The Aviva Community Fund Partners with CanadaHelps to Increase Impact on Charitable Funding

2016 ACF Grand Prize Winners will have free access to CanadaHelps

TORONTO, Aug. 3, 2016 /CNW/ - Today, the Aviva Community Fund ("ACF") is pleased to announce a new partnership with a known leader and innovator in the charitable sector, CanadaHelps. Now in its eighth year, ACF is Canada's longest running online funding competition. CanadaHelps provides effective and affordable online technology to both donors and charities to promote charitable giving across Canada. Through CanadaHelps' extensive network, ACF will increase its ability to reach Canadian charities of all sizes that are in need of funding.

For the first time ever, in addition to receiving funding from ACF, this year's ACF Grand Prize Winners will receive free services from CanadaHelps. The 2016 ACF competition is currently open for registration, giving people plenty of time to prepare their ideas for submission beginning September 19. Voting begins October 11. Finalists are announced November 7, with winners announced December 6.  

"Aviva's partnership with CanadaHelps gives ACF Winners privileged and cost-free access to valuable expertise to ensure they are set up for long-term success," said Debora Hendrickson, Senior Vice President, Customer & Marketing, Aviva Canada. "The beauty of this partnership is that it's based on our shared ambition to create positive change and drive charitable giving, leveraging our collective impact for Canadians in communities from coast to coast."

"CanadaHelps is pleased to be partnering with the Aviva Community Fund on this outstanding initiative," said Marina Glogovac, President and CEO, CanadaHelps. "Our shared values and charitable views naturally align, and we're looking forward to extending our services to the winning charities." 

CanadaHelps is dedicated to increasing charitable giving across Canada by making it easier to donate and fundraise online. Over 1 million Canadians have supported charities using CanadaHelps.org and together they have raised more than $600 million in donations over the past 15 years. Often, many charities and community projects do not have access to technological resources needed to bring their vision to light. CanadaHelps provides these much-needed services to registered charities across Canada.

About Aviva Canada

Aviva Canada is one of the leading property and casualty insurance groups in the country providing home, automobile, leisure/lifestyle and business insurance to more than three million customers. A wholly-owned subsidiary of UK-based Aviva plc, the company has more than 4,000 employees, 27 locations across Canada and approximately 1,500 independent broker partners. For more information visit avivacanada.com, our blog or our Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

Aviva Canada invests in positive change through the Aviva Community Fund, Canada's longest running online community funding competition. Since its inception in 2009, the Aviva Community Fund has awarded $6.5 million to over 222 charities and community groups nationwide.  For more information on the Aviva Community Fund and to register for the competition, please visit avivacommunityfund.org

About CanadaHelps.org

CanadaHelps.org allows 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 $600 million in donations to Canadian charities online since it launched in 2000. Over 1 million Canadians have donated to charities using CanadaHelps and over 16,000 Canadian 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 Aviva Community Fund

CanadaHelps: Shannon Craig, Chief Marketing & Product Officer, CanadaHelps, 416-628-6948 x2390, [email protected]; Kathleen Grace, Marketing & Communications Manager, CanadaHelps, 416-628-6948 x2387, [email protected]; Aviva Canada Inc.: Priscilla Wong, Public Relations Specialist, Aviva Canada Inc., Desk: 416 288 6780, Mobile: [phone], [email protected]