GoodCorporateCitizensFilter: Help us have fun while helping others.
March 26, 2013 11:49 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for a new charity/fundraising event that my whole mid-sized company can take part in and get excited about. Ideally it has an outdoor/physical component so that us cube dwellers see a bit of the day-star. The physical requirements should be low, and bonus points for a charity that is in some way related to technology/connectivity-for-all etc.
I work for a company that has in the past raised money for a particular charity by having individuals and teams gather donations to take part in a stationary bike ride. It's been a success in the past, but having done it for more than 5 years, its not generating much interest any more and driving participation and raising funds has become arduous.
I'm looking for suggestions for a charity/fundraising event that gets us outside and doing something, that isn't the above. I would love it if it were a bit closer to our company ethos of 'the internet is awesome, everyone should have it to learn and do great things with'. But that's probably a pretty big ask.
I don't think we are looking to organize and execute our own fundraising event. This would probably require more time and expertise than we have. Events run by the charity itself are preferred.
We are in Toronto.
I work for a company that has in the past raised money for a particular charity by having individuals and teams gather donations to take part in a stationary bike ride. It's been a success in the past, but having done it for more than 5 years, its not generating much interest any more and driving participation and raising funds has become arduous.
I'm looking for suggestions for a charity/fundraising event that gets us outside and doing something, that isn't the above. I would love it if it were a bit closer to our company ethos of 'the internet is awesome, everyone should have it to learn and do great things with'. But that's probably a pretty big ask.
I don't think we are looking to organize and execute our own fundraising event. This would probably require more time and expertise than we have. Events run by the charity itself are preferred.
We are in Toronto.
If you are willing to give up the tech focus and just do something useful in the open air, you might consider volunteering as a group at Toronto Habitat for Humanity. It's really relaxing to swing a hammer for a day instead of pushing a mouse around a desk.
posted by monotreme at 5:42 PM on March 26, 2013
posted by monotreme at 5:42 PM on March 26, 2013
This looks like a pretty cool internet-related charity. There are others too. I don't know if any of them are going to put on an event for you, but you could ask.
It sounds like you could easily beat the status quo by picking an activity, asking for donations that are more than the cost of the activity, and then donating the excess money to a cause people are excited about. You could find a good nearby hiking trail loop and have a race. A trophy for the winner, a designated judge or two, drinks, maybe T-shirts.
If you just want to go to an existing event, there are a bunch of fundraising events you could participate in on this site: http://www.toronto-charities.ca/fundraising
The one where you get to rappel off of a building if you raise $1500 for sick children looks like fun.
posted by steinwald at 8:37 PM on March 26, 2013
It sounds like you could easily beat the status quo by picking an activity, asking for donations that are more than the cost of the activity, and then donating the excess money to a cause people are excited about. You could find a good nearby hiking trail loop and have a race. A trophy for the winner, a designated judge or two, drinks, maybe T-shirts.
If you just want to go to an existing event, there are a bunch of fundraising events you could participate in on this site: http://www.toronto-charities.ca/fundraising
The one where you get to rappel off of a building if you raise $1500 for sick children looks like fun.
posted by steinwald at 8:37 PM on March 26, 2013
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What about taking a totally new approach, so you can use everyone's skills and define your own activities? I am sure there are local libraries or adult education centers or senior centers that would love to have a group come in a few times, or regularly, to give classes on the internet or other technology that people struggle with. What does "connectivity for all" mean to you, and who is not connected in your community?
This could be done sometimes during work hours, or it could be an after-hours (by choice) thing. Those that can't commit to the times can still help by preparing materials or getting the word out. Company resources used on the project can be scaled as needed.
Your company could get some really good communication material out of it, perhaps local recognition politically, and maybe some recruitment benefits (interns, socially minded grads). This direction avoids some difficulties with one-off corporate volunteering events, along the lines of what you bring up: hard to find a good matching event, good skills, and in the end find a job for everyone that they are properly trained to do.
posted by whatzit at 1:21 PM on March 26, 2013