Help us pick our next charity card
Every year at Penny People Designs we design a card where 50% of the proceeds are donated to a specific organization/charity. It's been a great pleasure to be able to do this for worthwhile and sometimes lesser known groups.
In the past we've supported the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Rethink Breast Cancer, and our most recent card was our George Herman house card, a home in Toronto that supports women living with mental health issues by teaching them life skills, as well as offering them a nurtuing environment to live.
We're looking now for the next organization, and although we have some that we're considering, we'd love to know what you think, and welcome you to post some ideas. No organization is too small. Our goal is to obviously be able to donate needed funds to a group, but also bring awareness to a charity that may otheriwse not get it.
I look forward to hearing any ideas & suggestions! Just so you know, this isn't a contest of which organization can get the most "nods" as it comes down to a number of factors as to whether or not we actually CAN do a card, but we're truly interested to know what our clients, the ones that will be purchasing a card, would like to see us be involved with. Please post your feedback!
UPDATE: November 1st, 2008
We've picked our charity and will be announcing it shortly! We're right now designing the card and look forward to launching it!
Central Toronto Youth Services is a program that supports at risk youth. Helping kids find ways of emerging into healthy and happier young adults.
ReplyDeleteLink:
http://www.ctys.org/programs/newoutlook.htm
Wonderful suggestion!
ReplyDeleteI have a suggestion for a great one - Dr. Jack Newman's Breastfeeding Clinic here in Toronto. It's sorely underfunded (I don't even think it gets government funding) but SO incredibly necessary for new moms and babies needing breastfeeding help.
ReplyDeleteBreatfast for Learning is a wonderful organization!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.breakfastforlearning.ca
You should donate to the YBNMF. It's a fairly new organization, but has gotten much attention, mainly from some distinguished contrinuters that wish not to be named, so for security purposes we shall call them...Mom and Dad. Oh and in case you were wondering, YBNMF stands for "Your Brother Needs Money Fund", feel free to leave that part out though. I need new things... its a very prestigious.
ReplyDelete-Your Brother
P.S.
In all seriousness, I dont know charities, but I always like ones that have to do with kids, like the Big Brother program.
Ahh yes little brother I am quite familiar with the YBNMF. ;)
ReplyDeleteLove the ideas from the Breastfeeding Clinic, the Breakfast for Learning and the Big Brother/Sister program!
Keep the ideas coming!
The Hospital for Sick Children is known the world over for its doctors and research. My younger brother is a haemophiliac and wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for the amazing treatment and help he received from Sick Kids as a child.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge supporter of the Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Foundation. It is an organization that helps breast cancer survivors, both men & women, financially - to buy meds, prostheses, cover job loss, whatever you may need financial help with. They have a great website, www.kellyshiresfoundation.org
ReplyDeleteThanks for considering them.
Thanks Leslie & Enza! Another 2 great organizations - Thank you for the ideas!
ReplyDeleteLindsay
How about the Daily Bread Food Bank? A shocking number of people rely on food banks year-round, and no one stands much of a chance if they don't even have their basic daily nutritional needs met.
ReplyDeleteYou have many great suggestions already. Good luck choosing! And thanks for running a business that has heart.
I just heard about STIMMA today.
ReplyDelete(SHORT TERM INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL MISSIONS ABROAD). It's a youth charity designed to provide medical services and education to needy countries. They even do the simple things like reading glasses, toothbrushes and vitamins.
The MS Society of Canada
ReplyDeleteWe have a four year old daughter who was born 3 months premature and although tiny, she was healthy at birth, but a major lung hemorrage when she was a week old brought on tons of complications and my husband and I who are from Sudbury, had to stay 10-months in Hamilton at the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) while our daughter was in neo-natal intensive care. We do not know what we would have done without them and they always need funding. Our daughter is now heavily handicapped and we receive much needed financial help from the Easter Seals Society (Ontario Chapter) and there is also the Canadian Deafblind Rubella Association (Ontario Chapter)... some suggestions.
ReplyDeleteRaymonde in Sudbury
I'm so glad that we opened up this question to everyone - Reminders of places such as MS Society, and the Daily Bread Food Bank are so important.
ReplyDeleteHearing stories such as yours Enzas and Raymonde touch my heart. It's important for organizations such as the Hospital for Sick Kids, Ronald McDonald House, Easter Seals, and Canadian Deafblind Rubella Association to have people like yourselves spread the word about how places like these have helped support your family and how important they are to others.
As a side note to this post - if you're every taking part in an event for these organizations, do let me know as we will also gladly donate product or services for auctions or events.
Thank you for taking time to share your stories. Not only am I learning more about organizations out there that I didn't know about, I think other readers will love to read so they too can be aware and contribute in their own way.
xo Lindsay
And keep posting ideas - I'm learning quite a lot about organizations out there that we could potentially partner with for the card!
ReplyDeleteWhen are you deciding by?? Just curious so that I can keep my eyes out!
ReplyDeleteLeslie
Invest in Kids is a Toronto-based, Canadian-wide charity that aims to strengthen the parenting knowledge, skills and confidence of all those who touch the lives of our youngest children to ensure the healthy social, emotional and intellectual development of children from birth to age five.
ReplyDeletewww.investinkids.ca
New Circles clothing bank is a wonderful organization whose mission is to clothe infants, children and adults who are unable to provide for themselves. It is located in the Flemingdon Park area of Toronto, serving many new immigrants, who come to the city with nothing.
ReplyDeleteCamp Oochigeas is a camp for children affected by childhood cancer, and does not receive any government funding. "Ooch" has a facility up north so that children can experience camp in the great outdoors, and learn to stretch themselves, try new things, meet other people who have gone through the same things, and build self-confidence and esteem. It is the only cancer camp in Ontario that can provide on-site IV chemotherapy, so that the children who are in their most intense phases of cancer can attend and have a camp experience.
ReplyDeleteOoch also has recently started hosting camp programs in the GTA, in order to enrich the lives of children who may be unable to go up to camp due to age, severity of treatment, parental concerns.
They also are working at the Hospital for Sick Children, in order to touch the lives of every child that is diagnosed with cancer at the Hospital, and provide meaningful camp-style programming to children who may be in-patient and unable to leave the hospital. It is a volunteer organization, and it is truly a life-changing experience to be a part of.
There are so many amazing organizations doing wonderful things; it would be hard to choose just one!
Do you have a mission / mandate of the types of charities you are trying to help?
I think Epilepsy Canada would be a great organization. My little brother (who is 25) has epilepsy has relied on the organization in the past. Recently they have moved their office from Montreal to Toronto, so what a great welcome!
ReplyDeleteHere is their website:
http://www.epilepsy.ca/eng/mainSet.html
Hi Lindsay -
ReplyDeleteCamp Trillium is an amazing place for kids dealing and living with cancer. http://www.camptrillium.com/
I had the privilege of volunteering there for 2 summers and I was amazed everyday at the terrific job that the staff and volunteers did to make the camp extra special for the kids and their families.
We're absolutely flored by the great responses!
ReplyDeleteLeslie - We're hoping to decide sometime in early October. Once we've narrowed it down, we then contact the organization to propose the card. Although we've never been turned down before, we want to make sure that they organization/charity is involved in the process. The reason why we're proposing the card now, is so that we can have it offered in time for the Holidays. It would be a great card for our clients to be able to purchase, and help a needy organization.
Kim - Since there are so many organizations that are worthwhile, we try to find one that would be a good fit for our clients, as you are the ones who are going to be supporting a chosen charity. In the past the Breast Cancer Foundations have been a good fit. George Herman House was one which I felt was great as it supports Women - and brings attention to a cause that is rarely talked about, which is Mental Health.
Our goal is to bring light possibly to an organization through our e-mail marketing, blog, and media contacts who love to also know about how to help organizations/charities.
My heart really does go the the charities that get less media attention, who don't have marketing departments & money for advertising campaigns. Not that they are any less in need, but already sometimes have systems in place for fundraising. Our mission is to help not only by raising money, but awareness.
Lindsay
I would suggest Make A Wish Foundation. I volunteer for this amazing organization. They grant wishes to terminal/life long illnesses that affect children and teenagers. They are a not for profit agency and rely solely on donations.
ReplyDeleteHow about the Heart and Stroke Foundation? Heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of death in Canada. My dad suffers from heart disease - so the foundation is close to my heart in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteLori
L’Arche Daybreak
ReplyDeletehttp://www.larchedaybreak.com/