For the past 52 years, Parasport & Recreation PEI has been providing adaptive sport and recreation programming for individuals with physical disabilities across Prince Edward Island.

 
The charity uses CanadaHelps for all digital donations, including those from individual donors and corporate supporters through the Custom Donation Forms. See how the charity has increased total digital revenue by 430% and donations via CDF by 24% with CanadaHelps.
 

About Parasport & Recreation PEI

Since 1974, Parasport & Recreation PEI has been providing adaptive sport and recreation programming for individuals with physical disabilities across Prince Edward Island. What began as an initiative offering two or three sports has grown into an organization now delivering 15 different adaptive sports programs to communities across the island.

From wheelchair basketball and para ice hockey (formerly sledge hockey) to newer initiatives like boccia and goalball, the charity’s mission is to break down barriers and make sport accessible to all.

“We really do our best to make sure we’re getting to serve all of our members. We’ve been providing programs and services to individuals with physical disabilities. Whether programming events, or just about anything sport and recreation related, that they could be interested in.” — Jeff Perry, Executive Director at Parasport & Recreation PEI.

Beyond organized programs, ParaSport PEI also partners closely with schools, municipalities, and community organizations across the province to bring adaptive programs into classrooms and local facilities. “It’s not just for our children with disabilities, it’s to include them to be a part of the entire group, where some able-bodied sports, they may not be able to participate,” shared Jeff.

Relationship with CanadaHelps

ParaSport PEI relies exclusively on CanadaHelps as its digital fundraising platform. Every online donation made through their website flows seamlessly through a CanadaHelps Custom Donation Form (CDF).

“When you go to our website, a donate button takes you directly to our CanadaHelps page. And from there, all you have to do is enter your information. We get the donation, and the tax receipt is sent out automatically. Our digital fundraising is strictly all CanadaHelps,” Jeff shares.

The platform serves as the channel for all digital donations to the organization, from individual donors, memorial gifts, corporate supporters, or equipment borrowers making suggested donations. This approach has simplified operations for the small team while ensuring every donor receives immediate acknowledgment and proper tax documentation.

 

Fundraising: Building Community Support

ParaSport PEI’s fundraising strategy reflects the community connections they’ve built over five decades. The organization uses multiple fundraising channels to support operations while maintaining its commitment to keeping programs accessible and low-barrier for all participants.

💡Annual Christmas Fundraiser: Now in its 40th year, the Annual Christmas Fundraiser is the charity’s signature campaign in their fundraising calendar. Each year, the event offers three major prizes and draws incredible participation from the local community. Beyond tradition, it’s an essential pillar of sustainability – funding coaching, facility rentals, and new equipment purchases.
 
“It’s really one of our success stories. We’ve been able to rely on that fundraiser and its initiative and its goal each year to provide training for our coaches, extra facilities for our programs, and support the growth and development of the organization here,” Jeff emphasizes.
 
💡 Community Events & Grant Funding: ParaSport PEI also organizes community events, including evening walk/run/wheel-athon events called “Night Dash.” These events raise funds for programs and equipment, build awareness about adaptive sports, and create spaces where people of all abilities can participate together. As a nonprofit organization supporting individuals with physical disabilities, the team also pursues grant opportunities that align with its mission. “We’ve been fortunate enough to receive grants from upwards of $10,000 right down to $250 or $500, but we’re appreciative of every single dollar that comes through,” shared Jeff. They maintain a wishlist of equipment and program development priorities, allowing them to respond when relevant funding opportunities arise.
 
💡 Equipment Loan Program & Suggested Donations: ParaSport PEI transformed their equipment rental structure from a fee-based model to a no-cost program with suggested donations. Members borrowing equipment are directed to the CanadaHelps donation page, where they can make a contribution and receive an immediate tax receipt.
 
💡Digital & Corporate Giving: The organization receives support through digital donations, corporate partnerships, and in-memoriam donations.“There are some general donations that come through as a surprise, and we’re always excited to see those, when our friends from the community reach out, whether it be a personal initiative, a memoriam where donations have been forwarded to us, corporate has nominated someone or they have nominated us,” shared Jeff. Throughout their fundraising efforts, Parasport & Recreation PEI maintains fiscal responsibility, with 60% of fundraising revenue going directly to programs and 40% to administration costs – a balance that ensures impact while supporting operations.
 
 

Digital Fundraising with CanadaHelps

Digital fundraising through CanadaHelps has become a key part of the charity’s giving ecosystem. The platform helps it streamline operations, enhance donor experience, and maintain accessibility – both for program participants and donors.
 

✅ Customized Donation Forms

Parasport & Recreation PEI uses CanadaHelps Custom Donation Forms (CDFs), embedded on its website, to offer a clear path of donation across all giving scenarios. All digital donations – whether general giving, memorial donations, or suggested gifts through the equipment loan program – are processed via CanadaHelps. “Our digital fundraising is strictly all CanadaHelps,“ shared Jeff.

The forms are easy to set up, minimize administrative work, and ensure donations flow directly to where they’re needed most: new equipment, program maintenance, and inclusive sport development. 

The charity has seen a 430% increase in total digital revenue via CanadaHelps in the last 2 fiscal years.

✅ Simple Setup, Reliable Support

Parasport & Recreation PEI values the ease of setup and reliability of the CanadaHelps platform. As Jeff notes, it’s both intuitive for staff and reassuring for donors, with built-in trust and transparency that’s important for local charities. “It’s user-friendly, you get great support from the team, and it really makes digital fundraising seamless,” he shared.
 

✅ Automated Tax Receipting & Thank-You Emails

For a small team managing extensive programming, automation through CanadaHelps has been very valuable. CanadaHelps’ automated tax receipting and thank you emails have helped the charity save significant time and resources, while improving donor experience with immediate confirmation.

“I would say the biggest advantage to having CanadaHelps as our third-party donation service is the automated tax receipts for our donors. It makes it seamless on our end and their end. And it really takes quite a bit of admin work off our desk. A user-friendly process for both parties.” – Jeff Perry

This automation means donors receive immediate acknowledgment with proper documentation, while staff can focus on program delivery, member engagement, and community partnerships.

✅ Supporting Low-Barrier Programming

The charity has designed its donation experience to reflect its values: accessibility and inclusivity. With programs offered at no cost, participants are encouraged – but never required – to make small donations through the CanadaHelps form. These contributions directly sustain and expand the very services that donors and participants rely on.

“We often suggest that those borrowing equipment make a small donation back through CanadaHelps–and that support goes straight into new equipment and maintenance,” Jeff shared.

Results With CanadaHelps

Since adopting and expanding its use of CanadaHelps, ParaSport PEI has experienced steady digital growth, improved donor engagement, and operational efficiency.
 
⬆️ 430% Increase in total digital revenue via CanadaHelps
⬆️ 24% Increase in donations via CDF
 
*% increase over the past two fiscal years

1. Growth in Digital Giving

The transition to a suggested donation model for equipment loans, paired with access to CanadaHelps donation forms, has resulted substantial increase in digital donations through CanadaHelps. ParaSport PEI has seen a 24% increase in donations via CDF and a ~430% increase in total digital revenue via CanadaHelps in the last 2 fiscal years.

“We have noticed a shift in our donations,” Jeff notes, attributing this growth to making giving optional but encouraged, with the CanadaHelps process making it easier for supporters to follow through. “Moving to a no-cost structure with a suggested donation has made our programs more accessible – and people are giving back generously.

 

2. Increased Efficiency

One of the results has been the time saved through automation. The elimination of manual tax receipt processing has freed up staff hours that can be redirected toward program delivery, member support, and community partnership development – important for an organization with a small team managing 15 different sports programs.

 

3. Enhanced Donor Experience

By offering a transparent, secure, and convenient giving process, the organization has built greater donor confidence and retention. Donors appreciate the immediacy of their tax receipts and the knowledge that their support directly funds accessible programs.
 
 

Why the Charity Recommends CanadaHelps

For Parasport & Recreation PEI, the decision to rely exclusively on CanadaHelps for digital fundraising comes down to simplicity, support, and efficiency.

The platform’s user-friendly design makes it accessible for both the organization and its donors. There’s no steep learning curve, no complex setup, and no technical barriers. The support provided by the CanadaHelps team offers peace of mind for a small organization where staff wear multiple hats.

For an organization committed to keeping operational costs low and directing resources toward programs, CanadaHelps handles the complexity behind the scenes, allowing them to focus on their mission.

“I would recommend CanadaHelps to all charitable organizations across Canada for many reasons. It’s user-friendly. You get great support from across the leadership and charity success team. And you get automated tax receipts. It really makes it a seamless process.” – Jeff Perry

Want to be our next success story? Request a demo to discuss how CanadaHelps can support your charity.  Download the full case study here.  

Community Impact

Parasport & Recreation PEI’s success and impact can be illustrated by the moments when members rediscover activities through accessible, inclusive sport programming.

✔️ Removing Barriers Through Equipment Access

Their Equipment Loan Program allows members to borrow specialized sports equipment at no cost. The organization maintains an inventory of approximately 35 para ice hockey sleds with matching sticks, wheelchair basketball equipment, and adaptive sailboats.

This means that anyone interested in trying an adaptive sport can do so without worrying about the expense of specialized equipment. Whether someone wants to try para ice hockey for the first time or needs equipment to continue a sport they’ve loved for years, the loan program opens doors that might otherwise remain closed.

✔️ Adaptive Sailing: Returning to the Water

Through a new partnership with Able Sail PEI and the Charlottetown Yacht Club, the charity has introduced adaptive sailing to the Island. One participant, a lifelong sailor who experienced a spinal cord injury, hadn’t been on the water in over a decade.

ParaSport PEI partnered with Shediac Yacht Club to organize a field trip where members could actually sail using their adaptive boats. For the former competitive sailor, her finally returning to sailing was an emotional milestone for everyone involved. “She didn’t leave the water,” Jeff recalls. “That’s really why at the crux of why we do it all.”

✔️Adaptive Golf: From Practice to Playing

The charity also launched an adaptive golf program in partnership with Belvedere Golf Club, enabling participants who use mobility aids to return to the greens. One member – a former avid golfer who now uses an electric scooter due to a spinal cord injury – began with the putting green, then spent June and July at the driving range building skills and confidence.

“The first kind of success story was actually just getting from the driving range onto the golf course,” Jeff explains. “Because going from practice to playing was a bit of a barrier mentally for him.” The member has since completed nine holes twice, with the support of an inclusive club and dedicated program staff. “The goal for next summer? A full 18 holes,” Jeff shares.

 

Looking Ahead

As Parasport & Recreation PEI approaches its 52nd year of operation, it continues to evolve its approach to both programming and fundraising.

Expanding Monthly Giving and Digital Fundraising: A key priority for the organization is developing a monthly giving program. Jeff is exploring strategies to convert one-time donors into monthly supporters, understanding that consistent recurring gifts provide the financial stability needed to plan program expansion and maintain equipment inventory.

Enhancing Program Capacity: On the programming side, the organization continues to pursue the acquisition of adaptive sailboats for Charlottetown, which would allow them to run their own regular sailing program rather than relying on field trips. Programs like adaptive golf may be expanded and formalized, creating regular programming schedules that allow more members to participate and progress in their sport of choice.

Strengthening Community Partnerships: The charity’s success with partnerships – from the Public School Branch to local golf courses to yacht clubs – demonstrates the value of collaboration in creating inclusive programming. Looking ahead, Parasport & Recreation PEI will continue building these relationships, recognizing that change requires community-wide commitment to accessibility and inclusion.
 
“We’re extremely fortunate to have interest from a lot of other provincial sport organizations in partnering for accessible and inclusive programming of their sport. But also cities and communities, and the public school branch, which is the school board for all of Prince Edward Island. They’re very supportive in working with us in bringing us into their phys ed classes.” – Jeff Perry
 
For more information about ParaSport and Recreation PEI and how to support their mission, visit www.parasportpei.ca

Download the full case study here.

➡️ Meet the Team