Postal Strike Resources
Navigating the Canada Post Strike 2025 For Your Charity
What is the CanadaPost strike, and why is it important for your charity?
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has been in a legal strike position since May 2025. On September 25th, the union escalated workplace action to a full strike; this means no mail or parcels will be delivered. The situation continues to evolve with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers moving towards a rotating strike in several communities, but mail deliverability remains uncertain.
During the strike action in late 2024, CanadaHelps research indicates that Canadian Charities lost roughly $266 million. Now is the time for charities to act to prevent future financial losses.
In light of this, we have put together resources for charities to move quickly and minimize impact. By communicating the impact a postal strike can have on your charity and providing other ways for donors to support your charity, you can ensure a successful end-of-year.
Step 1: Provide Alternative Ways For Supporters to Give
CanadaHelps is here to help ensure fundraising throughout the Giving Season, and beyond, is simple and stress-free
Assess Your Online Fundraising and Take Action
| Stage | Common Problems | Action Needed |
|---|---|---|
| My main fundraising source is cheques and I have not registered with CanadaHelps. | If you receive donations primarily by cheque, they may be delayed or not arrive at all due to strike action. |
Start communicating to your donors the impact that a postal strike has, and provide an alternative way for them to donate online through CanadaHelps.
Your Charity Profile is ready to accept donations today! |
| I am registered with CanadaHelps, but have not yet provided EFT information. | If you haven’t registered and set up your banking details with CanadaHelps, we’re only able to disburse donations to your charity through cheques, which prevents your funds from being disbursed in a timely manner. | Register, and add your EFT details to your CanadaHelps account and receive weekly disbursements of your donations |
| I am sending donors to our CanadaHelps Charity Profile through links |
You’re in a good spot, CanadaHelps lists Canada’s registered charities and provides an instant way for charities to start raising online with no ads, no SEO and even no website.
You can promote your Charity Profile on your website, in every email, and across social media. |
Take the next step and develop a donation form to embed directly on your own website and benefit from lower processing fees. |
| I am registered with CanadaHelps and use online donation forms to accept donations. | This is great, you are well set up to minimize the impact of the postal strike | Now is the time to make use of features for Giving Season, like fundraising thermometers or “suggested donation amounts” to ensure that this is your best Giving Season yet! Explore Additional Donation Form Features Today |
Step 2: Communicate with Your Donors
Communicate with your donors as the postal strike develops. Highlight how the strike is impacting your charity, and how their gifts can offset these impacts.
Here is an example that you can use and adapt:
Example:
Subject Lines:
- Canada Postal Strike is Happening… but please don’t delay your gift
- Canada Post Strike: Give Online to Help [Those In Need] Now
- What you should know about the Postal Strike Action and how it impact [charity name]
Hello [First Name],
Thank you for caring about [those in need of food and shelter in your local community] – that’s why I’m reaching out today. We rely on mail-in donations for [20%] of our fundraising. Because of the Postal Strike action, we know that many end-of-year donors are delaying their gifts, and some regular mail-in donors are bypassing their donation altogether this year. This coincides with [a time where community is needed more than ever].
Please don’t delay your gift. We are able to accept donations securely through our [online donation form/charity profile link]. These funds go directly to our charity so that we can support [those in need] right now!
Additional Resources
Diversify your fundraising in uncertain times
Diversifying your fundraising doesn’t have to stop at incorporating a donation form on your site. There are other giving programs and strategies that can help you mitigate risk and provide more predictable funding for now and into the future.
Ready for anything: Key investments needed for an uncertain 2025
Read the blog by Duke Chang, president and CEO of CanadaHelps, where he pinpoints areas worth investing in to ensure your charity remains resilient in an increasingly uncertain world.
Webinar: Canada Post Strike 2025
You’re not alone in navigating the Canada Post Strike! Hear from Nicole Danesi and Matt Fitch on how to minimize the impact on your charity and turn this into an opportunity to connect with your donors and diversify your fundraising.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the postal strike and how it affects charities.
What is happening?
How does the Canada Post strike impact charities?
What can I do to ensure donations don’t go down during the strike?
With a few simple steps, you can help ensure donations continue to come in, even during a postal disruption.
Encourage online giving: Promote your online donation form widely across all channels. Make donating online easy and visible by updating your website and sharing links in your emails and social media.
Communicate clearly: Add clear messaging about the impact of the strike to your website, newsletters, social media, and emails so supporters know that online giving is the fastest and most secure way to support your work right now. Calling donors personally is another great way to maintain relationships and make giving feel more personal during uncertain times.
Encourage monthly giving: Monthly giving provides reliable support, even when the mail is delayed. Consider using monthly-first donation forms to encourage donors to switch to monthly giving.
In addition to accepting donations online, you could consider hosting virtual fundraising events, running donation drives, and setting up peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns.
Learn more about diversifying your fundraising strategy.
How can CanadaHelps support me during this time?
Digital fundraising provides a seamless way for your charity to receive donations without relying on traditional mail. CanadaHelps’ fundraising tools are simple to set up and don’t require any tech skills.
Through our Customizable Donation Forms, donors can give 24/7 in just a few clicks and receive CRA-compliant tax receipts instantly. Accept one-time, monthly, tribute, or securities donations on your website or through a shared link. Donations are deposited directly into your charity account every week via automatic electronic fund transfers (EFT). Set one up today.
Charity Profile Page on CanadaHelps acts as a hub for your cause. This page helps you showcase your charity to over 5 million Canadians who have donated through CanadaHelps. Learn how to update your Charity Profile Page here.
Additionally, you can launch peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising campaigns to empower your supporters to fundraise on your behalf, as well as host virtual, offline, or hybrid events.
How do I direct donors to our online donation form?
Use every channel available to guide your supporters to your online donation form: emails, website, newsletters, and social media. Make the link prominent and easy to find.
You can also embed your CanadaHelps donation form directly on your site or link to it. Here’s a step-by-step guide to embedding your form.
How can I avoid delays in donation processing with CanadaHelps?
To avoid delays and ensure quicker access to your funds, take advantage of our Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) service. With EFT, donations made online through CanadaHelps are automatically deposited directly into your charity’s bank account every week.
This not only eliminates dependency on Canada Post, but it also ensures that your charity receives support when you need it most. Click here to get started – it is simple and easy to set up.