Scope: Board of Directors, staff, committee members, contractors, and volunteers
Applies to: All external financial or in-kind contributions, sponsorships, and partnerships
Approved by: Board of Directors
Effective date: March 19, 2026
Last updated: March 19, 2026
1. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all donations, sponsorships, and partnerships accepted by the Breastfeeding Committee for Canada (hereafter “the BCC”) are consistent with its mission, values, and mandate, and fully aligned with:
- The World Health Organization (WHO) International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (“the Code”);
- Subsequent World Health Assembly (WHA) resolutions;
- Canadian health recommendations on infant and young child feeding.
This policy safeguards the BCC’s independence, credibility, and leadership role in protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding and the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Initiative (BFI) in Canada.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all financial and in-kind contributions, sponsorships, and partnerships involving external organizations, regardless of value, duration, or formality. The BCC conducts all activities in compliance with applicable Canadian laws and regulations governing charitable and non-profit organizations.
3. Guiding Principles
All external collaborations must:
- Protect breastfeeding and infant and young child feeding practices;
- Prevent real or perceived conflicts of interest;
- Avoid commercial influence on BCC positions, advocacy, or programming;
- Ensure transparency and accountability;
- Protect families from marketing practices that undermine families’ ability to make informed decisions free from commercial pressure.
4. The WHO Code: Protecting Families from Commercial Influence
The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (“the Code”), adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1981 and endorsed by Canada, exists to ensure that breast-milk substitutes and related products are not marketed or distributed in ways that undermine breastfeeding.
The Code does not prohibit the manufacture or sale of these products. It regulates marketing, promotion, and conflicts of interest that can interfere with breastfeeding protection and support.
The BCC has a mandate to uphold, monitor, and promote implementation of the Code in Canada. This commitment directly informs all funding and partnership decisions.
5. Terminology
- Donation: A voluntary contribution of financial or in-kind resources provided without material consideration, promotion, or return on investment.
- Sponsorship: A contribution of financial, material, or human resources provided in exchange for defined visibility or recognition.
- Partnership: A formal or informal collaboration between the BCC and another organization to achieve shared objectives through pooled resources.
- Manufacturer: A company that produces commercial products, including foods or equipment.
- Distributor: A company that distributes or markets products, including through branding or licensing.
- Products covered by the Code: Breast-milk substitutes, feeding bottles, teats, pacifiers, follow-up formulas, toddler milks, and related products as defined by the Code and WHA resolutions.
- Point of sale: Any physical or online retail location selling commercial products.
6. Donations: Ethical Guidelines
6.1 Acceptance Criteria
Before accepting a donation, the BCC and its officers, directors, employees, volunteers and representatives acting in their roles with BCC shall assess:
- Alignment of the donation and donor with BCC’s mission, values, and mandate;
- Compliance with the Code and WHA resolutions;
- Reputational, financial, and legal risks including any potential conflicts of interest;
- Risk of dependency or undue influence.
6.2 Prohibited Donations
The BCC and its officers, directors, employees, volunteers and representatives acting in their roles with BCC shall not accept donations from:
- Manufacturers or distributors of products covered by the Code;
- Organizations that promote, market, or normalize the use of Code-covered products;
- Entities whose activities undermine breastfeeding protection, promotion, or support.
6.3 Transparency and Accountability
- All donations shall be recorded in accordance with applicable laws and financial reporting standards.
- Donor anonymity shall be respected where requested.
- The BCC reserves the right to decline or return a donation at any time if new information indicates misalignment with this policy.
7. Sponsorships: Ethical Guidelines
7.1 General Rules
Sponsorships of BCC activities or events must not provide visibility to:
- Products covered by the Code;
- Brands associated with Code-covered products;
- Imagery that normalizes bottle-feeding or pacifier use.
7.2 Brand and Product Restrictions
Products bearing the brand of Code-covered products are not acceptable, even if the sponsored item itself is not covered by the Code.
7.3 Manufacturers and Distributors
Given current marketing practices, sponsorships from manufacturers or distributors of Code-covered products are not accepted.
8. Partnerships: Ethical Guidelines
8.1 Eligibility
Partnerships with the BCC are intended to support breastfeeding-friendly environments and must align with the BCC’s mandate and ethical obligations. These partnerships may vary in scope and nature, and may include both financial and non-financial collaboration. All partnerships are subject to the approval of the BCC Board of Directors.
Principles Governing Partnerships
- Mutual benefit without compromise to the BCC’s independence;
- No commercial influence on BCC policy positions, educational content, or advocacy work;
- BCC will ensure that all partnerships align with its obligations under the Code and relevant WHA resolutions, and will take reasonable steps to promote awareness and adherence among partners, as outlined in section 7.2;
- Clear documentation of roles, responsibilities, and recognition.
Types of Partnerships
Partnerships may include, but are not limited to:
- Funding partners (e.g., with foundations, public agencies, or other funders supporting BCC initiatives);
- Program or project partners (e.g., co-developing or co-delivering programs, services, or events such as co-hosted workshops or community initiatives);
- Volunteer engagement partners (e.g., collaborating with organizations to recruit, train, or support volunteers);
- Research or knowledge-translation partners (e.g., working with academic institutions or other organizations on research projects or dissemination of findings);
- Community or advocacy collaborators (e.g., joint campaigns, awareness initiatives, or coalition work).
8.2 Partner Requirements
All partners interacting with families or the public on behalf of the BCC must be informed of the Code and adhere to its principles. The BCC may provide educational materials to support compliance.
The BCC reserves the right to terminate any partnership if it no longer aligns with this policy or the Code.
9. Oversight and Enforcement
The Board of Directors retains final authority over interpretation and enforcement of this policy and may refuse, suspend, or terminate any donation, sponsorship or partnership to protect the BCC’s mandate and integrity.
This policy will be reviewed by the BCC Board of Directors every three years. The “Last updated” date will reflect the most recent revision.