WORKPLACE FUNDRAISING
TOOLKIT
Children’s Aid Foundation helps vulnerable kids overcome the obstacles in life that hold
them back. We are committed to giving ongoing support to those kids who need it most.
Dollars raised from your workplace fundraising event will have a direct impact on the
lives of the children and youth we serve!
CONTENTS
Why support CAF
What is a Workplace Fundraising Event
Steps for a Great Fundraiser
Fundraising Ideas
Promoting your event at work
How CAF can support your event
Fundraising Guidelines
HOST AN EVENT TO HELP
A CHILD BELIEVE IN THEIR
FUTURE
“The Foundation encouraged me to believe in my own potential through the Stay in School award. Thanks
to a Foundation scholarship, I was able to complete university and am now on track to becoming a social
worker!”
The Children’s Aid Foundation funds programs that help young people in Canada’s child welfare system
build self-esteem and brighter futures. From post-secondary scholarships to enriching activities like sports
and music lessons, the Foundation bridges the gap between what the government is able to provide and
what these vulnerable kids need to transition into happy and healthy adults.
By hosting a workplace fundraising event, you can help the Children’s Aid Foundation continue to
transform the lives of Canada’s most vulnerable kids. From jeans days to lunch & learns or a hockey/football
pool, you can bring the people in your office together to have some fun while supporting a great cause
that will give kids the chance to reach their full potential.
WHAT IS A
WORKPLACE
FUNDRAISING
EVENT?
A workplace fundraising event is an activity or ongoing
initiative organized by a committee or a group of staff
members to raise funds. Jeans days, running groups,
and golf tournaments are only a few examples! Dollars
raised through workplace fundraising events help
the Children’s Aid Foundation fund a broad range
of programs that address the needs of vulnerable
children and young people across Canada. Funds
raised are directed to the Foundation’s highest priority
needs.
Workplace fundraising events are vital because they
help raise awareness in the community and share our
story on a global scale.
STEPS FOR PLANNING A GREAT FUNDRAISER
FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES TO
HELP MAKE YOUR WORKPLACE
FUNDRAISING EVENT A
SUCCESS.
o Decide what type of fundraising event you will hold
 Obtain approval to hold a workplace fundraiser
AFTER YOUR EVENT
oB
e sure to thank all of your event participants and
donors and let everyone know how much was raised!
oC
ollect all the funds raised and send a cheque
(made payable to Children’s Aid Foundation) to the
following address along with full contact information
of any eligible donors who require a tax receipt.
G
ather a team & form a committee to plan the
event
 Decide what type of fundraising event you will hold
 Create a plan and set a timeline for action items
 Set your fundraising goal
 Create a realistic budget
S
et a date and time or choose a launch date if the
fundraiser is ongoing
P
romote the event to your colleagues and build up
excitement. Be sure to announce your fundraising
goal!
 Secure donated gift-in-kind items to use as prizing
 If your event requires participants to fundraise in
advance, be sure to develop a communication
plan to remind participants and incorporate a fun
incentive that will encourage your colleagues to
fundraise!
D
ouble your fundraising success! Find out if your
workplace has a gift matching program
Children’s Aid Foundation
Attn: Community Giving
25 Spadina Rd
Toronto, ON M5R 2S9
FUNDRAISING IDEAS
FUNDRAISERS CAN BE LARGE OR SMALL, INSIDE OR OUTDOORS, ACTIVITY-BASED
OR THEMED – WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE! BELOW ARE SOME SUGGESTED EVENT
IDEAS BUT REMEMBER: WHEN IT COMES TO FUNDRAISING, THE SKY’S THE LIMIT.
WORKPLACE FUNDRAISING
u
Keep it casual with a jeans day
u
Invite a speaker for a lunch & learn or speaker series
u
Offer exclusive items through a silent auction (wine, sports tickets, concert tickets, premium
parking spot, lunch with a Senior Executive or CEO)
u
Challenge your office to a unique activity such as a scavenger hunt
u
Keep sporty with a golf or hockey tournament
u
Huge football fan? Crazy for hockey? Organize a sports pool.
u
Whip-up your family’s secret recipes for a bake sale or find a good page-turner through a
book sale
u
Get your melted cheese and toppings fix with a pizza lunch day
u
Nobody likes carrying change in their pocket – host a change drive to collect those
cumbersome coins
u
Your idea!
Icon by Juan Pablo Bravo
FEATURED FUNDRAISING IDEA
CANADIAN TUXEDO
THE
Turn your next jeans day into a celebration of national pride by
showing-off your Canadian Tuxedo! Wear your favourite jeanon-jean combination and support kids in need through the
Children’s Aid Foundation.
Canadians are renowned for our laid-back attitudes, and what
IN SUPPORT OF
THE CHILDREN’S AID FOUNDATION
could be a more fitting tribute to the Great White North than a
day dedicated to our very own Canadian Tuxedo?
Turn dress down Fridays into a fashion forward fundraiser by
setting a fundraising goal and organizing a fun activity such as giving out awards for best tuxedo or
best denim impersonations. Decide how long you would like the fundraiser to run (1 Friday/month,
4 Fridays/month or one-time event) and collect donations from each participant.
Suggested event day activities could include:
u
Fashion show
u
Vote on best dressed
u
Canadian-themed staff lunch to celebrate
u
Canadian-themed trivia (music, history, sports)
Here are just a few ways you can style your Canadian Tuxedo:
“The Purist” – jeans + matching blue shirt or jacket
“The Canadian Executive” – jeans + jacket with cuff links and front pocket kerchief
“The Canadian Traveler” – jeans + jacket with Canadian Flag patch
“Retro Preppie” – jeans + jean jacket with popped collar
“The Hipster” – jeans + jean or chambray shirt
“The Socialite” – jeans + jean jacket with faux fur collar/scarf
FUNDRAISING IDEAS
ENGAGING YOUR COLLEAGUES
Engaging your colleagues in your workplace fundraiser will ensure the event is a success!
Here are a few ways to build some hype and promote your fundraiser:
u
Use CAF’s event poster template (or create your own) to post information about your event in
communal areas (kitchen, water cooler, notice board, elevator, washrooms)
u
Add a posting to your organization’s intranet or staff e-newsletter
u
Ask a senior executive to send an email to all staff encouraging them to take part in the event
u
Leave a fun promotional piece or personal event invite on each desk after work so your
colleagues will be greeted with a nice surprise the following morning
u
Mention the event in a staff meeting
u
If staff connect on social media at your workplace, use those channels to promote your event
u
Send an email reminder the day before your event or take a walk through the office to personally
remind your colleagues
HOW CAN CAF HELP?
Please be sure to contact the Children’s Aid Foundation well in advance to ensure that we can
help support your event! As long as your fundraiser supports the mission, values and priorities of
the Children’s Aid Foundation, we would be glad to provide the following:
u
Fundraising ideas and support, tips and feedback
u
CAF’s community event logo to use on event collateral
u
Letter of Acknowledgement to help in soliciting sponsorship and/or gift-in-kind donations for
silent auction items and prizing
u
An online fundraising page to collect donations for your event
u
Post your event on our online events calendar
u
A poster template
u
A fundraising thermometer to track progress to your goal
u
CAF handouts and signage for event (whenever possible)
u
CAF representative and/or qualified speaker to attend your event (subject to availability and
event size)
u
Tax receipts for eligible donations
CAF is not able to:
u
Assume any financial or legal liability for your event, including covering any costs, providing
insurance coverage, signing any contracts or applying for any permits and/or licenses on your
behalf
u
Promote your event or sell tickets to your event
u
Solicit sponsorship or gift-in-kind donations for your event
u
Provide access to CAF’s mailing lists, including contact information of CAF sponsors, donors,
partners and staff
FUNDRAISING
GUIDELINES
CHILDREN’S AID FOUNDATION BRAND INTEGRITY
u
Preserving CAF’s brand integrity is very important to us. We can provide community event
organizers with CAF’s Community Event logo for use on event collateral but we ask that
you have all materials developed with CAF’s name or logo approved by CAF
TAX RECEIPTING
u
CAF can issue tax receipts according to Canada Revenue Agency’s guidelines. Please
confirm with CAF which donations (cash and/or gift in kind) are eligible for a tax receipt
before promising any tax receipts to event donors, participants and supporters
EVENT EXPENSES
u
Event expenses cannot be covered by tax-receiptable donations made to the Children’s
Aid Foundation. Ticket sales and/or sponsorship can be used to cover event expenses
PERMITS, LICENSES AND INSURANCE
u
Be sure to verify any permit/licensing/insurance requirements of your venue and the
applicable levels of government. The Children’s Aid Foundation will not assume any legal
or financial liability for your event