For many charities the next few weeks are crucial in their fundraising efforts but in the face of inflation, some are concerned the community may scale back their plans for giving.
“We’ve only had a few donations so far, but we know things will start to pick up as Christmas gets closer,” said Sandra Aszmies, the community ministries director of the Salvation Army Kitchener Community Church and Family Care Centre.
The charity’s largest annual fundraiser, the local Christmas kettle campaign, kicks off Nov. 24. Those funds go to support programs all year including sending kids to camp, providing food, clothing vouchers and more. Aszmies said there’s uncertainty on how the community will respond despite its generosity in the past.
“Many people are struggling with the increased cost of living,” said Aszmie. “A lot of people are going from paycheck to paycheck and maybe don’t make it from paycheck to paycheck.”
Aszmies said the need for donations is greater than ever.
“Over the past few years, we’ve seen a 30 per cent increase from year to year on the need for toys but also for food and other assistance throughout the year,” said Aszmies.
Aszmies said the Salvation Army will be providing toys and gifts for 6,500 children in Kitchener-Waterloo this year.
The demand also surpassed the donations at Kidsability Foundation.
“Our spring appeal, we did see a drop in donations and it was something that we wondered if that would happen due to inflation,” said Lisa Talbot, the executive director at the KidsAbility Foundation.
She said it makes the next six weeks of fundraising that more critical.
“The need is actually greater than ever. We have over 2,000 kids waiting for help and waiting for services that are helping them to communicate, to walk and to do a lot of things that you and I take for granted,” said Talbot.
Talbot said she is cautiously optimistic about raising more than $100,000 by the end of the year.
Joan Fisk, CEO of United Way Waterloo Region Communities is also worried. She said the charity is seeing an unprecedented amount of grant requests.
“This past quarter, for example, we had $2.5M in proposals, with only one third of this, in available funds to be granted out,” said Fisk. “The applications are illuminating the needs of our most vulnerable populations, and the crisis that some of the providers are facing.”
The Waterloo Region Community Foundation said donations have been steady and expects the community to step up over the next few weeks.
“Not as many folks can donate or in a position to donate but then other folks who are in a position to donate more will help balance that out a little bit,” said Dan Robert, the foundation’s director of philanthropy.
Robert urged those in the community who can donate to donate what they can.
“People are generous to the extent that they can be and I believe that people will continue to be generous throughout this holiday season,” said Robert.
