On Giving Tuesday Now (May 5th) CBT launched the Community COVID-19 Response Giving Catalogue, a place where west coast registered charities and not-for-profits share current and emerging needs with people who want to help. We are excited to announce that we have met our goal of raising $30,000 for local organizations! $15,000 in private donations were matched by the Vancouver Foundation and funds are currently being disbursed to participating organizations. Below are some exciting stats from the process:
The idea first gained traction in the weeks following the initial outbreak of COVID-19, when our Executive Director, Rebecca, started organizing weekly group check-in calls with leaders from local non-profits. Some organizations, like the local Food Bank, faced substantially increased demand, while others, like the Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society (SIMRS), couldn’t run programs or faced large cuts in operational funding. Karyssa Arnett, SIMRS Director of Operations, explains that "at a time that was socially isolating, these check-ins and the Giving Catalogue initiative showed me that we truly are 'all in this together' and that I had an incredible network of people supporting me and my organization every step of the way."
As the CBT team began to organize the Giving Catalogue, we learned that the Vancouver Foundation could provide matching funding for the first $15,000 we raised! This meant that if a donor gave $500 through the Giving Catalogue, their charity of choice would receive $1000, with all administrative fees covered by CBT.
Karyssa from SIMRS says that "the CBT recognized the needs of our community and provided us the opportunity to fundraise without the headache and costs associated with planning, organizing, and promoting - they took care of it all!” Donors and non-profit leaders alike noted that it was great to see the needs of the region articulated clearly and easily sharable on a central platform.
We are now thrilled to be distributing the funds to the diverse range of participating organizations whose work ranges from food security and public health to environmental advocacy and education:
The CBT team will keep the catalogue open over the course of the summer for interested donors to continue contributing (though we’ve used all the available matching funding). We would like to thank all donors and participating organizations for their willingness to help us pilot this collaborative fundraising effort. While we don’t know what the fall and winter will bring, we are interested in working together to continue the campaign or launch a local holiday giving campaign in November - December.
As the west coast’s regional community foundation and UNESCO biosphere region, the CBT is honoured to lift up local charities and non-profits working tirelessly to ensure our communities are living inclusively and sustainably in a healthy ecosystem, with a diversified economy, and strong, vibrant, and united cultures.
