Industry Partnerships Policy (Affinity programs, sponsorships & advertising)

Policy Statement

CDHA may enter into relationships with companies that offer membership benefit programs (referred to as Affinity partners/programs) and/or undertake advertising activity or sponsorships, either via an official partnership agreement or a singular opportunity. These relationships will hereafter be referred to as industry partnerships. These relationships represent either a provision of service or revenue benefit to the association and its members and must be in keeping with the principles outlined below.

CDHA is vigilantly aware of, and guards itself against, the potential for such relationships to undermine values of vital importance, such as professionalism, ethics, integrity, independence, trust, reputation, credibility, and the moral capital in the Association’s brand. CDHA will only enter into relationships with industry partners where such partnerships have been evaluated and found worthy.

Rationale

CDHA recognizes the importance of diversifying its non-dues revenue streams to sustain and expand the programming offered to members and to mitigate the upward pressure on membership dues. Industry partnerships offer valuable opportunities to engage with external partners who share our values and support our mission.

The objective is to ensure that CDHA does not undermine its core values in pursuing and entering into these relationships. Principles have been developed to guide the association in forming these relationships and in determining the parameters (e.g., terms and conditions) of the relationships it enters into.

Definitions

Industry Partner: Any organization or company that collaborates with CDHA through sponsorship, advertising, or affinity programs.

Advertising: Provision of space to promote products or services in exchange for payment or other consideration. Advertising may be in print publications, programs or digital vehicles/platforms such as website, e-newsletters, social media, and more.

Sponsorship: Financial or in-kind support provided by an industry partner for CDHA events or initiatives, for which in return, the support of the sponsor is publicly recognized for a specified period of time in an agreed upon manner.

Partner Circle: A structured program offering tiered benefits to industry partners who have signed contractual Partnership Agreements committing to specific levels of monetary contribution.

Affinity Partner: A program that provides specific membership benefits, free of charge or at a discount to CDHA members.

Guidelines

The following guidelines will be applied to ensure adherence to these core principles, to determine the eligibility of industry partnerships and to ensure that relationships are transparent and apparent. CDHA may pursue industry partnerships insofar as these relationships assist CDHA in providing a service to its members and/or provide a revenue stream/benefit to the association.

CDHA avoids entering into relationships with industry partners whose goals are not aligned with those of CDHA and reserves the right to reject any content that is not compliant with our guidelines. We may terminate agreements if any terms/guidelines are breached or a reputational risk arises.

Where goals are generally compatible with those of CDHA, CDHA will ensure that the terms and conditions of the relationship do not undermine its editorial independence, trust, integrity, credibility or reputation.

Entering into any industry partner relationship does not constitute CDHA endorsement for any program, product or service. CDHA reserves the right to terminate agreements if terms are breached or reputational risk arises.

CDHA will ensure (e.g., by means of disclaimers; care in the placement of its logos) that its association with any partners/sponsors will not be represented by or construed as indicating support for, or endorsement of any company, organization, product, service or program unless such support or endorsement is expressly stated.

In the interests of fairness and independence from undue influence, CDHA will generally limit entering exclusive arrangements with industry partners and will seek to diversify its relationships so as not to become dependent on any particular one. In certain circumstances of affinity partner programs, exclusivity may be negotiated.

Industry partnerships will not be entertained with companies promoting tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, weapons, gambling or pornography.

Industry partners must share CDHA’s commitment to professionalism, integrity, and public trust; offer products/services relevant to oral health or professional development; comply with Canadian laws, ethical standards, and CDHA’s advertising specifications; and agree to CDHA’s right of refusal for any content deemed inappropriate or competitive with CDHA offerings.

CDHA will ensure that reasonable and adequate review and approval processes are in place to implement accountability, ensuring consistency with these principles.

Editorial decisions shall not be influenced by advertising or sponsorship and are made without consideration of the advertising or sponsorship scheduled to appear. Sponsors and advertisers will not determine specific editorial content or in any way influence editorial decision-making, nor will they have the opportunity to review any material prior to publication. Advertisements and sponsorships will not be sold on condition that specific editorial content will be subsequently produced. Further, advertisements and sponsorships will not be accepted where the fact of the advertisement or sponsorship would raise a reasonable inference of influence on editorial content or decision-making, or CDHA’s endorsement of the sponsor or its products or services.

Procedures

Affinity Partners

Criteria for the selection of Affinity Partners shall include:

There is a demonstrated member interest/demand for the service.
The service is available nationally.
The program is simple to deliver, manage, and market.
CDHA does not already offer a similar service that is of better quality.
There is a revenue stream back to the association and/or a substantial discount offered for CDHA members.

All proposals for Affinity Partners must be presented to the Senior Leadership Team, with accompanying supporting information/documentation/rationale, unless specifically identified in the Operational Plan. The Senior Leadership Team is accountable for approving all Affinity Partners. This policy should be referenced when discussing or presenting any review of an Affinity Partnership. Affinity Partner programs are contracted for specific durations, signed by the CEO and reviewed at renewal.

Corporate Sponsorship

CDHA’s corporate sponsorship program may include specific Partner Circle Members who participate in a structured program offering tiered benefits or one-time financial or in-kind support provided by an industry partner for CDHA events, education or other initiatives.

Partner Circle Members are recognized according to the following tiers:

Elite: Highest level benefits, including premium visibility and engagement opportunities.
Gold/Silver: Mid-level benefits with significant exposure.
Bronze: Entry-level benefits

The CEO signs all partnership agreements. Agreements are reviewed and renewed annually.

Sponsors shall be recognized appropriately commensurate with the level of their contributions. Recognition provided will be clearly outlined in CDHA’s Partnership Opportunities Booklet, Conference Prospectus and/or individual partnership agreements.

Sponsorship acknowledgments will generally be limited to the company name, logos or slogans that are an established part of the supporter’s identity and trade names.

Sponsors should generally be listed alphabetically or within their respective sponsorship ranges.

All sponsorship agreement contracts will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada.

Advertising Guidelines

Advertising must be factually accurate, must not be misleading, and must be in good taste.

All advertising should meet the appropriate standards for advertising of that product or service under all applicable Canadian laws.

Advertising for instruments, devices, or any part, component, or accessory intended for preventive, diagnostic, or therapeutic purposes must comply with the provisions of the Medical Devices Regulations under the Food and Drugs Act.

Advertising must adhere to human rights legislation and refrain from discriminating on any prohibited grounds.

Advertisements should not disrupt articles in scholarly publications. A distinction is maintained between advertising and editorial content. All advertising, including advertorials, must be clearly identifiable as paid advertising/content and must not be confused with editorial content in format or appearance; and may not be associated with CDHA logos, trademarks or other markings.

All advertisements promoting products and/or services, particularly continuing education/professional development, that directly compete with any current CDHA offerings, will be reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis, with CDHA having the right of refusal.

All CDHA vehicles (print, electronic, web-based) that include advertising must prominently feature an advertising disclaimer stating:

Advertising Disclaimer: Publication of advertisements in CDHA print or online properties in no way constitutes endorsement of the product/service or company. CDHA does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of statements by advertisers, nor their compliance with any federal or provincial/territorial legislation. CDHA reserves the right to reject any submission if the advertisement, organization, product or service is not compatible with CDHA’s mission, vision or values.

All ads are subject to approval by the Director of Marketing & Communications, with consultation with the dental hygiene practice team as needed.

Compliance Measures

Annual review of all partnerships for compliance and alignment with CDHA’s strategic priorities.
Monitoring sponsored content and advertisements for adherence to guidelines.
Immediate termination of agreements in the event of breached terms or reputational risk.

Unfulfilled Obligations

CDHA shall not provide a refund or credit for those deliverables not performed by the agreement's expiration date as a result of any failure by the industry partner to comply with the schedules outlined within the agreements. Deliverables that have not been paid by the planned date of service shall still be payable in this instance unless an alternate date has been agreed upon, in advance, between CDHA and the industry partner.

Complaints

Individuals may register comments or complaints about partnerships, advertising or sponsorships through marketing@cdha.ca. All complaints are recorded in a log that is monitored for trends.

Responsible Office

The Director of Marketing and Communications shall be responsible for stewardship of the policy and/or maintaining procedures.

Effective Date

November 25, 2025

Policy Review Frequency

Every three years.

Policy History

First draft: November 2025