Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Fundraising is not Taboo Anymore, it is NOW a Mutually Beneficial Experience


Ladies and gentleman it is time to raise a glass. One big l'chaim goes out to the new Emerging Generation Division which raised $10,000 for the 2013 Annual Campaign. We are a team of very proud lasses and lads and are extremely grateful to our fearless co-captains Maya Avshalomov and Dan Shugar who we are thrilled to have back guiding us next year.  We reached our goal, raising $10,000 in just four months, and we couldn't be happier! The beauty of this is that a majority of these funds came from first-time donors. We have 100 donors in the division and whether they gave $18 or $180, every gift is meaningful and goes a very long way. Needless to say, we couldn't have raised a cent without our team of 14 devoted canvassers. We owe much gratitude to the entire team!

Asking for money is not taboo; every walk/run/telethon, fitness death competition and fundraising f*** party asks for money. So why then are people so reticent to become a canvasser? If we substituted the word “canvasser” for “gift giver” it might take on a whole different meaning.  Canvassing can really be a mutually beneficial experience. Canvassers often find the experience rewarding and damn legit.  

Consider the Jewish Federation of Ottawa and Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation as a bank.  The Federation functions as the chequing account and the Foundation is your savings account. Your gift to the Federation supports our community agencies and your gift to the Foundation ensures the sustainability of the community for generations to come.

Keep in mind that we don't just provide funds for the elderly and disabled. We also ensure that summer camp and Hebrew schools continue to exist. I’ll bet your best summers were spent at camp-now imagine not being able to ship your kids off when they turn 11 year old.

I’ve got a secret for you.  Listen really closely. Giving a gift can not only greatly help out the community, it can also benefit you. Life is made up of connections and contacts. If you don't think this is true, well… reality check, it is. Joining the community in this capacity exposes you to new contacts, fresh faces and outside the box opportunities. What you’ll discover is that doing good reaps good and makes you feel like a mensch! 

Through fundraising you create relationships and the beauty is that some will last a lifetime, and others will come back to help you in a completely different capacity of your life. Calling or emailing someone a few times a year asking for a pledge or inviting them to a party or Shabbat dinner can impact someone's life in ways that are outside their normal bubble.  

At our stage of life, 20-40 years of age, we have endless opportunities to travel and network through conferences and conventions all over the world with like-minded people who do what we do because they believe in the mutually beneficial experience.

If what I have said resonates with you in any way and you want to become a canvasser for the Emerging Generation Division for 2014, we would love to have you. That's it, that's all. Easy as that! Call me, we can chat all about it 613-724-8930.

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