TORONTO, April 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Unite for Change, a new platform for cause-based donating, provides Canadians with an innovative way to make meaningful change on Earth Day. Designed to spotlight the most pressing issues of our day, raise funds, and provide highly educational content about a wide range of causes, Unite for Change is a new online destination powered by CanadaHelps. On Unite for Change, Canadians can give to one of more than 35 Cause Funds currently available, with donations automatically divided among a group of registered charities that are all working towards the same cause. With three environment-related funds to choose from – the Fight Climate Change with Policy Fund; Protect the Environment Fund; and the Land and Food Justice Fund – it has never been easier for Canadians to donate on Earth Day to help make a lasting impact.
“Our goal in creating Unite for Change is to make it easy for younger Canadians to support the causes they care about, which includes tackling climate change. By providing an easy way to give, while also providing a place where Canadians can find highly educational content, we’re mobilizing support to tackle some of the most important causes affecting our world today,” said Shannon Craig, Chief Marketing and Product Officer at CanadaHelps. “Unite for Change allows Canadians to engage in a wide range of causes, including ending climate change, taking action against racism, supporting Indigenous-led charities, and so much more. It also enables Canadians to choose to give once or year-round with a monthly donation, which are growing in popularity.”
Earth Day 2022 takes place annually on April 22nd and is one of the most recognized days on the calendar that encourages people and organizations to take action to protect the planet. Through Unite for Change, three Cause Funds enable Canadians to directly support environmental issues:
- Fight Climate Change with Policy Fund: Newly launched and curated by Michael Bernstein, Executive Director of Clean Prosperity, this Cause Fund supports critical programs that advocate for policies which reduce greenhouse gases on a mass scale. It supports organizations from across Canada that use a collaborative approach within and outside the environment and climate change sector to make a positive impact at the provincial and federal level.
- Protect the Environment Fund: Much of Canada’s plastics end up in lakes, parks, landfills, and oceans, leaching toxic chemicals and destroying ecosystems. This Cause Fund includes more than 530 charities, all focused on protecting the environment and its ecosystems. Canadian environmental advocate and changemaker, Hannah Alper, is a spokesperson for this Fund.
- Land and Food Justice Fund: This Cause Fund supports the work of charities, as well as the grassroots projects these charities support in their efforts to secure access to land, promote and support equitable food systems, and preserve the ecological and cultural heritage of land. The Fund was curated by Natasha van Bentum, Director of Give Green Canada; Lauren Baker, Senior Director of Programs with the Global Alliance for the Future of Food; and Leticia Ama Deawuo, Executive Director of SeedChange. It includes more than 40 charities from across Canada that are working towards food sovereignty and food justice by addressing the underlying structural issues that lead to land and food insecurity.
“It has never been easier for Canadians to support the causes they care most about with a resource like Unite for Change,” said Craig. “This Earth Day, we’re hopeful that with the wide range of simplified giving tools now available, and educational content on environmental causes that can be accessed via Unite for Change, Canadians will respond to the global call to action with generosity.”
Fast Facts on Canadians and the Environment:
- An Ipsos poll commissioned by CanadaHelps in January 2022 revealed that 17% of Canadians are concerned that extreme weather conditions may impact their quality of life. While the level of concern across the country differed, respondents in British Columbia (29%) were most concerned. This was followed by Alberta (20%), Atlantic Canada (17%), Ontario (15%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (12%), and Quebec (12%).
- The Ipsos poll also highlighted that 19% of Canadians aged 18 - 34, 15% aged 35 - 54, and 17% of those aged 55 and older are concerned about extreme weather conditions.
- The Giving Report 2022 by CanadaHelps highlights climate change and protecting the environment as the top causes for Generations Z. Of those 18-24, 44% put climate change and environmental causes in their top five important causes. 36.2% of Millennials (25-39 years of age), 27.3% of Generation X (40 -54 years of age), and 35% of Baby Boomers (55 years and older) placed the cause in their top five causes they care about.
- While supporting the environment is popular among younger donors, donations supporting the environment only represent 5.1% of donations as highlighted in The Giving Report 2022.
For more information on how to support Earth Day 2022, visit Unite for Change.
About Unite for Change
Unite for Change is on a mission to empower Canadians who want to make our world a better place. At UniteforChange.com, Canadians can learn about issues, spread the word, and fund change for the issues that matter to them. While the issues may be complex, we believe the future we want is within reach when we all do our part. Cause Funds on Unite for Change allow Canadians to fuel the collective work of many charities all addressing the same cause and make a real impact. Unite for Change is powered by www.CanadaHelps.org, a public foundation advancing philanthropy through technology.
About CanadaHelps
CanadaHelps is a public foundation advancing philanthropy through technology. For Canadians, it powers CanadaHelps.org, a safe and trusted destination for discovering and supporting any charity in Canada, and UniteforChange.com, where Canadians can learn about causes and easily support the collective work of charities addressing a cause they care about. CanadaHelps also develops affordable fundraising technology used by more than 25,000 charities, and free training and education so that, regardless of size, all charities have the capacity to increase their impact and succeed in the digital age. Since 2000, over 3.4 million people have given more than $2.1 billion through CanadaHelps. Connect with CanadaHelps on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Jodi Echakowitz
Boulevard Public Relations
jodi@boulevardpr.com
A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6481faf1-417a-4979-8414-c09f949498f2
