Charitable Impact launches unique initiatives to support GivingTuesdayNow

Emergency response to unprecedented need caused by COVID-19 is uniting Canadians around generosity and kindness

Many charities are facing a pandemic-fuelled cash crunch at a time when vulnerable Canadians, medical researchers and the healthcare community need them most. With about 70 percent of organizations reporting a decline in revenues, Imagine Canada projects that the sector needs $10 billion in government support to survive, far less than the $350 million provided by Ottawa’s new Emergency Community Support Fund. It is estimated that COVID-19 will reduce charities' revenues by between $9 billion and $15 billion, and lead to more than 100,000 layoffs, in what Imagine Canada describes as “the most devastating financial situation that charities and nonprofits have experienced.”

"We are all facing struggles resulting from COVID-19 in our own way, and what we can do to help relieve the struggles of others in this time can also be a reflection of our personal interests and experience,” said Charitable Impact Founder and CEO John Bromley. “As an official Giving Tuesday partner, we encourage Canadians to think about the roles they can play with their time and money. Charitable Impact was created to help everyone give in their own way with our support.”

Having already  seen a 400-percent increase in giving to charities that are addressing the COVID-19 response, Charitable Impact is keeping the momentum going by launching initiatives designed to make giving an intentional and joyful part of daily life for all Canadians, including those who are struggling financially: 

• $5,000 draw: Five new or recurring Charitable Impact donors have the chance to win 1,000 charitable dollars each. Donation amounts start at $5.
• COVID-19 Giving Groups: By setting up a free Giving Group, Impact Account holders can rally friends, family members and organizations around charities that are responding to the unprecedented need caused by the pandemic. 
• #ChooseYourImpact Campaign: In partnership with Vancouver Social Value Fund and Social Innovation Academy, this new campaign is connecting Canadians with changemakers, thought leaders, and student analysts who have informed opinions on where to give to make the most impact during the pandemic. Until May 31, the Martin Family Empowerment Foundation will match 100 percent of each $1 donated (to a maximum of $10,000).
• Twitter Chat: At 11AM PT/2PM ET on May 5, Charitable Impact and several of its partners in the sector will host a discussion focusing on overcoming the current crisis. Members of the media are encouraged to take part.
• A dedicated Giving Tuesday Now website and social media campaign.

At the same time, donation-matching campaigns by businesses, the charitable sector and government are multiplying donations like never before. At Capital Power in Edmonton, for instance, an employee program administered by Charitable Impact has temporarily increased its limit to $50,000 until May 8 to encourage more giving during the COVID-19 pandemic. By combining this with the Government of Alberta's own new matching program, gifts can quadruple. 

"Community needs are amplified in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and supporting giving helps us empower our employees to make a difference in the communities where we live, work and raise our families," said Jesse Murphy, Senior Advisor of Community Relations at Capital Power.

Charitable Impact operates as a donor-advised fund. During times of fiscal and societal stress, these popular giving vehicles can serve as tools for supporting spikes in emergency needs. Funds accrued in a DAF cannot be used for anything other than philanthropy, after all, with a 2019 study finding that DAF donors tend to be more generous during recessions, especially when compared with other forms of giving. At Charitable Impact, donations have jumped by more than 400 percent since March 1, with some gifts topping $1.5 million and many being made through Giving Groups in support of organizations that provide health services and front-line relief for vulnerable populations. Donations to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, for instance, have more than doubled in 2020 compared with all of 2019.

Before May 5, Giving Tuesday took place annually on the first Tuesday following American Thanksgiving. The most recent Giving Tuesday, on Dec. 3, 2019, increased charitable donations in Canada by 75 percent. “For eight years, GivingTuesday has celebrated grassroots generosity, and has built a movement that empowers millions of people to give, engage their communities, and find common ground,” said Rob Reich, chairman of the board for GivingTuesday. “We are all confronting the same challenge right now, and we need the giving spirit more than ever.”

Media contact

If you have any questions or would like to speak to Charitable Impact CEO John Bromley, please reach out to Luisa Velez at [email protected] or (778) 302-2978.

About Charitable Impact (formerly CHIMP)  

Vancouver-based Charitable Impact is for anyone who wants to make a difference, no matter what causes they choose to support. Just like an online bank account for charitable giving, it helps people find and give to their favourite charities from one place. Since being founded in 2011, its mission has been to nurture the generosity within each person and to bring the resources for creating change in the world to everyone.

About Giving Tuesday

Created in 2012 at New York’s 92nd Street Y and incubated in its Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact as a day to do good, GivingTuesday has grown into a year-round global generosity movement with leaders who have launched national movements in more than 60 countries. At the grassroots level, people and organizations participate in GivingTuesday in every single country in the world.