More than 165,000 Canadians get friends to give in six weeks
OTTAWA, March 11, 2015 /CNW/ - My Giving Moment's Dare2Give challenge called on Canadians to dare friends, family and colleagues to join them in giving back to their communities, charities and causes. Hundreds of Canadians rose to the challenge, daring more than 165,000 people in a six-week period to volunteer or donate. Dare2Give is the latest initiative from the My Giving Moment campaign. Inspired by Governor General David Johnston's vision for a kinder, more caring Canada, My Giving Moment is building a giving movement through public education, awareness and engagement.
A 2013 Statistics Canada study shows that nearly half (44%) of Canadians volunteered their time and almost twice that number (82%) gave money to a charity or non-profit organization. However, the data also show a decline from previous years: while the number of volunteer hours is holding steady at almost 2 billion, donations have slipped from $10.6 billion in 2010 to $8.6 billion in 2013.
"Canadians are willing to get involved in giving and believe others should do the same," says Ian Bird, Executive Director of the Rideau Hall Foundation, the organization behind My Giving Moment. "The uptake of this campaign reflects the momentum being built collectively to strengthen giving across the country. We know that there is more that we can do and this campaign will continue to call on Canadians to broaden their efforts to build a more caring Canada."
The benefits of giving for individuals and their communities include increased feelings of health, happiness and belonging, and a stronger community fabric and social safety net, Dare2Give offered an additional incentive: Darers could participate in a random draw for a prize to give to the charity of their choice. Prizes donations from Shaw Media, Radio-Canada, TD Bank Group, Deloitte, Desjardins, and
Manifest Communications included public service announcements, business and marketing expertise, and a team of eager volunteers. The individual random draw winners are: Michelle Gryko and Vikki Perkins from Alberta, Genevieve Morin from Quebec, Claudia Palaban from Manitoba and Gisele Richard from Ontario. The charities receiving the prizes are: Abbotsfield Youth Project, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Children's Wish, Servants Anonymous Society of Calgary and Start Me Up Niagara.
About Dare2Give and My Giving Moment
The My Giving Moment campaign encourages Canadians to give back to their communities, neighbours, charities and causes. Leaders from the corporate, community and media sectors have come together to support the campaign, partnering with the Rideau Hall Foundation. They all share the Governor General's commitment to giving as the key to creating a more caring Canada. Dare2Give is the latest in the My Giving Moment campaign.
To learn more about Dare2Give and My Giving Moment visit, www.mygivingmoment.ca
National Partners: BMO Financial Group, CGI, CIBC, Home Hardware, Manulife, RBC, Scotiabank, TD Bank Group, TELUS, Tim Hortons
Supporting Partners: Couche-Tard, Deloitte, Desjardins, National Bank, Procter & Gamble
Media Partners: Shaw and Radio-Canada
About the Rideau Hall Foundation
An independent and non-political charitable organization, the Foundation works closely with the Governor General's office and other partners to develop initiatives to foster Canadians' sense of values and identity, increase their potential for excellence, and strengthen their aspiration for a better country.
SOURCE Dare2Give
Image with caption: "My Giving Moment logo (CNW Group/Manifest Communications Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150311_C6130_PHOTO_EN_13048.jpg
Image with caption: "Dare2Give logo (CNW Group/Manifest Communications Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150311_C6130_PHOTO_EN_13049.jpg
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