With another June over and summer in full swing, the third annual Great Canadian Giving Challenge has ended and we can’t wait to share the exciting contest results!

With a 24 percent increase in donations from the campaign’s second year in 2016, and an 83 percent increase in donations when compared to June 2014, a year before the annual campaign launch, charities and Canadians have embraced the challenge across the country from coast to coast. A total of 77,785 generous donors donated a grand total of $9,988,224 in the month of June—that is a total of 9,988,224 ballots entered in the contest! Of the 10,015 charities eligible to win, only one lucky winner was randomly drawn on July 1st. Congratulations to the Central Alberta Humane Society for winning the third annual Great Canadian Giving Challenge and a $10,000 donation from GIV3!

More importantly, however, Canadian charities representing a vast range of charitable causes are praising the Great Canadian Giving Challenge for sparking charitable giving in June, a time traditionally known to have temperatures rise, and donations drop. Read what some of the participating charities had to say about this year’s Great Canadian Giving Challenge:

“Phoenix Youth Programs helps youth and their families clear a path through challenges that are blocking their potential. We listen to their needs and then work hard, with compassion and expertise, to provide relevant, often life-changing, supports. Everyone has a unique situation and we respond accordingly, with youth leading the way. At Phoenix youth can find help with crisis management, housing, counselling, skill development, employment, and education – we do a lot under one umbrella and our donors make our work possible! This year we must raise approximately $1.1 million to meet our operating budget. By aligning with the Great Canadian Giving Challenge, we were able to leverage support for our annual spring appeal. Throughout the month of June we communicated the benefits of giving through CanadaHelps in our appeal materials and through multiple social media posts utilizing the campaign’s hashtags. As we celebrate our 30^th year, we’re so grateful for the support we received as part of this year’s Great Canadian Giving Challenge!”—Melanie Sturk, Director of Communications & Community Relations, Phoenix Youth Programs

“Sharing the Great Canadian Giving Challenge within our digital and social community is an opportunity to increase engagement with potential donors. Spreading the word that each contribution equates to an entry to win $10,000 in support of the courageous patients and families we support, is a huge motivator for giving. Our goal is to effectively break health care barriers through a valuable technology, called E-Stim (Electronic Stimulation). This will allow us to accelerate the closure of open skin wounds that are slow to heal, such as pressure injuries, diabetic foot ulcers, and leg wounds… 30 times faster! The total cost to implement this new wound healing process is $10,000… a small price tag for a BIG change in patient recovery, sending them home much sooner.”—Jennifer Stewart, President and CEO, Providence Healthcare Foundation

“Promoting the Great Canadian Giving Challenge to our community is a great way to encourage individuals to give at a time when charitable giving is not so widely publicised (like during the holiday season). The incentive of helping us to win a donation of $10,000 is a great motivator for many of our supporters.  We do not receive any government funding, so we are always looking for new ways to engage individuals with our cause to keep our shelter doors open to animals in need. It could save a life with emergency surgery.  We take in many animals in need of costly emergency surgeries for serious injuries or illnesses. These surgeries regularly cost anywhere between $2,000 – $10,000. It could fund 133 spay or neuter procedures. Every animal is spayed or neutered before they go to their forever home – to ensure we are doing our part to curb pet over-population. It could cover our animal food bill for two months.”—Rosie Blanning, Integrated Direct Marketing Manager at the Toronto Humane Society

“Homelessness is a crisis that people experience. It does not define the person. Unity Project’s job is to stabilize people in their moment of crisis and to engage them in their own process toward stability while utilizing all available community resources. The Great Canadian Giving Challenge was a wonderful opportunity to engage our committed donors, and make some new friends, who were excited by the potential $10,000 incentive to contribute to the housing stability outcomes, supporting our vital work serving men, woman and youth struggling to escape and avoid homelessness.”—Anita Schipper, Development and Communications Officer at the Unity Project for Relief of Homelessness in London

“The Victoria Sexual Assault Centre relies on the generosity of our amazing supporters year after year to ensure that life-changing counselling, support, and clinic services are available at no cost to survivors of sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse.  The Great Canadian Giving Challenge provides the opportunity for donors to imagine the possibilities of what their donation can accomplish.  It truly proves that every dollar counts and regardless of how much you can give, you can have a significant impact on someone’s life.  $10,000 would make an enormous difference for our agency and would go directly towards programs that provide healing, education, and prevention in the Victoria community.”—Lindsay Pomper, Manager of Resource Development and Communications at the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre

“Formed in 1981, Edmonton’s Food Bank mission is to be stewards in the collection of surplus and donated food for the effective distribution, free of charge, to people in need in our community while seeking solutions to the causes of hunger. While some individuals and families access services directly from the Food Bank, Edmonton’s Food Bank is also a referral center and warehouse for a network of over 250 agencies, churches, schools and food depots offering food services to people in need.  Since 2014, the number of people seeking our assistance has increased from 13,000 per month to over 20,000 per month. Our clients come from all backgrounds and walks of life and have in common the lack of resources to be food secure.  The Great Canadian Giving Challenge provides us with an “EGGCELLENT” opportunity to share with our supporters the direct impact an online donation has in helping us with the purchase of fresh, protein packed eggs for our hampers as well as to our agencies. A $10,000 win would be amazing and provide 5,000 dozen eggs but regardless we all win thanks to every June online donation through CanadaHelps!  ”—Marjorie Bencz, CM Executive Director Edmonton’s Food Bank

Thank you to all of the charities and donors who participated in this year’s Great Canadian Giving Challenge!

Updated on November 1, 2024