Canadians now able to text donations through mobile giving platform
September 28, 2009
The Mobile Giving Foundation (MGF), in collaboration with the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), launched the first mobile giving platform for Canadian wireless operators to bring mobile philanthropy to Canada. Having generated significant contributions in donations for its registered charities in the US, the MGF will partner with Canadian wireless carriers to create awareness around mobile giving and make charitable donating simple and convenient for consumers throughout Canada. As the first charity rollout for the Canada launch, Plan Canada is now active and able to receive donations by texting "HOPE" to short code 30333. Plan Canada is an advocate for children’s rights and strives to better the lives of children living in poverty.
For more information, visit: www.cwta.ca.
Imagine Canada embarks on
pan-Canadian engagement strategy
September 28, 2009
With support from the Marjorie Warren Endowment held by the Agora Foundation, Imagine Canada is embarking on a pan-Canadian convening and engagement strategy with charities and nonprofits in Canada. A major outcome for the strategy is the development of a pan-Canadian symposium held every two years in a different city across the country. The first symposium will be held in 2011 and will seek to bring people together from across the charitable and nonprofit sector to learn from each other and to strengthen their collective voice. Imagine Canada is also hosting a new blog intended as a place to discuss current topics of interest and importance to the sector.
For more information, visit: communityconversations.wordpress.com.
Saskatoon ready to break ground on $55 million art gallery
September 28, 2009
The Saskatoon Gallery and Conservatory Corporation and the City of Saskatoon are embarking on a journey to develop a new public art gallery as the destination attraction at River Landing. Thus far, the gallery’s transformation has received a commitment of $4.6 million from the City of Saskatoon. The provincial government had previously committed $4.1 million from the Building Communities Program. The gallery remains committed to raising $6 to $8 million from the private sector.
The Art Gallery of Saskatchewan would be built adjacent to Persephone Theatre for a cost estimated at $55 million.
For more information, visit: www.mendel.ca.
Alberta hosting province-wide meetings to discuss casino funds
September 28, 2009
The Hon. Fred Lindsay, Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security, responsible for the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC), has appointed a three-member committee to examine aspects of the province’s charitable gaming model.
This committee comes in response to concerns from some charities on how proceeds and wait times between events vary throughout the province. Many groups also report difficulty in recruiting and retaining enough volunteers to support their activities including casino events.
Province-wide meetings will be held with eligible organizations between October 5 - 15, 2009. These groups may also make written submissions to the MLA Committee until October 30. A final report with recommendations will be completed by March 31, 2010. For more information, visit: www.aglc.ca.
Two large gifts lend support to breast cancer research
September 28, 2009
The Breast Cancer Society of Canada (BCSC) announced a gift of $2.5 million to support breast cancer research at London Health Sciences Centre. The gift will support research at Lawson Health Research Institute, the hospital’s research partner, and more specifically, the Pamela Greenaway-Kohlmeier Translational Breast Cancer Research Unit located at the hospital’s London Regional Cancer Program.
The gift has been made possible through the generosity of individuals and organizations across Canada participating in the BCSC’s annual Dress Down Day event, taking place on Friday, October 2.
For more information, visit: www.bcsc.ca.
CIBC announced a $500,000 donation to McMaster University to establish the CIBC Undergraduate Bursaries in Nursing for undergraduate students with a specific interest in breast cancer research and education.
CIBC's donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Ontario Trust for Student Support, doubling the impact of the donation and raising the endowment to $1 million.
For more information, visit: dailynews.mcmaster.ca.
Fast Fact: Business leaders forced to cut philanthropy initiatives this year
September 28, 2009
A new study found that 54% of business leaders indicated that corporate responsibility measures, including philanthropy, are even more important when the economy is in bad shape. However, 38% also stated that they were forced to reduce their usual amount of donations this year. The number of businesses providing donations of products or services was 60% this year, down 5% from 2007. The number of businesses providing volunteers to charities and nonprofits fell from 64% in 2007 to 57%.
-- Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship
BC fundraiser for animals raises more than $1 million
September 28, 2009
Despite tough economic times, the BC SPCA's signature event, the annual fundraising walk Paws for a Cause, exceeded its goal of $950,000 and raised more than $1 million this year, thanks to the outstanding efforts of sponsors, donors, staff, volunteers and participants from across the province. The fundraising walk included a strong youth presence this year, with a number of youth among the top fundraisers in the province. This included the top overall 2009 fundraiser, 14-year-old Justice Janveaux of Campbell River, who raised $10,867 for animals in need.
For more information, visit: spca.bc.ca.
Participate now in a survey about Alberta's economic climate
September 28, 2009
The Calgary Chamber of Voluntary of Organizations (CCVO) is conducting a new province-wide survey to enhance the understanding of the current economic climate, and to ultimately release a report, Impact of the Economic Climate on Alberta's Nonproftis and Charities. Please complete the survey only once. The deadline is October 7, and results will be released in the fall. For more information, and to take the survey, visit: www.surveymonkey.com.
New atlas of Alberta charities released
September 28, 2009
The Institute for Nonprofit Studies, Mount Royal University recently released The Atlas of Alberta's Charities. Focused on Calgary and Medicine Hat, the atlas combines data from the T3010 data set held by the Canada Revenue Agency and 2006 Census data.
The atlas demonstrates relationships between charities and the communities in which they operate.
With this first step, the Institute for Nonprofit Studies is beginning a series of initiatives using mapping technologies to assist the sector in understanding the relationships between charities and community. Their next step is to create a public interface that will allow registered users to create their own maps as needed.
For more information, and to view the atlas, visit: www.mtroyal.ca.
Fast Fact: Individual giving in the UK drops by 11%
September 28, 2009
According to a new study, individual giving to charities in the UK has dropped by 11%. The survey was conducted in October 2008 and again in February 2009. The number of adults giving to charity fell from 56% in the first survey to 54% in the second. The most popular cause was medical research, at 20%, followed by hospitals and hospices at 15%, and children and youth at 14%. Donors preferred to give cash, with 48% giving this way, as opposed to 31% through direct debit.
-- Charities Aid Foundation
CRA revokes status of Edmonton charity
September 21, 2009
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) revoked the charitable registration of Alberta Distribution Relief Agency Aid Society International, an Edmonton-area charity. The CRA alleges that the charity issued in excess of $106 million in receipts for cash received through the Canadian Humanitarian Trust (CHT) tax shelter. Of this amount, an overwhelming majority of the funds were transferred to another charity as compensation for its role in the tax shelter arrangement and to the tax shelter promoters as fundraising fees. The charity itself retained 1% or $1.06 million of the total tax-receipted amount for use in its own activities. For more information, visit: www.cra-arc.gc.ca.
Philanthropist pledges $8.5 million to University of Western Ontario
September 21, 2009
While attending the groundbreaking for a new $100-million building to house a school of business named in his honour at the University of Western Ontario, Richard M. (Dick) Ivey, along with his sister and children, announced an $8.5-million donation for the school. On top of a $6.5-million commitment made by the Ivey family in 2007, this brings the family's donation to $15 million. The Ivey family gift is comprised of $5 million to support the new building, $3 million to establish a unique program that matches unrestricted endowed gifts, $1 million to support initiatives in corporate social responsibility, $1.5 million directed to the Lawrence G. Tapp Chair in Leadership, and $4.5 million as a bequest from Dick Ivey.
For more information, visit: communications.uwo.ca.
Top Canadian charities have assets well over $2 billion
September 21, 2009
Imagine Canada published a list of the top 20 charities in Canada by total assets, as of 2007. The top five, all with assets over $2 billion, were:
- Governing Council of the University of Toronto
- University of British Columbia
- The University of Alberta
- Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning, McGill University
- Calgary Health Region
The compilation was created based on Canada Revenue Agency records. For more information, including the full list of charities, visit: nonprofitscan.imaginecanada.ca.
Fast Fact: Young Canadians worried about losing leadership opportunities
September 21, 2009
A new survey of 18-to-25-year-old Canadians shows that 70% are concerned about losing leadership opportunities as their older colleagues delay retirement. When asked to identify the ideal leadership age, 93% of respondents provided an age range under 50, with 64% saying their ideal leader is under 40. Overall, 54% believe age is important when it comes to leading a company, with men (57%) believing it is more important than women (51%). Across Canada, 40% of young adults believe vision is the most important quality of business leadership. Another 33% value experience most, while 21% want charisma from their leaders.
-- RSM Richter
Walmart campaign raises $2.4 million for Red Cross
September 21, 2009
Walmart Canada announced that its Canadian Red Cross campaign raised $2.45 million for disaster preparedness and response. Throughout August, customers were invited to add a $1 donation for the Red Cross to their purchase. The funds raised included $1.8 million from in-store donations and $624,000 from Walmart Canada's corporate matching grants.
These funds help Canadian Red Cross provide emergency supplies such as blankets, clothing, water, and hygiene kits, which include toothbrushes, soap and other toiletries. For more information, visit: www.redcross.ca.
New report examines HR issues facing Canadian nonprofits
September 21, 2009
The economic downturn has had profound effects on all aspects of organizational life including funding, service delivery, and the workforce. In order to understand the changes the sector is undergoing in this area, this summer Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations launched the Calgary HR Initiative Workforce Needs Survey. The survey discovered that employee recruitment and vacancy rates improved
significantly over 2008 for the majority of organizations,
though employee retention rates did not improve to
the same extent. It also discovered that most organizations do not anticipate reductions in
staffing levels this year. Almost half of the respondents
indicated that they expect levels to remain constant and
40% are planning to increase the number of employees. For more information, and to view the full report, visit: www.calgarycvo.org. (PDF)
Apply for DiverseCity Fellows to become a city-builder in Toronto
September 21, 2009
DiverseCity Fellows is now accepting applications for 2010 Fellows.
DiverseCity Fellows is a one-year, action-oriented fellowship program for 25 rising city-building leaders in the GTA who are committed to developing themselves into better leaders and improving the Toronto region. Deadline for applications is October 9, 2009.
The program is part of DiverseCity: The Greater Toronto Leadership Project, an initiative of the Toronto City Summit Alliance and Maytree, funded in part by the Government of Ontario.
For more information, visit: www.diversecitytoronto.ca.
Make-a-Wish to benefit from social entrepreneurship challenge
September 21, 2009
The Queen’s Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship (QACE) Conference announced a partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Canada for the 2009 Social Entrepreneurship Challenge. This year’s challenge will invite delegates to devise an innovate "E-strategy" that can be targeted at different age groups with a special focus on generating awareness and philanthropy in younger, tech-savvy generations.
The QACE conference will take place at Queen’s University October 1-3, 2009. The challenge is ongoing throughout the conference and a panel of judges will decide on the best proposal.
For more information, visit: www.ec.gc.ca.
Fast Fact: Half of organizations globally reported drop in income last year
September 21, 2009
A recent survey revealed that 50% of not-for-profit organizations globally reported a decline in income over the past year. At the same time, 33% experienced an increase in income. The report reveals that income to not-for-profit organizations who responded to the survey fell by 3%. Of the 50% of organizations that saw a drop in income over the past year, almost 20% saw their income fall by over 10%.
In contrast, of the 33% of not-for-profit organizations that saw an increase in income, 14% reported income growth of 10% or more.
Not-for-profit organizations in Asia suffered the most in the past year, with an average income drop of 13%, with those in Europe reporting a more modest drop of 1%.
-- Management Centre
Aviva Canada giving away $500,000 to Canadian nonprofits
September 21, 2009
Aviva Canada Inc. created the Aviva Community Fund as a way to help Canadians create positive change in their communities. They're holding a competition to find innovative ideas that can change Canada for the better, and offering $500,000 to make sure the best ideas receive the financial and practical help they need to get off the ground. The competition is scheduled to begin on October 13th, 2009, at which time you can enter your idea about how you would make a positive change in your community. Winning organizations will share in the $500,000 of funding. For more information, visit: www.avivacommunityfund.org.
Submit your proposals for next year's children's aid conference
September 21, 2009
The Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies has issued a call for proposals for presenters and workers at their 2010 international conference, to be held next June in Toronto. Presentations should be approximately 45 minutes long with a 15 minute question and answer period. Sample themes include the future of foster care, chronic child neglect, child sexual abuse, and how to engage families in child welfare practice. Proposals must be submitted no later than November 16, 2009. For more information, visit: www.oacas.org. (PDF)
Toronto schools open their doors to after-school programs
September 21, 2009
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is now involved in the Priority Schools Initiative, a new component of the Community Use of Schools program. The TDSB will open the doors of 77 of its schools in 2009-2010 to allow not-for-profit groups free after-hours access to school facilities.
Involvement in the Priority Schools Initiative will help to improve overall student achievement by providing quality, affordable, after-school programs for students and communities. Not-for-profit groups such as sports and recreation clubs, settlement groups, and charitable groups can apply for use of school space to run community programs.
For more information, and to submit an application, visit: www.tdsb.on.ca.
CRA revokes status of New Hope Ministries Institute
September 14, 2009
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) revoked the charitable registration of New Hope Ministries Institute, a Calgary area charity.
According to the CRA, New Hope Ministries Institute issued receipts totaling in excess of $100 million for pharmaceuticals received through the Canadian Humanitarian Trust (CHT) tax shelter arrangement. The CRA also alleges that the charity had undertaken activities beyond its corporate mandate, issued receipts for transactions that do not qualify as gifts, issued receipts otherwise than in accordance with the Income Tax Act and its regulations, and failed to maintain sufficient books and records to support its activities. For more information, visit: www.cra-arc.gc.ca.
Canadian charities continue to keep fundraising costs low
September 14, 2009
New research into the fundraising costs of Canadian charities provides some assurances, while raising questions about the accuracy of accountability measures according to the Muttart Foundation, which recently released Perspectives on Fundraising, a research report it commissioned from Imagine Canada. In examining fundraising costs, study authors Steven Ayer, Michael Hall, and Lindsey Vodarek reported that almost 86% of charities reported fundraising costs of less than 20% of the total revenues raised. Another 5% of charities reported fundraising costs between 20% and 35%.
These ratios were calculated for 61,141 charities - about 75% of the total number of returns. In the remaining cases, Imagine Canada was unable to calculate ratios because charities had not broken out their expenditures in the required way that specifically identifies fundraising costs.
This problem was but one of several identified by the researchers that raise questions about the accuracy of information provided by charities in their annual returns.
For more information, and to view the full report, visit: www.muttart.org.
(PDF)
$1 million donation provides grants to Quebec schools
September 14, 2009
Metro Inc. launched
its Green Apple School Program, an environmental initiative designed to
encourage elementary and secondary schools to participate in conservation and
healthy living. By investing $1 million into the program, Metro will provide
grants to Quebec schools that can demonstrate how their proposals will
positively impact their school or community. Metro will award individual grants of $1,000 to schools that meet the
program criteria and demonstrate how they plan to contribute to a healthier
environment.
The program begins on September 10, 2009 and concludes on March 1, 2010.
All publicly funded or privately registered elementary or secondary schools in
Quebec are eligible to apply.
For more information, visit: www.greenapplegrants.ca.
Grants available to build your employee and volunteer programs
September 14, 2009
Devon Canada is now accepting applications for their Investing in People grant program. These grants offer up to $5,000 annually for organizational capacity building, specifically funding volunteer and employee recruitment and retention programs. Organizations are encouraged to be creative and, where possible, collaborate with other organizations. Applications must be received by October 16. For more information, visit: www.industrymailout.com.
Fast Fact: Nonprofit workers only slightly tempted by higher salaries
September 14, 2009
A recent UK survey discovered that most nonprofit workers would like more pay in their next position, with 31% looking for a bit more, and 31% looking for a lot more. However, a further 25% of nonprofit workers thinking of changing their jobs said they would not move simply for more money, and 13% indicated that they would have no trouble moving to another job paying the same as their current one. Other industries had lower percentages of employees stating that money alone would not tempt them into taking a new job, with 22% in education, 18% in the public sector, and 17% in retail.
-- McGraw Stone
Environmental groups encouraged to welcome interns into their offices
September 14, 2009
Nonprofit social service host organizations across Canada have the opportunity to welcome interns into their offices, thanks to a program run by the YMCA. Through the Youth Eco Internship program, organizations will provide positions for youth aged 15 to 30 who will be paid by the YMCA or YWCA Canada. Internships should support skills development, provide work experience, enhance employability, and support the attainment of sustained future employment.
Environmental organizations and community groups will be given a priority in the program. For more information, and to submit an application, visit: www.yeip.ca.
CN golf tournament raises $1.6 million for Alberta Children's Hospital
September 14, 2009
Thanks to the CN Canadian Women's Open, as well as CN's Miracle Match funding program, the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation received more than $1.6 million last week. The foundation was chosen as the designated community charity for the Miracle Match program as part of this summer's golf tournament held during the first week of September. Through the program, CN matched all donations made leading up to the event and on site during tournament week. Donations will benefit childhood cancer initiatives at the Alberta Children's Hospital. For more information, visit: www.childrenshospital.ab.ca.
Apply now for Environment Canada's community funding program
September 14, 2009
Funding is now available through the EcoAction Community Funding Program for projects that address Environment Canada’s priority issues of clean air and climate change, clean water, and nature. At this time, funding priority may be given to eligible projects that address clean air and climate change issues. Projects may vary depending on specific regional priorities, geography, urban/rural population distribution, and the energy source used for electricity. The deadline for applications is November 1, 2009.
For more information, visit: www.ec.gc.ca.
Fast Fact: Ontario children eating less vegetables, more junk food
September 14, 2009
An Ontario report shows that surprisingly few of the province's children are eating a healthy diet. In a survey of parents of children ages 6 to 12, only 13% of children were eating the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables per day, while 49% were eating the recommended amount of whole grains. Almost one quarter, 24%, ate some type of junk food at least three times per week.
The survey also indicated that these results may actually overestimate the number of children eating healthy diets, since parents tend to view their children's eating habits through rose-coloured glasses. -- Heart and Stroke Foundation
Montreal Children's Hospital capital campaign receives $1.5 million
September 14, 2009
The Montreal Children's Hospital
Foundation announced that the Cole Foundation has pledged a
donation of $1.5 million in support of The Best Care for Children capital
campaign. This donation will be dedicated to the Pediatric
Division of the McGill University Health Centre Research Institute, and more
specifically, will be used to support the work of the Penny Cole Laboratory.
John Cole, founder of the Cole Foundation, also founded the Penny Cole Laboratory for research into pediatric leukemia, a disease that claimed the life of his daughter on her 20th birthday. For more information about the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation, visit: www.hopitalpourenfants.com.
BC government reverses decision on community funding cuts
September 8, 2009
As reported by cbc.ca last week, the BC government reversed a decision to cut millions of dollars in funding from community and arts groups. The announcement came just one day after the cuts were announced in the government's budget update. Finance Minister Colin Hansen assured the more than 500 organizations with three-year written funding commitments that they will get the money promised to them. He said the extra $20 million in promised grants would come from a government contingency fund. Originally, the proposed cuts were to be part of a three-year plan to reduce discretionary spending by $1.5 billion.
For more information abut the BC budget, visit: www.news.gov.bc.ca.
Nonprofit employees can expect salary boost in 2010
September 8, 2009
Canadian employers are planning to hand out more raises next year than they did this year or in 2008, according to a report by business research group Watson Wyatt Data Services. The report states that 92.2% of Canadian employers have budgeted to increase base salaries next year. That's up from 79.5% that had planned to give raises this year, and 91.4% who provided salary increases in 2008. The report also shows that the nonprofit sector may fare particularly well, with the average salary hike expected to be 3.8% compared to 2.9% in the for-profit sector. For more information, visit: www.dailycommercialnews.com.
Donation supports new trades training centre in Ottawa
September 8, 2009
The Electrical Contractors’ Association of Ottawa (ECAO) recently presented a cheque for $250,000 to Algonquin College. The money will go toward a new trades training centre at the college. Association president John Hyndman said the new training centre “will allow Algonquin to continue to produce job-ready graduates with the skills to meet the demands of the modern construction site.” The new building is a $79-million project that, when it opens in 2011, will add 600 new construction trades training spaces and become home to a total of 2,500 full-time and 5,000 part-time students engaged in cross-discipline training. For more information, visit: dcnonl.com.
Fast Fact: NPO workers report high level of trust in senior management
September 8, 2009
New research by the UK's Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) and Management reveals that employees in the nonprofit sector have among the highest levels of trust in their senior management teams. Charity sector CEOs are among the most trusted, achieving an Index score of 63 [against an average CEO Index score of 59 and the overall scale of 0-100], when assessed by the general population of employees. That number rises to 72 when assessed by managers within the sector. Line managers in nonprofit organizations are also considered highly trustworthy, with an index score of 72. The research reveals that the two most important factors for CEOs are ability and integrity.
-- Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) and Management
Diabetes strategy receives $500,000 from pharmaceutical giants
September 8, 2009
The University of Western Ontario received a boost from two of Canada's leading pharmaceutical companies.
As part of a joint venture initiative, AstraZeneca Canada and Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada announced a $500,000 donation that will support the National Diabetes Management Strategy, a research partnership between Western and the Canadian Diabetes Association. "This funding will allow researchers to develop and evaluate evidence-based models of care to close gaps in diabetes management," said Ellen Malcolmson, president and CEO of the Canadian Diabetes Association. "In particular, the funding will help target challenges affecting family physicians and healthcare providers at the primary level who are delivering care to the majority of diabetes patients in the system." For more information, visit: communications.uwo.ca
Updated grant application process for New Brunswick foundation
September 8, 2009
The Greater Saint John Community Foundation is changing the way it receives, evaluates, and process grant applications.
A new application form is now available for download on the foundation's website. "We hope that this will ensure the process continues to be fair, objective, and directed to the areas which will have the maximum positive impact on our community's quality of life, " said foundation chairwoman Cheryl Robertson. The foundation is encouraging registered charities within a 50-kilometre radius of Greater Saint John to contact its office with any questions or concerns. The fall grants application deadline has not changed and those applying are encouraged to do so before Sept. 30. For more information, visit: www.saint-john-foundation.nb.ca.
Ontario Heritage Trust launches online places of worship inventory
September 8, 2009
The Ontario Heritage Trust is supporting the
conservation of significant religious buildings across the province with the
release of Ontario's Places of Worship. This new online resource includes a
provincewide inventory of religious properties and compilation of research
related to the stewardship and adaptive reuse of Ontario's places of worship.
"Inventories are a 'must have' for any municipal heritage planner,
researcher, community planner or advocate. With information on places of
worship from across the province compiled into one resource, this inventory
will be a valuable foundation and effective tool to support our conservation
management processes," said David Cuming, senior project manager for heritage
and urban design with the City of Hamilton's Planning and Economic Development
Department.
For more information, visit: www.heritagetrust.on.ca.
Fast Fact: Americans cut back on volunteering, find other ways to give
September 8, 2009
Nearly two thirds (72%) of Americans surveyed said they cut back on time spent volunteering, participating in groups, and doing other civic activities in the past year, according to a study by the National Conference on Citizenship. However, 50% of those surveyed said they gave food or money to someone in need who is not a relative, while 43% gave food or money to someone in need who is a relative. As well, 17% of respondents allowed a relative to live in their home or on their property, and 11% did the same for a non-relative. The study also shows that although people of lower incomes are less likely to volunteer than affluent Americans (29% vs. 50%), they are more likely to give food, money or shelter (24% vs. 21%)
-- National Conference on Citizenship
NHL star helps raise $20,000 for Crohn's and colitis
September 8, 2009
The first ever Score for Colitis & Crohn's event raised
$20,000 for four gastrointestinal and digestive disease patient organizations
from across the country. The Score for Colitis & Crohn's initiative, which
took place at the West Edmonton Mall's Ice Palace on August 29th,
featured Fernando Pisani of the Edmonton Oilers and 24 aspiring young hockey
enthusiasts who were all on hand to help raise funds and awareness about
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the latter of which Pisani was
diagnosed with in 2007. "I'm
glad I now have the opportunity to reach out to other people suffering from
the disease to let them know that they can lead a normal and active life and
do the things they love," said Pisani.
For more information about ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, visit: www.ccfc.ca.
MOLLY MAID donates 29,000 pounds of food across Canada
September 8, 2009
With the help of MOLLY MAID and their
customers, it was 'Christmas in July' for food banks across Canada. During the
month of July, MOLLY MAID customers participated in a food drive to help
replenish stocks at food banks. In total, more than 29,200 pounds of food was
donated to food banks in communities serviced by the company.
"We are seeing increases in demand in our food banks of 30% or higher in
some areas over this time last year. Given the economy, we are seeing more
people in our communities who are struggling - many are coming to The
Salvation Army for assistance for the first time,," said Andrew Burditt of The Salvation
Army.
The food drive was such a success that MOLLY MAID will continue to make
it an annual event to assist the thousands of Canadians who are unable to
provide food for their families. For more information about the Salvation Army, visit: www.salvationarmy.ca.
Fast Fact: American corporations report less giving in 2009
September 8, 2009
About half of the companies responding to a recent survey are decreasing their giving this year. Of the 100 corporations polled, 52% of companies and 47% of corporate foundations say they are reducing their giving in 2009. At the same time, 72% say they are experiencing an increase in requests for funding.
Most companies (84%) say they are doing more to promote volunteering by workers, with almost 45% reporting that more employees are participating in volunteer programs. A smaller percentage of companies are providing more product donations, with 12% saying they are contributing more clothing, pharmaceuticals, and other items.
-- LBG Research Institute
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