Your Dedication Helped Us Through Tough Times

This year’s Red Kettle Program in British Columbia certainly had its obstacles. Challenged by everything from the pandemic to inclement weather, the program was tested and stretched to its limits. Fortunately, we have some incredibly dedicated officers, staff, and volunteers who soldiered through. Despite everything, and with the incredible support of our donors in communities across the province, we raised $4.3 million.

In provinces across Canada, there were similar challenges, but overall the campaign was a success and we managed to raise $20.4 million nationally, exceeding our target of $20 million.

Overall across the province 25 of the 45 campaigns suffered losses compared to last season. Of those, 13 were down more than $20k, of those 10 were down more than $30k. Most cite challenges with volunteer recruitment and or an inability to hire seasonal employees. The result was that fewer Kettles were on the street, which was a significant challenge for many of our campaigns.

Despite the challenges, we are optimistic for next year. An area for growth will be the new counter-top display units, which can supplement the traditional Kettle program and offset overhead costs as they do not require staffing or volunteers. Tap-and-go also provides an opportunity for growth. Two areas we will focus on for the coming year with being growing community partnerships with local businesses and a concerted volunteer recruitment strategy.