Giving Tuesday: Supporting Our Community Partners

The days are growing shorter and the weather is changing as we inch closer to the holiday season. This time of year is also typically when we get into the giving spirit, and the not-for-profits in our communities rely on that spirit to raise many of the funds that they need to operate for the year. 

Canadians are typically a giving group. Statistics Canada’s 2010 Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering, and Participating highlighted that Canadians are motivated to donate because they care for their fellow citizens and the social impact of the various causes organizations represent. The breakdown on why they choose to give was as follows:

• Compassion for those in need (89%)
• Personally believe in a cause and want to help (85%)
• Contribute to our communities (79%)
• Personally affected by an organization’s cause (61%)
• Religious obligations or beliefs (29%)
• Income tax credit (23%)

However, 2020 was a tough year for everyone with COVID-19 and not-for-profits were, unfortunately, no exception. According to Imagine Canada’s COVID-19 Sector Monitor Report released in February 2021, charity revenues were down by 55%. 

Many charities persevered. They shifted gears as their typical fundraising initiatives had to be cancelled or transformed so a person could participate from home, or some created new initiatives that could be executed virtually.

At Vovia, we have the privilege of working with several not-for-profit organizations in the community. All of these organizations have adapted to the situation and are stretching their creative and communication skills to still support the communities they serve. Here are some examples of how our client’s adapted:

• Calgary Health Foundation has hosted a webinar series centered around women’s health and covered a variety of topics that not everyone likes to talk about, but are so important to understand.
• To raise funds for the Calgary Cancer Centre, Alberta Cancer Foundation, with support of University of Calgary, launched the OWN.Cancer campaign with merchandise for sale online in addition to the opportunity to donate funds directly.
• Calgary United Way kicked off their 2021 donation campaign with a jam-packed virtual event including guest speaker, Sociologist and Author, Dr. Tracy Brower to talk about ways of focusing on our mental health – a challenge that many of us can relate to, especially while coping with this pandemic.
• The Calgary Humane Society has brought back several of their beloved annual events, adapting them to virtual formats. This November, the Calgary Humane Society hosted a virtual gala – Cocktails for Critters. As a virtual event, participants received event boxes that included all of the gala essentials, including spirits, snacks, and even dessert for their pets. This is the second time the gala has been held virtually, following the success of 2020’s event which raised over $160,000 for animals in need.

This Giving Tuesday, consider supporting a local organization that is important to you and your community. It doesn’t have to be monetary either. Many organizations are looking for an extra set of hands to help out in a variety of ways.