Charitable giving a key theme for Canada's 150 celebration

CanadaHelps.org (CNW Group/CanadaHelps)

Over 260 "Canada 150" Charity Campaigns Launched

TORONTO, May 30, 2017 /CNW/ - With giving back a key theme of Canada 150, CanadaHelps, a charitable social enterprise that provides a one-stop shop where Canadians can donate or fundraise online for any Canadian charity, feels it's important to shine light on our nation's rich history of charitable giving. Coast-to-coast, charities of all sizes are launching campaigns to mark Canada's 150^th birthday and share their vision for a better Canada.

"Canada's 150^th year is the perfect time to reflect on our nations rich history of charitable giving and, in particular, to shine light on small charities and the differences they make in the communities they serve," explains Marina Glogovac, president and CEO of CanadaHelps. "From helping injured owls to empowering indigenous youth in Canada's North, small charities make a real difference in Canada and often provide services that a larger charity can't provide."

Canada is home to more than 86,000 charities, of which 80 per cent have overall annual revenues of less than $500,000 and a full 49 per cent have annual revenues of less than $100,000. Further still, 86 per cent of small charities have fewer than five staff and 48 per cent are fully volunteer run. Considering the impact they make across the country, it's a hard truth that Canada's small charities receive just 24 per cent of donations – a fact that is all too real during the summer months when donations tend to dry up compared to the holiday season.

Whether donating time or money, Canadians are urged to incorporate giving back into their Canada Day celebrations. With over 260 campaigns to choose from, Canadian's can find a cause that's close to their heart as well as one that speaks to their vision for Canada's future. Here's just a sample of the Canada150 campaigns Canadian charities have launched coast-to-coast:

• Two-thirds of food crops require bees to successfully produce a crop, meaning Canada's food security depends on bees for the future. Help protect Canada's food security and save the environment with Friends of the Earth Canada's campaign: Bee Cause saving the bees is a Win-Win for everyone
• Give the gift of learning and literacy to children that need it most while working to promote an inclusive understanding of the variety of experiences that tell the whole story of Canada's history with Twice Upon a Time's Indigenous Materials Project
• Empower the lives of Canadians who live with disabilities and help build a more inclusive world by creating recreational opportunities for children, youth and adults in British Columbia with Cerebral Palsy Association of British Columbia's Adapted Recreation campaign
• Support what Canada stands for by helping refugee families who require emergency support transition into a new life in Canada with Multicultural Family Resource Society's Pay It Forward Campaign for Emergency Support Funds

To view a full list of Canada150 campaigns and to get started giving, Canadians can visit https://www.canadahelps.org/en/explore/campaigns/campaign-type/canada-150/.

About CanadaHelps.org
CanadaHelps.org enables donors to safely donate and fundraise online for any registered Canadian charity and provides charities the secure online fundraising platform they need to succeed. As a registered charity itself, CanadaHelps' has facilitated over $750 million in online donations to Canadian charities. Over 1.3 million Canadians have donated to charities using CanadaHelps and over 17,000 charities fundraise online using the CanadaHelps platform. The mission of CanadaHelps is to engage Canadians in the charitable sector and provide effective and affordable online technology to both donors and charities to promote - and ultimately increase - charitable giving in Canada. www.canadahelps.org 

SOURCE CanadaHelps

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