Humanitarian Coalition Success Story

About Humanitarian Coalition

The Humanitarian Coalition brings together 12 of Canada’s leading international aid organizations to deliver fast, coordinated responses to global humanitarian crises. Established in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Coalition was created to provide Canadians with a simple, trusted way to support emergency relief efforts worldwide.

From its original five member agencies (CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Québec, Plan International Canada, and Save the Children), the Humanitarian Coalition’s members have since grown to include Action Against Hunger, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Canadian Lutheran World Relief, Doctors of the World Canada, Humanity & Inclusion Canada, Islamic Relief Canada, and World Vision Canada.

The Humanitarian Coalition’s 12 member agencies operate in 160 countries and collectively reach approximately 2.5 million donors across Canada. This collective model enables rapid, localized responses within hours of a crisis. It also builds trust by demonstrating transparency, efficiency, and collaboration.

Since its incorporation in 2009, the charity has raised more than $258 million, reaching 13.3 million people across 162 humanitarian crises.

“During a massive humanitarian emergency, we’re all raising funds under the same umbrella. The Humanitarian Coalition provides Canadians with a unified, effective way to support urgent global humanitarian efforts through a single, trusted platform.” – Tiffany Baggetta, Executive Director, Humanitarian Coalition

Relationship with CanadaHelps

The Humanitarian Coalition has partnered with CanadaHelps since 2010 to enhance digital fundraising efforts through donation processing, reporting, and campaign execution.

It uses CanadaHelps for:
✔️Fundraising through its charity profile
✔️Securities giving
✔️Campaign-specific fundraising, and more

Since partnering with CanadaHelps, the Humanitarian Coalition has raised more than $2 million through the platform. It has seen enhanced digital fundraising, including a 579% increase in securities donations and a 73% increase in overall donations via CanadaHelps in the past two fiscal years. 

“Our partnership with CanadaHelps has been significant for the Humanitarian Coalition in terms of reaching Canadians with information about humanitarian crises, our collective fundraising campaigns and stories about communities being supported by the generosity of Canadians,” shared Baggetta.

Overall Fundraising

The Humanitarian Coalition leverages a diverse mix of fundraising strategies to support both large-scale emergencies and ongoing humanitarian needs.

💡Individual Donations

Individual Canadians are at the heart of the Humanitarian Coalition’s fundraising efforts. During crises, donors seek trusted organizations that can deliver impact quickly and transparently. The Coalition meets this need by offering a centralized, credible giving option supported by recognized and accredited member agencies.

“During global crises, Canadians feel a sense of helplessness and want a trusted partner… to know that their funds are being used to reach the people who need humanitarian support the most. Our members can deliver this,” shared Baggetta.

💡Government Partnerships

Government support, particularly through donation matching programs during joint appeals, plays a critical role in amplifying fundraising outcomes. When a major emergency is declared, the government is notified early – and often announces a donation match at the outset of the appeal. “Government matching programs are a powerful incentive that drives increased donor engagement and generosity,” emphasized Baggetta.

The Coalition also manages the Canadian Humanitarian Assistance Fund (CHAF), a Government of Canada-supported fund designed for rapid response to smaller-scale emergencies such as floods or cyclones. This ensures timely intervention even when crises do not receive widespread media attention. 

💡Major Donors & Foundations

Major donors and foundations contribute both to specific crises and the Humanitarian Coalition’s general emergency fund. This flexible approach allows the Coalition to address urgent needs while also maintaining preparedness for emerging crises.

💡Securities Giving

The Humanitarian Coalition accepts gifts of securities as part of its individual giving program. Because the organization does not have the in-house capacity to process securities internally, it relies on CanadaHelps to manage this giving stream seamlessly on its behalf – an arrangement that allows the Coalition to offer this giving option without added administrative burden.

💡Corporate & Media Partnerships

Strategic media partnerships play an important cost-saving role for the Coalition. During emergencies, some media partners provide free advertising space and air public service announcements, helping the Coalition reach more Canadians without the overhead of paid campaigns.

Digital Fundraising with CanadaHelps

The Coalition’s digital fundraising strategy has been deeply integrated with CanadaHelps since 2010, enabling seamless donor engagement and campaign execution.

☑️Charity Profile

The Humanitarian Coalition maintains an active charity profile on CanadaHelps, which provides visibility to Canadian donors during and between emergencies. One particularly valued aspect of this is being featured on the Crisis Relief Centre. The Humanitarian Coalition – and many of its 12 member agencies, who also maintain their own CanadaHelps profiles – are featured here prominently during active emergency responses.

As Baggetta noted, “During a large-scale emergency, our member agencies and the Humanitarian Coalition often have dedicated landing pages and campaigns. CanadaHelps features both us and our member agencies on the Crisis Relief Centre and communicates with donors about the crisis fund. That visibility is invaluable. The more presence we have in front of Canadians at the right moment, the better positioned we are to respond.”

☑️Monthly Giving

The Humanitarian Coalition offers a monthly donor program to provide a more stable and sustained funding base so its members can respond immediately to humanitarian emergencies. Monthly donors receive regular newsletters and impact updates, deepening their connection to the Coalition’s ongoing work between emergencies.

CanadaHelps supports the management and processing of these recurring gifts, reducing the administrative load on a small team.

☑️Securities Donation Processing

Because the Humanitarian Coalition does not have the internal capacity to process gifts of securities directly, it relies on CanadaHelps to handle this on its behalf. This arrangement makes it possible for the organization to offer securities giving as an option to donors without requiring dedicated in-house expertise or infrastructure. “CanadaHelps has helped expand our fundraising capabilities by enabling secure and efficient securities donations,” emphasized Baggetta.

☑️Automated Tax Receipting & Thank-You Emails

Automated tax receipting through CanadaHelps is an important operational efficiency for the Humanitarian Coalition. Donors receive instant acknowledgement after giving, without requiring manual follow-up from staff.

☑️E-Blasts & Campaign Support

CanadaHelps has also provided direct campaign support to the Humanitarian Coalition through e-blasts to CanadaHelps subscribers during active appeals.

Recent examples include the Venezuela Earthquake Response and the Middle East Emergency in 2026, and the organization’s inclusion in CanadaHelps’ 2025 Earth Day campaign – a natural fit, given that the majority of the Coalition’s smaller-scale disaster responses are climate-related.

Results with CanadaHelps

The Humanitarian Coalition’s partnership with CanadaHelps has delivered tangible results – both in fundraising outcomes and in operational capacity.

Results during the past 2 fiscal years:

⬆️33% increase in overall revenue via charity profile

⬆️34% increase in one-time donations via charity profile

⬆️22% increase in monthly donations via charity profile

⬆️579% increase in securities donations

⬆️73% increase in overall donations

All-time results:

⬆️~2400% increase in securities donations

⬆️~1606% increase in charity profile donations

Over $2 Million Raised

Since partnering with CanadaHelps, the Humanitarian Coalition has raised more than $2 million through the platform for children and families affected by humanitarian disasters. This milestone reflects the cumulative impact of more than 15 years of collaboration.

Increase in One-time, Monthly & Securities Giving

The organization has seen steady growth in digital giving, driven by gifts of securities and engaging campaigns on the CanadaHelps charity profile. This includes a 579% increase in securities donations, a 34% increase in one-time donations, and a 22% increase in monthly donations via the charity profile in the past 2 fiscal years.

Cost-Efficient Fundraising

The Humanitarian Coalition operates with a strong focus on minimizing costs, and CanadaHelps plays a direct role in supporting that goal. By providing a trusted platform that Canadians already recognize and use, the Coalition benefits from additional donor touchpoints to support the digital campaigns they run.

“When the media or partners like CanadaHelps support us in getting our message out, it helps us to minimize our costs, because then we’re spending less on digital marketing”, shared Baggetta.

Why the Humanitarian Coalition Recommends CanadaHelps

The Humanitarian Coalition values CanadaHelps as a trusted and impactful partner that helps a small team reach Canadians at scale, especially during fast-moving emergencies. The platform’s ease of use, reliable feature set, and visibility among Canadian donors make it a practical and powerful part of the Coalition’s fundraising toolkit.

The ability to process securities giving, manage monthly donors, and automate tax receipting all contribute to a leaner, more efficient operation. The platform has helped bridge the gap between digital and traditional giving, while allowing the Coalition to extend its reach during some of Canada’s most significant humanitarian moments.

And for an organization that is always mindful of keeping costs low and directing funds to where they are most needed, the platform’s support – from dedicated crisis campaigns on charity profile to Crisis Relief Centre placement to donor e-blasts – adds real, measurable value.

As Baggetta shared, “Our partnership with CanadaHelps has been really significant. It has helped us strengthen fundraising impact, improve efficiency, and help connect Canadians to meaningful global causes. And we value the work that you’re doing as a charity yourself.”

Campaigns

The Humanitarian Coalition runs humanitarian emergency campaigns and also reaches out to its donors in the spring and at the end of the year.

Joint Emergency Appeals: These are the Coalition’s primary campaign mechanisms, activated when a major international humanitarian emergency occurs. These campaigns see all 12 member agencies fundraising collectively under a shared name and message, often supported by a Government of Canada donation match.

The General Emergency Fund: This is a giving option for Canadians who want to support quick and effective responses to future humanitarian crises. Donations to this fund help the Coalition contribute its 5% share toward rapid small- and medium-scale disaster responses through the Canadian Humanitarian Assistance Fund (CHAF).

The End-of-Year Campaign: This is the Coalition’s annual outreach to existing Humanitarian Coalition supporters, and it is timed around the year-end giving season. The Coalition focuses this campaign exclusively on its own established donor and follower base.

The Spring Campaign: This is a second annual touchpoint with existing supporters, typically used to invite renewed gifts directed to the greatest area of humanitarian need. The timing provides a mid-year engagement opportunity between emergency appeals.

The Earth Day Campaign: This highlights the Coalition’s climate-related response work. Given that the majority of the smaller-scale emergencies the Coalition responds to are climate-driven, this campaign is a natural fit and a meaningful way to connect with environmentally conscious donors. The charity has leveraged CanadaHelps’ audience channels to bring further visibility to it.

Impact of the Humanitarian Coalition

Since its incorporation in 2009, the Humanitarian Coalition has raised more than $258 million to meet the humanitarian needs of 13.3 million people across 162 crises.

Rapid Response to Major Emergencies

When large-scale humanitarian crises occur – such as the Venezuela earthquakes and the Middle East Emergency in 2026 – the Coalition activates joint appeals where all member agencies fundraise together under a shared campaign. This coordinated approach maximizes both public awareness and the collective impact of Canadian generosity.

Small & Medium-Scale Disaster Response

The Humanitarian Coalition manages a rapid-response mechanism for smaller, often climate-driven, emergencies around the globe. The Coalition responds to an average of 15 to 18 of these events per year – including floods, cyclones, and landslides – deploying funds within days of a disaster being identified.

Child-Focused Support

Several Humanitarian Coalition members specialize in child rights and protection, delivering programs in education, emergencies and psychosocial support. Child-friendly spaces are a signature response in many crises.

Food Security & Cash Assistance

Food assistance is a critical pillar of the emergency response, delivered through direct food aid, nutrition programs, and – increasingly – cash and voucher assistance. Cash and vouchers give families the flexibility to purchase what they most urgently need, whether that is medicine, food, rent, or household essentials, providing them dignity and agency.

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene

Clean water access is one of the most urgent needs in any humanitarian emergency. Agency members deliver water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs as a standard component of disaster response, including clean water, education sessions, and hygiene kits that have essentials like soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and menstrual care products. Without access to clean water and hygiene supplies, health crises compound quickly – making WASH programming both life-saving and time-critical.

Health & Medical Response

Members of the Humanitarian Coalition include agencies with dedicated medical and health expertise. Doctors of the World (Médecins du Monde) provides direct medical care, while Humanity & Inclusion (formerly Handicap International) specializes in physical rehabilitation, prosthetics, and support for people injured in conflict.

Goals Ahead

The Humanitarian Coalition is a small but agile organization, and its team continues to look for ways to deepen impact, expand reach, and engage with more Canadians.

Amplifying the Collective Impact
The charity remains committed to ensuring that all member agencies are well represented – all logos appear alongside the Humanitarian Coalition brand in fundraising materials. Data from the Coalition’s own research has shown that Canadians are more likely to give when they can see the full collective, reinforcing the combined credibility and reach of 12 trusted organizations.

Continued Partnership
Looking ahead, the Humanitarian Coalition sees CanadaHelps as a continued and growing partner. With all member agencies holding CanadaHelps profiles, there is an opportunity to deepen visibility, coordinate around joint appeals, and continue leveraging platform features.