Technology has a direct impact on the way people make their donations, which is why the Oakville Community Foundation has been on the path of digitization.
The Foundation sees technology as a strong community asset, making it easier, faster and more comprehensive for people to give and interact with philanthropy. As a result, we have chosen to embark on a technological path, bringing two new initiatives and a brand new online tool to the forefront of our giving channels.
According to Imagine Canada’s landmark 30 Years of Giving study, Canadians give an astounding $14 billion to registered charities each year and 27% of donors say their approach to giving has changed with the many convenient tools that simplify research and funding charitable projects and organizations.
The Foundation has responded to this trend with different ways to give, like the annual GIVEOakville campaign – an online crowdfunding catalogue of vetted projects and charities that are looking for a maximum of $25,000. In its first public year, GIVEOakville granted $316,440.83 across 48 local-area charities’ projects.The success of GIVEOakville comes back to the simple online interface met with the ability to give at any time.
Additionally, The Foundation introduced the new Community Education Awards Hub, a one-stop, free online source for current and mature students to access numerous community scholarships, bursaries and awards in the Oakville-area. Awards from more than eight community organizations are hosted in the same application space where students can track the status of each of their applications. It also streamlines the organizations’ efforts by providing efficient access and management of their awards programs.
In addition to these new ways to give, grant and apply for funds, The Foundation’s new online Donation Tax Calculator is a helpful tool to aid in making decisions. This illustrative web app is an easy way to determine effective and unique ways to give and enables you to immediately see the tax credit available for your donation to The Foundation. You can reduce your tax on various assets, stocks, mutual funds and RRSPs/RRIFs through your donation. The Donation Tax Calculator shows you how gifts of these types can be structured, and can take into account when you decide to give: now, or later.
The Foundation continues to implement and use technology as a community asset and with so many new ways to give, we can help equip every donor with the tools to make the right decisions to meet their philanthropic goals.
