TOOLBOX

Going once, going twice, SOLD!!!

Many organizations, including our corps Support Committees (SC) have organized fundraising events that include live or silent auctions in a variety of formats. Usually the guests attending the event get the opportunity to bid on the auction items that are donated by various local businesses.    Unfortunately the current local public health measures in place due to COVID-19, drastically restricts the number of guests that could attend and, of course, directly affects the amount of funds that could be raised.

In addition, due to restricted availability of volunteers and the inability to meet in person, organizing such events has also proven to be difficult.  However, we are able to overcome these challenges and get ahead of the game by moving to a virtual approach using various social media platforms. The results can be quite surprising!

The truth of the matter is that when organizing a larger event at a specific venue, the timeframe to raise funds is restricted to the duration of the event.  Moreover, we must also take into account that many invited guests may not be able to attend due to prior engagements. Instead, by moving towards the virtual approach, we can extend the duration of the auction and make it accessible 24 hours a day, thus increasing the number of participants.  Naturally, with the ability of sharing these events online, SC’s could also extend the reach of their fundraising event and potentially pique the interest of numerous donors who live outside the community’s specific geographical area.

And…did you know that with the recent amendment to our National Policy 3.3, SC’s can make arrangements to receive electronic payments?  For more information, visit our National Policy page:

When COVID-19 hit, Girl Guides Canada halted all face-to-face fundraising just as they were starting their Spring Girl Guide Cookie campaign. The timing of this pandemic could not have been worse, and this could have been devastating to the organization.

Enter a great Canadian retail icon came to the rescue! As a supporter of youth organizations, Canadian Tire purchased the Girl Guide Cookies and made them available in their stores.

Since Support Committees conduct a variety of fundraising campaigns individually, we doubt that this could be repeated on a national scale. This option could potentially be duplicated and scaled to the community level.

While often difficult to achieve with larger store chains, smaller, independent community businesses may be willing to assist in supporting your chocolate bar sale (or other product) by selling the product for you.   As supporters of your community’s youth, maybe you can build a relationship with local businesses.  Who knows, this could even lead to great partnerships within the community.

Don’t be afraid to knock on doors to ask!  You may be surprised by what your local entrepreneurs and smaller business owners are willing to do in support your efforts.

A win-win situation and a safe one for all involved!

Over the last couple of months, businesses, organizations and individuals, have needed to adapt to follow public health measures, which has affected the way the Support Committees can raise the much-needed funds they need for the usual operations of a cadet corps.  With this in mind have you considered a different approach to your fundraising activities?  Have you consulted with local businesses to find out what their needs may be and where you might be able to help?

Maybe selling non-medical facemasks rather than selling your normal products (like chocolate bars and oranges) might be an option. Just recently, the Army Cadet League of Canada has made non-medical facemasks available to Support Committees to sell, to raise the much-needed funds they need to support their corps. These can be sold to the volunteers, parents or general public so that they can show their support! - (Note that these masks are not intended for cadets or Canadian Armed Forces personnel to wear as part of their uniform.)  For details about the #ISUPPORT ACLC face masks in the picture below, contact Denis Ringuette Enterprises (formely Joe Drouin’s) directly : christine@denisringuette.com or call toll Free : 1-833-746-4838

Or, rather than providing your normal services such as car washes, maybe a local restaurant or establishment might need help.  Maybe they can benefit from your assistance in different ways to fulfill their needs to adapt to the COVID-19 measures and allow them to stay in business.

When we take into account that restaurants and other establishments have been severely restricted in how they do business and several forced to keep their dining rooms closed, the need for proper outdoor tables and seating for their patios has never been greater. With that in mind, a Legion Branch and the members of a Corps Support Committee recently got together to build picnic tables, all while respecting the physical distancing requirements and without involving cadets. This allowed the Legion and the Cadet Corps to raise some funds but it also helped the restaurants and other organizations in the local area, to stay open.

Did you know that many employers encourage and reward your volunteer contributions?

Many employers across Canada reward an employee’s personal contributions to the community.  This could in the form of matching your personal donations to a charity of your choice.  In recognition of your volunteer hours, some employers may make a donation to the charity that you volunteer with.  Others have created grants for charitable and not-for-profit organizations that can only be accessed by employees.  And, many even require that employees volunteer in the community meaning that you could get additional assistance.

This not only applies to the private sector but the public sector as well.  Talk to your employer to see if your company does something similar.  You never know.  Your volunteer work may “pay off”!

It is great to hear that many SC’s are taking full advantage of the “diversification of revenue” tip that we published a couple of weeks ago.  However, there seems to be some confusion on what we call “pass-through” donations.  We refer to “pass-through” donations when a charitable receipt is required and/or donations are processed via a third party (the Branch or an online donation platform).

Did you know that in order to provide a charitable receipt to your donors, donations must be made out to a registered charitable organization?  FOR ALL CORPS SUPPORT COMMITTEES (SC), THIS IS YOUR RESPECTIVE PROVINCIAL BRANCH (with the exception of the 3 Territories which would go through the National Office).  Branches can handle and process all passthrough donations in accordance with their own policies and directives and provide the necessary receipts to your donors.

Note:  You could potentially see an increase in donations by mentioning that you can offer these receipts to your donor base.

Several SCs are directing donors to use third-party online donation platforms, such as Canada Helps, PayPal Giving and United Way.  If you are using these services, note that some associated fees apply! Online donation platforms may charge by percentage, flat rate or potentially a combination of both for each donation processed.  You must take this into account as this would count towards the costs associated with your fundraising campaign.

Be sure to provide your donors all the pertinent information about your campaign (especially the corps number).  The donor must include this information with their donation and send it to the appropriate branch.  You would not believe how often we receive passthrough donations without any indication of their intended recipient or campaign.  If this is not included, Corps could potentially miss-out on important donations. And, follow-up, not only with your donors but also with the Branch to confirm that the donation was properly made and processed.

Patience is also required when dealing with these donation platforms or third parties.  Processing times may vary.  If receiving donations by mail, you must take into account the effects of this pandemic on our mailing services.

Also, in order to make sure that the pass-through donations are properly received at the corps, make sure that the corps/SC crucial contact information is updated in FORTRESS and at the Branch, whenever a change occurs.

A key to your success when using a third party to treat the donations for your fundraising campaign for your cadet corps, is the proper and open communication between an SC and their branch.  By letting them know that you are anticipating some donations, the branches can offer you support and tools you may not have been aware of. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Fundraising at the Support Committee level is driven by expenses.  If you do not have expenses, you have little need to fundraise.  These expenses need to be prioritized, especially in the current COVID environment.  The ACLC has assisted by outlining these financial priorities in National Policy 3.3.  They are further explained in our national Budget Preparation document.  An upcoming information document on Financial Management will assist many of your further.

Much of the support that is provided to Army Cadets and Army Cadet Corps is based upon the Cadet Unit Training Plan and specific Corps activities.  In this current COVID environment, much of the planned cadet training and many of the activities will be heavily restricted, if not canceled altogether.  This must be acknowledged and considered.

Know that:

• Travel is restricted to within one-hour. This means that a pre-planned recreational trip two hours away will not be approved.  If you do plan to travel within one-hour, you must take into account that passengers must sit 2m apart when booking transportation.  This could mean that the cost of transportation may double or triple depending on the number of cadets participating.  In a case like this, maybe parents can drive their own children.
• There will be no overnight activities for some time, so no need for those late-night FTX pizza parties.
• With the restriction on travel, marksmanship and biathlon competitions may also be heavily restricted.  You can consider holding off on purchasing new equipment.

Remember – Control your expenses and most of you will be in a great financial position.  Prioritize based upon must-haves, should haves and could haves.  Keep your nice to have and wishful expenses to a minimum.

Essentially, these are downloadable on-line shopping apps where Cadet Corps can create a “team/group”. By inviting members and supporters to use the app while shopping for items they already need, your corps would earn cashback on these purchases.

Although there are several applications available that are simple and easy to use, Flipgive, founded and based in Canada, is a popular one.  Such applications can also offer additional options to earn funds for your corps.

In a time when online shopping is increasing, it may not be a bad idea to begin “upgrading” your fund-raising!