Giving together, while apart 

Giving Groups are accessible, free-of-charge resources available on Charitable Impact to anyone who wants to give. Through the emergence of new groups to meet needs during COVID-19, we’ve heard some inspiring stories. Donors are rallying their communities to help those in need.

Are you looking for a way to help right now? With events and gatherings cancelled, wouldn’t it be great to join together in generosity? A Giving Group on Charitable Impact can help. Even if you don’t feel that you have a lot to give charitably, you can inspire a movement through small donations. 

Giving Groups are resources that donors, like you, can use to advance charitable projects for causes. The stand-alone, customizable fundraising pages offer a way to gather people together to raise money for a cause that inspires them. 

There are already some very heartening stories about how individuals, companies, and organizations are using these resources to activate generosity. A great example is the Social Diversity for Children Foundation (SDC), which started the COVID-19 Relief Fund when they saw an opportunity to redirect their work. 

Providing a platform for community charitable initiatives

The current situation with COVID-19 has created the need for rapid shifts among many charities. With social distancing in place, some organizations can no longer continue normal operations. 

Typically, the SDC hosts art and music programs throughout the Metro Vancouver region, teaching young generations about inclusivity and compassion. But the organization has been forced to move programs online or put some aside for the time being. 

The organization was looking for a way to give back during a time of great need. At the same time, a local senior home reached out, requesting suppliers who could provide (personal protective equipment (PPE) to help protect frontline health and care workers. SDC President David James Wang saw an opportunity to contribute to the fight against COVID-19.

“At SDC, we believe that true impact is made when an entire community unites to achieve a shared goal. As such, we resolved to reach out to dozens of companies, non-profits, social clubs, and associations to amalgamate for one common purpose: supply PPE to those in need,” said Wang. 

After surpassing their own expectations, the SDC COVID-19 Relief Fund upped its fundraising goal five times and has raised over $10,000 for PPE. Most of this impressive total is from individual donations of about $5 each—showing that when individuals give collectively, even small donations can go a long way.

Wang attributes the success of the Giving Group to community and partnerships. “Our campaign is truly by the community and for the community, which consists of our kind-hearted friends, family, and neighbours who persistently demonstrate their love and support for our cause,” said Wang. 

Facilitating family, community, and company giving

The customization and adaptability of Giving Groups makes them useful and beneficial to groups and organizations of all kinds, including families and friends, clubs, nonprofits, charities, and companies. Many Giving Groups have been set up on Charitable Impact to support families facing challenges, school groups conducting fundraising, and individuals raising funds for campaigns like Movember. 

Since 2011, nearly 20K Giving Groups have been set up on Charitable Impact, resulting in donations from nearly 100K donors.

The pandemic has made Giving Groups particularly valuable for a number of companies and organizations. Vancouver-based tech company Rise People has set an ambitious goal of raising $100,000 for food bank services during the pandemic.

“The COVID-19 crisis has created a huge gap to fill with food banks across Canada and we wanted to step up and do our part by donating our monthly office food budget to our local food bank. The Charitable Impact platform has been a great vehicle for us to raise awareness in the Vancouver business community and inspire other businesses to donate to our campaign,” said Rise People President Julie Bevacqua in an email.

The Harvest Project, a charity based in North Vancouver, B.C., has created a COVID Crisis Response to address urgent needs and transitions in how services are offered. “We’re asking the community to continue partnering with us so that we can serve those most in need. Close to home,” said Harvest Project Development Officer Kevin J. Lee.

Young Families is a group under the charity Youth Unlimited that supports, guides, and empowers young parents. As a result of having to cancel their annual fundraising ball, they created a Giving Group to virtually bring their community together in giving. 

Give more when you give together

So how can you use a Giving Group? Create one now to rally your friends and contacts around a cause you care about. Invite people to join, easily share info on all your social media channels, and set a visible fundraising goal to incentivize donors to give more. Those who join the group can share the group on their own social channels, post comments to generate conversation and dialogue, and be a part of creating a movement for change. 

Find more information on starting a Giving Group. If you have questions, do not hesitate to reach out to us by phone (1-877-531-0580), email ([email protected]), or chat. We continue to work from home. Our support for your giving remains the same. We are here for you, the donor, and are here to help mobilize your vision of change.

We support your giving, your way.