A New ‘Spring’ in our Step

Spring seems to have finally arrived (at least for most parts of the country), and new growth is sprouting everywhere. Winter clothes are being put away, as summer wardrobes are pulled out of the closet. At CanadaHelps, we’ve changed our look as well, just in time for spring. Our site has a fresh new appearance, and with it is clean, easy-to-use functionality. We hope you’re enjoying it, and if you haven’t seen it yet, check it out!

As part of our new look, we’ve taken our GivingPages from preview beta version to full release. You can read more about GivingPages, and the incredible success they’ve already had for personal fundraising in this newsletter. Inspired fundraisers like you are coming up with new ways of using and promoting GivingPages, and I encourage you to check them out and create your own personal fundraising goal.

It’s spring, and it’s a fresh start. As you think about how to spend your summer months, think about how you’re going to spend your next charitable gift. It could be a charity gift card for a birthday, a GivingPage for a wedding, or simply a gift for your favourite charity. However you want to give, and to whomever, make it simple – CanadaHelps is giving made simple.

Giving Made Easier!

CanadaHelps is thrilled to provide one more way to make online giving even easier!

Last year, we launched a personal fundraising service called GivingPages. Since then, over 250 people have created pages on our site to raise funds for the causes they support. Users have created pages for marathon fundraisers, donations in lieu of gifts for weddings, personal challenges to family and friends, and more. To date, the GivingPages have raised more than $200,000 for Canadian charities, with more raised every day.

How did they do it? Successful fundraisers have shared their tips for fundraising for their causes. If they can do it, you can too!

1. Send updates on your progress or about any changes to your event. People want to donate, but sometimes they forget and emails get lost in inboxes and filed for later. A friendly reminder is always helpful!
2. Add your CanadaHelps GivingPage URL to your email signature so that every email you send tells people about your fundraising efforts.
3. Don't be shy about who you email. You probably have a bigger network than you realize; include co-workers, your boss, friends, family, and people you know through hobbies or volunteer work. The more people you ask, the more donations you'll get.
4. Do PR for yourself. If you're running a big race or doing something notable, let your local media know. Local papers love this kind of story and it's a great way to publicize your fundraising page at the same time.

CanadaHelps is excited to be a part of this fundraising experience for Canadian charities and their supporters. Be sure to check out some of the existing fundraisers, and create your own GivingPage today.

A GivingPage Fundrasier!

It's not everyday you hear the phrase "Beer Money for Cancer" used at a fundraiser, but then Roger Chan’s "fundraiser" was unique in and of itself. Chan, a marketing manager based in BC decided last holiday season that he wanted to help raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society of BC and the Yukon "I’ve had several family members affected by cancer, and wanted to continue some fundraising initiatives I had been involved with in the past"

Finding the holiday season of 2006 much busier than expected due to a new role at work and other obligations, Chan found the perfect solution using CanadaHelps GivingPages. GivingPages provide a way for people to raise money online for the charities they support, with personalized fundraising pages via the CanadaHelps website. Think of it as a personal online gift registry – for your charity of choice.

"It was such a busy time of year, and the CanadaHelps GivingPages were such a low maintenance yet still impactful way to reach out to my network of friends and family and ask for them to contribute to the cause." Chan's idea behind the "beer for cancer" theme was to encourage people to save that $5 or $10 they might spend on an extra drink one night, and put it towards the Cancer Society of BC. "I met my financial goal so much quicker than expected that I decided to increase the original goal amount, it ended up being a big success"

GivingPages are so simple to set up, Chan did it in less than ten minutes. "Another big benefit I found with setting up a GivingPage is the legitimacy it extends to a would-be sponsor. Sometimes at more ‘grassroots fundraisers there is a question as to how much of the donation is going to the charity.  With the GivingPages, my friends were able to see immediately where their donation was going, and they received an email confirmation almost instantly."

Chan’s "Beer for Cancer" fundraiser was such a success, he's planning on doing it again this year. GivingPages can be created for almost any event or milestone. CanadaHelps offers templates for wedding registries, birthdays, memorial pages, sporting events, and, in Roger’s case, enjoying one less beer, for one great cause!

Connect With CanadaHelps

CanadaHelps is the only online portal that provides access to all of Canada's 80,000 charities. From national organizations like national cancer charities to smaller groups like local animal shelters and soup kitchens, CanadaHelps reaches all Canadians who want to give and connects them with their charity of choice.

Help us keep you informed as we engage donors and enhance the fundraising potential for charities. Subscribe to the CanadaHelps newsletter and/or forward to a friend, colleague or charity who you think would benefit from the knowledge and experiences CanadaHelps gains each month from both donors and charities.