I am sure that most of us have volunteered, donated or taken part in a fundraising campaign at some point in our lives. Volunteering is something that can be difficult when you have a house full of children so I don’t often think about what I can do beyond helping in the school, yet I have been a Minor Hockey Convenor and a Girl Guide Leader. I pack up boxes of clothing and toys to donate to the Sally Ann regularly and each year I take part in the Relay for Life. So what lead me to take part in each of these activities? Someone asked me to. It really is as simple as that, we just need to be asked.
That is the idea behind the Dare2Give campaign. Research has shown that the main reason people give is simply because they were asked. This campaign is asking Canadians to dare others to donate or volunteer with them. By daring friends, family or colleagues, current givers will have a chance to win for their favourite charity including the grand prize of a television commercial.
If there is one thing we learned from the Ice Bucket Challenge, it is that people respond to a dare. It is an effective way to get a response from someone, so why not dare your friends and family to give? Imagine if every one of us challenged just one other person to give? If all of Canada took part it would create an incredible ripple effect, double our giving impact and make big changes in our country.
If you are a regular reader you will know that my son lives with Ulcerative Colitis, a form of IBD. It is an autoimmune disease that attacks the digestive system and causes pain and many serious health complications. He stays healthy by getting monthly IV treatments, but still copes with side effects from the medication and the ongoing effects of his disease. Across Canada there are over 230,000 people living with IBD. My dream is for my son and every other person living with Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis to live a healthy life without invasive medications and surgeries. Last year we started an annual tradition of raising money and walking in the Gutsy Walk, but there is more we can do. I have made a donation to Crohn’s and Colitis Canada for their Make It Stop campaign.
I have dared my Mother, my Mother-in-law and a good friend to either make a donation as well, or to educate at least one person about Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis. It is a very misunderstood disease and if more people learned about it, there would be a greater chance of support and a cure. I have also asked that they each make a Dare2Give of her own, so that we can continue to create a ripple effect.
Visit the Dare2Give website for more information and enter the number of people you’ve dared below for your chance to win for your favourite charity.
What will you do to impact change in your community? Who will you dare?
Although this post has been generously sponsored by Rideau Hall Foundation, the opinions and language are my own, and in no way do they reflect Rideau Hall Foundation.
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