Every charity and community group from peewee hockey teams to social service agencies to civic-level cultural groups and beyond have all been negatively impacted by the pandemic. The provincial government has started a website called Crowdfunding Alberta to make it easier for all organizations in the non-profit sector to find donors.
“This platform will help them build support and provide new funding avenues to respond to community and organizational needs," offered Ron Orr, Alberta's minister of culture. "Albertans have the power to harness their generosity to transform their communities."
Crowdfunding Alberta is a platform that also works to make it easier for donors to find non-profit organizations and initiatives to support, and also connect Alberta’s non-profit organizations with a wider pool of supporters. The site will enable organizations to quickly raise funds by collecting smaller, individual contributions from a large community of donors.
The platform is designed to have a multiplier effect of leveraging the impact of private donations with matching government funding. That's why the provincial government also announced it would provide up to $1 million in top-up funding toward eligible campaigns while funds last until March 31.
"We know that better solutions for social challenges come from new social practices that meet needs in a better way than existing solutions, in the end, advancing our joint goals to strengthen civil society,” said Blayne Blackburn, president and CEO of Chrysalis, an organization that supports adults with disabilities.
As an added measure of encouraging those organizations to find fundraising success through the site, campaigns with a minimum target of $5,000 that achieve at least 75 per cent of their goals within four weeks of launching may be eligible for up to $2,500 in top-up funding. This funding is only available to qualifying organizations while funds last, however.
Alberta-based non-profits can visit the website at crowdfunding.alberta.ca to learn more. There, they can register and launch an unlimited number of campaigns, though only one campaign per organization may receive top-up funding each fiscal year. The site also offers assistance to help develop campaigns to gain more attention and funding.
Church bells to ring again
Morinville's St. Jean Baptiste Parish Church has a rebuilding committee that is hard at work. It has already built up a crowdfunding campaign to help put dollars and bricks together.
For starters, people can visit canadahelps.org and search "St. Jean Baptiste Parish in St Paul AB." E-transfers are also accepted via email to [email protected] with the subject line "St. Jean Baptiste Parish, Morinville — New Church Rebuild." There is also a campaign called "Brick by Brick, Dollar by Dollar" being offered with bricks sold for $100 each. Call Gerry Gaetz at 780-939-7320 to learn more.
Christmas Kettle update
As of Friday, Dec. 17, the tally is $228,000, which puts the campaign over the 50-per-cent marker toward its goal of raising $400,000. The campaign is set to end on Dec. 24.
Good news heard over the griddle
It was a regular morning at Socrates Restaurant with dozens of diners enjoying eggs and bacon on Saturday, Dec. 11. The only thing that was unusual that morning was when one patron finished his food, and quietly asked his waitress if he could pay the tabs all around. There was no tally on how much that cheque came to, but the reports from the diner's social media page indicated the generous good Samaritan then handed the server an envelope containing a "sizeable gratuity." "Merry Christmas," he said, and off he went.
The staff was so moved that they referred to the guest by his new nickname: Santa. "We are so glad that you visited us here at Socrates," the post continued. "You made our day! Your kind gesture is truly a Christmas Miracle."
Speaking of Mr. Claus ...
A little snowbirdie has whistled ahead to let the public know the Jolly Old Elf himself will make an early appearance on the St. Albert Trail footbridge from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 24. Free candy canes will be handed out to all, and a collection will be taken for the Mustard Seed Church for those who can and wish to give gifts to strangers themselves.
