Culturally appropriate and attractive fundraising initiatives
June 23, 2003
By Louise Chatterton Luchuk
Since 1981, there has been a three-fold increase in Canada's
visible minority
population. In fact, the visible minority population is growing at a rate six
times faster than the total population and it is predicted that by
2016 visible
minorities will account for one-fifth of Canada's total population. Canada's
ethnocultural portrait poses important questions for fundraising initiatives:
are our fundraising practices appropriate or attractive to a
growing percentage
of the population? How well do first generation Canadians know us?
And, if people
donate to what they know and trust, will we benefit from their philanthropy?
Fundraisers in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal - the urban centres
where nearly
three-quarters of all immigrants settled in the 1990s - share their
experiences
and lessons in culturally appropriate fundraising.
Peer-to-peer community outreach
Ten years ago, the Canadian Cancer
Society
- British Columbia and Yukon division hired Jim Kwong for the
new position
of coordinator within the Chinese community. The Canadian Cancer Society looks
to support from all Canadians and, Kwong explains, as Chinese people are a part
of the community "we want their support as well." But the Society
found that mainstream
events were not an effective way to reach into the Chinese community so Kwong's
challenge was to develop custom-made ways to reach out to the Chinese community
in their language and in the context of their culture. For example,
door-to-door
canvassing is a common Canadian fundraising practice and one the
Canadian Cancer
Society employs every April. However, the Society saw several
barriers to canvassing
newcomers:many do not feel comfortable opening the door to a
stranger; some have
no idea what the Cancer Society is all about; and sometimes the newcomer is not
confident speaking English.
Two different approaches to reaching out
Kwong reaches the Chinese community with custom fundraising initiatives and by
incorporating the Chinese community into mainstream fundraising activities. For
instance, there have been joint ventures with people from the Chinese community
hosting Chinese dramas and operas. One highly successful event is a toy drive
held in conjunction with the Lions Club. Each year, a toy animal representing
each year of the Chinese calendar is sold during the Chinese NewYear. In terms
of incorporating the Chinese community into mainstream fundraising activities,
Kwong organizes volunteers who are Chinese to sell daffodils - a
signature Canadian
Cancer Society fundraiser - in locations frequented by the Chinese community.
Another successfully adapted mainstream fundraiser is the Chinese
Telethon - Hope
for Tomorrow that has been held for the last 10 years. It also
recently branched
out via satellite to the Toronto region.
Kwong's advice to others who want to create fundraising initiatives that mirror
the multicultural composition of their communities? "Language is not
everything.
It's more important to have a person or committee that knows the
dynamics of the
ethnic community and the who's who among the media and community leaders."
Building caring communities in Montreal
Montreal is a community of two main cultures - English and French. It is also
the third most likely urban centre in which new Canadians choose to
settle. Pierre-Marie
Cotte is the vice president of philanthropic development at Centraide
du Grand Montréal (United Way of Greater Montreal), a
position created
three years ago to develop strategies to reach out in new ways to the
community.
Cotte takes culturally sensitive fundraising seriously because
Centraide's stated
vision is to build caring communities where all elements of the community are
invited to work together. To reflect their community, the Centraide
annual campaign
always has co-chairs representing the Francophone and Anglophone communities.
"Two communities working together is a strong image," says Cotte, and one that
Centraide will build upon with plans to name future co-chairs who
represent additional
communities. For instance, this year's Anglophone co-chair is also
very involved
in the city's Jewish community.
Cotte agrees with Kwong about the importance of developing personal
relationships
with the leaders of community cultural groups because they know the priorities
of their groups and what communication channels will spread the
message. However,
Cotte is careful to balance communicating what Centraide does for the community
with an appeal for money. "We need to understand what kind of
Montreal they want
to build versus just canvassing them. It's a long-term process of listening and
learning about how different cultural groups want to contribute to
their community
through Centraide and canvassing is the last step."
Culturally appropriate gift planning
Gift planning is another form of fundraising, and culturally appropriate gift
planning is a topic that Malcolm Burrows, director of
development and gift
planning at the Hospital for Sick Children
Foundation
in Toronto, has put a lot of thought into. Forty-three percent of Torontonians
are foreign-born and the implication, says Burrows, is that "if we don't reach
out and make people welcome, charities run the risk of being
irrelevant and stagnant."
Burrows points out that the larger-sized mainstream organizations - those most
likely to have a gift planning program and staff - are also more likely to be
quite homogeneous. So, how can gift planning programs reach out to a
more diverse
group of donors? Burrows shares two key pieces of advice: find the
common ground,
and show an attitude of openness and respect. Although culturally the donor may
have different experiences and a different understanding of philanthropy, the
common ground is the shared commitment to the cause being financially
supported.
And, while neither Burrows - nor any other gift planner - can
possibly be completely
versed in the cultural ways of each donor, being open and respectful
is possible.
"Openness is hardly a cure all, but it is an essential starting point."
Canada's ethnocultural portrait is rich, and celebrating cultural diversity is
an important attribute of our country. Yes, we need the infusion of additional
philanthropic support into our organizations. But maybe, more importantly, we
need the empowering experience of working together. Culturally
sensitive fundraising
is about welcoming, listening, and making room for others to collectively shape
how our communities will grow stronger.
Louise Chatterton Luchuk is a freelance writer and consultant who
combines her love of writing with experience at the local, provincial
and national levels of volunteer-involving organizations. For more information,
visit www.luchuk.com.
