is well educated, highly skilled and possess a very generous attitude when it comes to Charities. Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) recently reported that, in 2003, 5.6 million Canadians made financial or in-kind donations worth $6.5 billion to Canadian Charities. This was the highest amount of donations ever reported in Canada, to the date of that Survey, and represented an 11.4% increase from 2002. Of the 87% of Canadian households that contribute, 57% contribute directly to church or religious organizations. Nearly 200,000 Canadian households possess at least 1 million dollars in financial assets with 9 in 10 millionaires donating to Charities in 2004.

Over the next 20 years, up to $1.5 trillion is expected to change hands - the largest wealth transfer ever in Canada. Recipients of these assets will be heirs, non-profit and charitable organizations, and government (through taxes).

Since Canada is such a large part of the North American continent, it is often not thought of as a Foreign or International country to most Ministry organizations based in the USA. This common misconception demands a serious re-evaluation by growing Ministries focused on developing an effective Global presence outside of their national borders.

US-based Organizations looking to establish a secure 'beach-head' position- to perfect their International Ministry Operations, Administration and Logistical Management systems- prior to a full-fledged (and much more costly) overseas commitment should consider the many benefits Canada offers en route to fulfilling their Vision for International or Global outreach.

Conversely, any English speaking Ministry from outside of North America wishing to enter into the USA should first consider the merits of transitioning itself into a more conservative Canadian location, prior to expansion into a more aggressive, competitive and expensive Broadcast Market in the USA.

For expanding Ministries, Canada boasts many important factors worth consideration: a large English-speaking population, a multi-culturally diverse country with ties to many other nations, economically developed, sophisticated Banking systems compatible and fully compliant with all International Banking Standards, ease of travel, close geographic proximity to the USA, North American time zones, sophisticated transportation and communications systems, state-of-the-art Nation-wide Cable TV Networks, Digital and Specialty Broadcast Channels (accessible in almost every home), a favorable currency exchange rate, and lower international operating costs.

Bottom line? Canada should be seriously considered in your Ministry's International Operations development strategy. Its close proximity to the USA enables your Organization to effectively step into International Ministry in the most efficient and economical way possible.