Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous charities and nonprofits – particularly in Flamborough – are feeling the pinch of cancelled fundraising events.

Waterdown’s John Lepp, who runs a consultancy that helps charities and nonprofits around the world with fundraising, said Canada has 86,000 charities across the country, and roughly 80 per cent are run by one or two people. Many of the people running the charities who are quarantined at home aren’t able to access donor information.

Lepp added organizations that are largely funded by events – including many in Hamilton and Flamborough – have been hit harder.

“If you’re an organization that most of your funding to meet your mission comes from events, how do you make up for that revenue shortfall?” he said, noting larger organizations have a more diverse fundraising portfolio, including individual donor drives, large gifts and grants in addition to events. “Bigger ones are doing OK because they have lots of different ways to reach donors of different types.

“If you’re a small organization, funding primarily off events or major gifts or grants, you’re a little scuppered.”

In Flamborough, both the Eagles Nest Association of Waterdown and Animal Adoptions of Flamborough (AAF) have seen their funding drastically impacted by the pandemic.

“It’s been tough, but we’ll make it,” said AAF president Anita Saczyk, who said the registered charity has been impacted to the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars. “We are depending more on people’s kindness with donations and donation of items.

“We do need people’s help.”

Saczyk said all of the organization’s fundraising has involved bringing together groups of people, including garage sales, clothing sales, birthday parties and yoga with cats. At the moment, she said, the registered charity’s biggest fundraiser is its ongoing bottle drive.

“We’ve always done that, but now people are really stepping up and it’s been wonderful.”

Saczyk said the biggest fundraisers include their three garage sales – including one in May, which was cancelled – and the Dutch Mill car show, which likely will not take place.

“There’s so much involved in planning these events that you can't just decide a couple of weeks before that you’re going to hold it.”

She added they have an Amazon wish list where people can support AAF, and the community has been very supportive.

Meanwhile, Eagle’s Nest Association of Waterdown executive director Amanda DeVries said that overall they have been incredibly encouraged by the community's support.

A recent online fundraising auction raised more than $29,000 for Eagles Nest, helping to cover the shortfall they faced by having to cancel their spring tea fundraiser as well as the forced closure of Rescued and Restored due to the pandemic. Eagles Nest gets 40 per cent of its funding from Rescued and Restored, the Freelton business which provides used home essentials.

“We have been motivated by the results of the event,” she said, noting their biggest fundraisers are the spring tea and February’s Coldest Night of the Year. “We know that the funds will not only help to make up for the loss of the annual spring tea, but it’s also helping to cover some of the loss of the store being closed over the last few months.”

“We’re definitely in a happier position to keep providing the services to our clients and to navigate as the next few months go on.”

DeVries said the organization has learned they need to be creative this year with their fundraising efforts, noting they had never done an online fundraising event before.

“Just thinking outside the box to do things a little bit differently.”

While DeVries said Rescued and Restored was slated to reopen June 5, Eagle's Nest announced on June 4 the reopening would be delayed to a later date. DeVries said when the story reopens they are unsure what sales are going to look like for the next few months.

“We know shopping has drastically changed and been impacted by the pandemic, so we might have to do a little bit more fundraising in different ways now,” she said.

She added Rescued and Restored also has a new online store to expand their reach – something they had considered for well over a year.

“We felt it was really important to pivot and to be more than the bricks-and-mortar building,” she said.

For more information about Eagle’s Nest Association of Waterdown’s fundraising initiatives, visit www.eaglesnestofwaterdown.ca. For more on Animal Adoptions of Flamborough, please visit anadoptflam.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated June 4 to include information about the delayed reopening of Rescued and Restored.

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STORY BEHIND THE STORY

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of numerous charitable events, so the Review wanted to find out how local charities and nonprofits are coping.