This year, CanadaHelps turns 25. That’s 25 years of empowering Canadians to give, of supporting tens of thousands of charities across the country, and of believing that generosity has the power to shape a better future. In this time, we’ve also surpassed $3 billion in total donations through our platform for all the hard work of charities that keeps our communities strong.
As we reflect on the achievements since 2000, and head into the next 25 years, we’re excited to unveil a refreshed brand for our organization. Starting with an updated visual identity that represents the interconnectedness of charities and the generous Canadians who support their work. With this, we are also broadening the conversation about what it means to be generous in Canada.
A walk down memory lane: 25 Years of community impact across Canada
In 2000, three university students had an idea for making charitable giving easier, more accessible, and more equitable through technology. Back then, the idea of donating online was still new, but the bold vision of our founders, supported by a community that wanted to bring the vision to life, changed charitable giving in Canada. What started with just $150,000 donations in our first year has grown into almost half a billion dollars processed through our platform each year, supporting charities from coast to coast.
We’ve never stopped evolving to meet the needs of charities across the country. Early on, we introduced monthly giving, enabled donations of securities, and made it possible for charities and corporate partners to power donations directly on their own websites.
In 2013, we co-founded GivingTuesday in Canada and launched our Crisis Relief Centre to support urgent humanitarian needs. The Giving Report, first published in 2017, continues to shape national conversations around charitable giving. More recently, we launched Cause Funds to help donors support multiple charities through a single, purposeful gift, and the Charity Growth Academy to equip nonprofits with the digital skills they need to grow and thrive.
This evolution of how CanadaHelps looks and feels marks the next step in our journey. Like all charities, we need to modernize how we engage and inspire Canadians. Our new visual identity, among other enhancements to our brand, signals our commitment to evolving in ways that make giving simpler, more meaningful, and more accessible for everyone. This way, we can better help power positive change in Canada so everyone can thrive.
Generosity is right here: What’s next for CanadaHelps
For 25 years, CanadaHelps has seen the generosity of Canadians — both those that give, and those who do the work in charities. That generous spirit is a part of Canadian culture, but it’s taken a hit. We are at an important moment right now where it is time to reignite connection, build empathy, take action, and bring generosity back to the forefront of our conversations and our culture as Canadians.
As we look ahead to our next 25 years, we want to grow more than charitable giving. We want to grow generosity in all its forms and shine a light on where it already thrives.
We believe generosity is in the work of the charitable sector. You’ll see us helping charities move forward to the 21st century, shifting to a digitally-enabled, impact-focused future where investing in themselves is an expectation, not a nice to have. In doing so, they can not only amplify the impact of their work – which is inherently generous – but also position themselves to better engage and capture the generosity of Canadians.
We believe generosity is in the charitable giving that happens every day. You’ll see us building better tools and experiences that make it easier for Canadians to give with purpose and confidence.
And we believe generosity exists in every Canadian, in every corner of the country. That’s why we’re sparking national conversations around generosity as a core Canadian value, and challenging everyone to walk a path of empathy, connectedness, and generous actions, towards a world where everyone can thrive.
We believe generosity is right here, and we invite you to join us in this mission of building a world where everyone can thrive.