Warmer weather is great news for most of us, but charities face tough times as donations seem to dry up at this time of year.
“Summer is traditionally the season when we give the least. Compared to the holiday season, donations in June plummet by over 50 per cent,” explains Marina Glogovac, president and CEO of CanadaHelps, a charity that provides Canadians with a one stop shop to donate and fundraise online for any registered charity in the country.
Charities experience a summer drought as most of us focus our giving during the last quarter of the year. For example, more than one third of annual donations made through CanadaHelps occur in December.
“This cycle of feast or famine has become a real and significant struggle for smaller charities like local foodbanks or those providing community programs serving children or the elderly,” says Glogovac. These organizations suffer because it’s difficult for them to plan programs during prolonged dry periods when they’re unsure if they’ll receive the requisite funding.”
To help spur more donations during a month when people are usually busy boating and vacationing with their families, the GIV3 Foundation and CanadaHelps created The Great Canadian Giving Challenge. Through this initiative when you donate in June to any charity on CanadaHelps.org or GivingChallenge.ca, it will automatically be entered to win a $10,000 prize.
The challenge also helps charities reach out to their supporters over the summer with supporting educational materials and resources to inspire more donations.