\u200d<\/p>\n
Inside this success story:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n Unsinkable<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>is a Canadian mental health charity founded in 2019 by four-time Olympian and mental health advocate Silken Lawman. The organization was born out of Silken\u2019s personal journey and her desire to create a safe space where people could share their lived experiences, connect with others, and feel seen.<\/p>\n Since its inception, Unsinkable has been dedicated to fostering resilience, empowerment, and community-building by amplifying diverse mental health stories across Canada.<\/p>\n In the last 5 years, Unsinkable has helped share over 400 stories, supported over 100 youth, collaborated with over 50 organizations, and connected with so many more through various initiatives and channels.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n Hailey Hechtman, Executive Director, Unsinkable<\/strong><\/p>\n Hailey is a social impact leader, mental health advocate, and nonprofit executive with a decade of experience leading social service organizations. She is passionate about empowering individuals on their mental health journeys and creating collaborative, impact-driven spaces that foster meaningful change. As Executive Director of Unsinkable, Hailey plays a key role in strengthening partnerships, scaling the organization\u2019s impact, and driving strategic innovation. Her work bridges lived experience and evidence-based approaches, ensuring that storytelling remains a powerful tool for mental health advocacy, community-building, and system-wide change.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n Maria Estrada, Program Manager, Unsinkable Youth<\/strong><\/p>\n Maria is a dedicated mental health advocate, speaker, and educator specializing in mental health and addiction. At Unsinkable, she ensures that youth feel empowered, valued, and supported in their mental health journeys.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n Asante Haughton, Program Manager, Storytelling<\/strong><\/p>\n Asante is an entrepreneur, activist, and mental health advocate who believes in the transformative power of storytelling. At Unsinkable, Asante is passionate about amplifying voices, fostering change, and creating inclusive spaces for shared experiences.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n As a recently CRA-registered charity, Unsinkable has been leveraging CanadaHelps for all its digital fundraising since 2023.<\/p>\n CanadaHelps has done a good job of showcasing itself as the premier online fundraising platform. If I say CanadaHelps, people know what I’m talking about.\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 Hailey H., Executive Director<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n CanadaHelps has made it easier for Unsinkable to grow its fundraising consistently, help supporters to contribute, and enhance donor communications and stewardship.\u00a0“We want to intentionally use digital fundraising in a way that aligns with our mission and connects with people that we want to reach versus just trying to shout into the ether,”\u00a0<\/em>shared Hailey.<\/p>\n Unsinkable\u2019s core mission is to empower individuals on their mental health journeys by helping them discover and share their stories. The charity strongly believes in the power of storytelling to facilitate healing, reduce stigma, and promote peer-to-peer support.<\/p>\n Our big focus is on empowering people on their mental health journey to really explore and share their stories. We know that every story matters\u2014not just for the person telling it, but for the people who hear it. There\u2019s so much healing in reflecting on your own experiences, just as there\u2019s power in the way stories bring people together, create connection, and help others feel seen and understood. \u2014 Hailey H., Executive Director<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Their initiatives span youth programs, community champions and collaborations, storytelling, and more\u2014<\/em>all aimed at creating a supportive space where individuals feel heard and valued. \u00a0For instance, with the Unsinkable Youth program,\u00a0\u201cwe want to make sure that they get their power back. And we do that by involving them in every decision we make\u2014it’s their program,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0shared Maria.<\/p>\n The team, composed of individuals with lived experience, ensures that programs and initiatives remain grounded and humanized. For instance, both Maria and Asante began their journey as Unsinkable storytellers.<\/p>\n Unsinkable has also brought on board members and advisors who are part of the community the team is trying to connect with.\u00a0\u201cService users talk about how important it is for them to feel humanized by the folks that are serving them. And a huge part of that is service providers\u2014us\u2014bringing that humanity to the table,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>shared Asante.<\/p>\n Having a feedback loop has helped ensure that the programs are intentional. The team encourages feedback from their community, including partners, stakeholders, and people accessing Unsinkable.\u00a0\u201cIn the fall of 2023, we started our strategic plan, and we did a lot of community engagement \u2026 just trying to get a better sense of what they identified as strengths and where they saw opportunities for us to grow and build,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>shared Hailey.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n Unsinkable is focused on intentional fundraising, ensuring its partners and supporters are aligned with their core goals. Some fundraising activities include:<\/p>\n \u2705Corporate Partnerships & Foundations<\/strong><\/p>\n Unsinkable has established corporate partnerships over the last few years, including collaborations with Sun Life, Good Life, and BDC. These partnerships provide crucial financial support and visibility. They have also received support from family and community foundations that align with Unsinkable\u2019s mission, which helps sustain existing programs and fund new initiatives.<\/p>\n \u2705In-Kind Contributions<\/strong><\/p>\n In-kind contributions have been a big positive for Unsinkable over the years. Contributions, for instance, hours of project management assistance, help the organization grow without incurring high costs and help gain access to expertise and resources that they may not have internally.<\/p>\n \u200d \u2705Digital Fundraising<\/strong><\/p>\n Unsinkable has been leveraging CanadaHelps for all its digital fundraising since 2023 to grow its fundraising consistently, help supporters contribute, automate repetitive tasks, and enhance donor communications and stewardship. With digital fundraising, they are also looking to see how they can better navigate this space as more charities look to engage donors.<\/p>\n We’ve been really intentional. The approach we’ve looked at is how we invite folks\u2014whether it’s grants, corporate partners, or family foundations\u2014to support the work that we know we want to bring to life. And how do we invite them to be part of that development\u00a0<\/em>process. \u2014 Hailey H., Executive Director<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u200d<\/p>\n As a relatively young organization, Unsinkable has encountered resource and fundraising challenges, including:<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n Unsinkable began using CanadaHelps to streamline its digital fundraising efforts and reduce its administrative burden. With CanadaHelps, Unsinkable found a comprehensive solution that addressed their fundraising needs. The\u00a0Customizable Donation Forms (CDFs)<\/a>, automated tax receipting and donor communications, and efficient donation processing and deposits have simplified their fundraising process.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n Unsinkable uses CanadaHelps\u2019 CDFs to enhance its digital fundraising strategy, making it easier for donors to contribute seamlessly. The linked CDF on their website form provides a seamless experience and helps donors complete their contributions swiftly.<\/p>\n The team appreciates how easy it was to design and implement these forms, complete with branding, automated thank you emails, and tax receipts, and being able to link the forms directly from their site to improve donor experience.<\/strong>\u00a0\u200a\u201cIt’s a very intuitive platform,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>shared Hailey.\u00a0\u201c\u200aIn terms of increased usage that we’ve seen over the years, yes, I definitely think as we’ve used it more, we’ve seen more uptake, more so at certain points of the year.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n CanadaHelps’ automated tax receipting and automated thank you\u2019s to donors have saved Unsinkable valuable time and resources. These have helped streamline administrative processes and enabled donor stewardship.<\/p>\n Additionally, Unsinkable appreciates the peace of mind that comes with the confidence that CanadaHelps’ receipting is completely CRA-compliant and secure.<\/p>\n We always encourage people to support through CanadaHelps because it’s way more accessible and easier than us trying to get all these random donations from different places. It’s consolidated, which is really helpful. As we continue to grow, we’re looking at how we leverage that more intentionally and more effectively. \u2014 Hailey H., Executive Director<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u200d<\/p>\n The intuitive CanadaHelps interface has also made it simple for the team to manage their profile, update content, and track donations. CanadaHelps’ donor insights and reporting tools allowed Unsinkable to access quick views as well as detailed reports about donations made.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aWe find it good for tracking. Also, I like the fact that you can send thank you messages through it as well and acknowledge people right away. That’s a great feature,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0shared Hailey.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n Unsinkable maximized its\u00a0CanadaHelps Charity Profile page<\/a>\u00a0to further engage potential donors and showcase its impact. The ability to share compelling narratives has helped strengthen donor trust and engagement.<\/p>\n Their charity profile page currently highlights key programs: Unsinkable Youth, Storytelling, and Community Champions, as well as the Quebec program. They also showcase several videos and images from their storytellers, mission and goals, and the impact on the community.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n CanadaHelps’ adherence to Canadian fundraising regulations ensures that Unsinkable remains compliant. As one of the only organizations that provide CRA-compliant tax receipts to donors, CanadaHelps provides both donors and the charity with easy access to these tax receipts during tax season as well.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n As a relatively new charity, being listed on CanadaHelps provided an added layer of trust and recognition for Unsinkable. It has made it easier for donors to find and support Unsinkable. Additionally, many donors were already familiar with CanadaHelps, which further helped establish legitimacy for Unsinkable.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n Since implementing CanadaHelps for their digital fundraising, Unsinkable has seen consistent growth in online donations as well as an impact on other facets of digital fundraising.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n In the two years that Unsinkable has used the CanadaHelps platform for its digital fundraising, the team has seen a ~5% increase in donations year-over-year.<\/strong><\/p>\n Specifically, they have seen increased fundraising around mental health awareness-related days and events. They successfully fundraise via CanadaHelps\u2019 platform and continue to enhance their fundraising strategies to drive even more impact.<\/p>\n Currently, digital fundraising accounts for 5% of their total fundraising.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n The ability to link the donation form directly from Unsinkable\u2019s website has helped enhance the user experience by offering a seamless and integrated process. Donors can contribute using the linked form with Unsinkable\u2019s branding, which helps donors get further familiarized with the charity, and the ease increases donor conversion rates.<\/p>\n This convenience has been crucial for retaining potential donors who might abandon a more cumbersome process.\u00a0Plus, with a linked form, Unsinkable saves 0.25% in transaction fees for every donation made through its website.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n Unsinkable outlines how impactful mission-aligned digital fundraising has been, including leveraging certain annual and seasonal campaigns.\u00a0For instance, the team has noticed increased donation activity during key awareness periods like Mental Health Week and World Mental Health Day.<\/strong><\/p>\n Targeted campaigns have worked a lot when the focus is more on mental health. Like those special awareness days for mental health. I think people are more interested in supporting or we have seen more traction at those times. We also ran a Giving Tuesday, a kind of year-end giving campaign, this year, and we encouraged people to go to CanadaHelps. We definitely saw support there.\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 Hailey H., Executive Director<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u200d<\/p>\n Streamlined donation processing, automated thank you emails, and tax receipting have helped them connect with their donors, reduce manual workload, and ensure compliance with tax receipt requirements. The automation features have freed up staff resources for more mission-driven work.<\/p>\n The fact that it auto-generates donations and receipts takes a lot of administrative work out of it rather than if somebody sends us a cheque and then we have to create a donation receipt and then to send it in the mail. \u2014 Hailey H., Executive Director<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nRelationship with CanadaHelps<\/a>
\nWork and Motivations<\/a>
\nTypes of Fundraising Unsinkable Relies On<\/a>
\nFundraising Challenges Faced<\/a>
\nDigital Fundraising with CanadaHelps<\/a>
\nImpact and Results<\/a>
\nWhy Unsinkable Recommends CanadaHelps<\/a>
\nUnsinkable\u2019s Long-Term Goals<\/a>
\nWhat Storytellers at Unsinkable Say About the Charity<\/a><\/div>\nOverview<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
Meet UNSINKABLE<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/media\/6836124d44484722e0094702_Hailey-H.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/media\/6836127d12c6fa88eedeaeb3_Maria-H.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/media\/683612a2587f7b9dc053aeb2_Asante-H.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nRelationship with CanadaHelps<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
Work and Motivations<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/media\/unsinkable12.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\nTypes of Fundraising Unsinkable Relies On<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/media\/68360a5fd48ce624b27bada9_for-case-study.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nFundraising Challenges Faced<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Digital Fundraising with CanadaHelps<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
1. User-Friendly Donation Forms<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/media\/68360a7d7c0cbaa029fdc75a_User-Friendly-Donation-Forms.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n2. Efficient Tax Receipting and Donor Stewardship<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/media\/68370b2196b8aa505d62b9ef_5.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n3. Ease of Use and Reporting<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Enhanced Visibility<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/media\/68360eecb5354690a7f0085e_for-case-study-2.png\")
<\/a><\/div>\n5. Compliance and Security<\/h3>\n
6. Increase in Credibility and Trust<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/media\/68370b0a92bc801defd792ef_6.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nImpact and Results<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
1. Increased Digital Donations<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/media\/68370ad967832b9dbe5335b8_7.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n2. Saving on Transaction Fees with Linked Forms<\/h3>\n
3. Leveraging Targeted Campaigns<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/media\/6836101aff7bc991dc5ef04e_57.png\")
<\/a><\/div>\n4. Automation and Efficiency<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. Stronger Donor Relationships<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/media\/68370aba1734fe47873a5561_8.png\")
<\/a><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/media\/68361092b5354690a7f13d77_58.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n