FAQs

To begin, please register your fundraiser.

Provide as many details as possible so our team can get a sense of your needs. From there, we will reach out to you with the next steps and suggestions on how we can support your success.

We work with all kinds of fundraisers throughout the province!

Many people organize activity-based fundraisers including charity games, tournaments, marathons or fitness challenges. These are a great way to engage people while supporting the BC Cancer Foundation.

We also work with more intimate events, including haircuts and head-shaves, dinners and pub nights, personal walks or challenges.

Pro tip: The best fundraiser to organize is one you will have fun doing! Think of the kinds of activities you already like to participate in and host one of your own.

Here are a few other suggestions:

• A neighbourhood fundraising challenge
• Cooking classes by donation
• Charity gaming stream (find us on Tiltify)
• Birthday, office or holiday party with a purpose
• Gardening or lawn care by donation

You don’t have to start a fundraiser of your own to make an impact.

Find volunteer opportunities, a community fundraiser to join or support by exploring upcoming events in your area.

You can also participate in larger movements too. We partner with the BMO Vancouver Marathon , Vancouver Sun Run , Royal Victoria Marathon , Vancouver Half Marathon and other runs, walks and rides. And we’re always on the lookout for opportunities to become a charity of choice for other events.

However you choose to get involved, you’ll still make an impact.

A Community Champion is the person who leads and organizes the community fundraiser.

Community Champions are responsible for selling tickets and managing all revenue streams for any community fundraiser. You are also responsible for recruiting, organizing and overseeing volunteers and/or administrative and staffing needs, though we can use our channels to share a call for volunteers.

You are also responsible for obtaining any necessary permits or licenses, and for providing insurance coverage (if required). Each city or municipality may have a different set of permits or insurance needs, so be sure to familiarize yourself with your local requirements.

If you’re wondering whether something is your responsibility or the BC Cancer Foundation’s, please email us at CommunityGiving@bccancer.bc.ca.

Please note, Community Champions may not collect fees or other compensation from donations. Community Champions are not recognized as agents of the BC Cancer Foundation.

Once you’ve registered and submitted your fundraiser idea, we will provide you with a personal online fundraising page where supporters and participants can donate directly to the BC Cancer Foundation. These donations will count towards your fundraising goal and will be issued a tax receipt where eligible.

Fundraising pages cannot be used to collect:

• Sponsorship payments
• Payments for gaming tickets (e.g., a 50/50 draw)
• Other payments that are ineligible for a tax receipt

You can also collect donations in the form of cash or cheques. If you prefer this option, we can provide donation forms for donors to fill out. This will ensure that we get the information we need to recognize donors and provide tax receipts.

Please note, cheques should be made out to “BC Cancer Foundation” and your fundraiser should be named in the memo line to make sure those gifts are counted.

For collecting non-donation revenues, we recommend:

• 32auctions – for online and offline silent auction support
• Eventbrite – for paid ticket or registration management
• Race Roster – for runs, walks and rides of all sizes

Unsure if your revenue plan fits CRA Guidelines? Please reach out by emailing us at CommunityGiving@bccancer.bc.ca.

Hosting a 50/50 or prize raffle is a great way to increase fundraising. You will need to apply for a Gaming License through BC Gaming with your own L&G File Number. We will provide a letter acknowledging our willingness to accept funds from your gaming fundraiser.

We do not apply for gaming licenses on behalf of community fundraisers.

Please refer to the BC Licensed Charitable Gaming Rules to understand the requirements and restrictions for your event and license, and to make sure you follow the BC Gaming rules. When in doubt, contact BC Gaming directly for clarity.

To write a Letter of Support for your gaming application, we’ll need:

• Your application number
• The date, time and location (address) of any draws
• The number of tickets available and the cost per ticket
• The type of license you are applying for

We want you to be proud of the impact your fundraising will have on life-saving cancer care and research here in B.C. To ensure you can make a meaningful contribution to BC Cancer, we recommend keeping costs to 30% or less of your gross revenues.

Many fundraisers opt to donate the net proceeds from an activity/event hosted (all funds left over after the expenses have been paid). If you choose this route, you’ll want to keep your costs as low as possible to maximize your contribution.

We recommend planning a variety of revenue streams in addition to collecting direct donations, including tickets or registration fees, raffles, or cash and in-kind sponsorships. You will need to clarify and properly track which revenue streams will go towards the BC Cancer Foundation, and which ones will be used to offset fundraising costs. Let us know which revenue streams you plan to leverage so we can better advise you in your planning.

Different fundraisers will have different needs, and costs can often add up quickly. When planning your budget, try to imagine what a participant's experience will be and think about each element you will need to realize that experience.

Example event expenses include:

• Venue
• Entertainment
• Audio/visual equipment
• Food and beverage costs
• Merchandise
• Marketing expenses
• Shipping fees
• Permits or licensing fees
• Basic supplies like cups, paper or pens

Pro tip: Visit the City of Vancouver’s Accessible Events Checklist for tips and resources to make your event more accessible for a broad audience.

We will consider requests for attendance by the Foundation and/or BC Cancer staff — dependent on our resources and schedules.

While we deeply appreciate the support of all community events, due to limited capacity, we are often unable to attend community fundraisers.

We can provide BC Cancer Foundation-branded banners, tents and similar materials — limited to our stock and availability.

Please complete our Event Equipment Request Form and we’ll be in touch to discuss your request.

We also have a limited stock of giveaway items to support events. Please let us know what materials would be most useful to you and we’ll see what we have available.

Pro tip: Sponsors often like to provide branded items for raffles, door-crashers or other prizes/giveaways. Consider adding this request to your fundraising event pitch.

Depending on the scope of your fundraiser, you’ll want to use a variety of tools to let people know you’re raising money and to encourage them to support your efforts.

Most people find success by starting with those closest to them. Ask your friends and family to pitch in and support you — either by contributing time or money, or by helping connect you with other supporters.

After your inner circle, reach out to your network. Lots of workplaces have spaces for sharing employee social opportunities and some employers are willing to support employee-driven initiatives either through matching funds or in-kind support.

Finally, look to social media. It’s a great way to get the word out and you can tag us for added visibility!

Follow us or tag us on

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

The funds you raise directly benefit the BC Cancer Foundation, the fundraising partner of BC Cancer, to advance world-class cancer research and innovative care. Every dollar your raise stays right here in B.C. to drive progress and fuel hope for British Columbians facing cancer.

As a Community Champion, you also have the option to direct your fundraising to an area of cancer care or research that is personally meaningful to you.

The BC Cancer Foundation does not support fundraisers financially.

All costs are the responsibility of the Community Champion or organizing body. Community Champions do not receive compensation from the Foundation.

The BC Cancer Foundation will determine which donations are eligible for tax receipts in accordance with CRA Guidelines. No promises of tax receipts may be made on the Foundation’s behalf.

If you have any questions, please email CommunityGiving@bccancer.bc.ca to chat about tax receipts before promoting your event.

Fundraising page features can be fully personalized. It will include:

• Customizable fundraiser details, in your own words
• The ability to add photos that showcase your event, team or branding
• A personalized fundraising URL that’s easy to share
• A unique QR code so attendees can quickly scan and donate from their phones at in-person events

If you can’t remember your password, click “Login” in the top right corner of the navigation bar.
 
In the login window, select “Forgot your password?” found under the email and password fields. Then, enter your email address. Instructions to reset your password will be sent to you.
 
If you need help, please contact us at CommunityGiving@bccancer.bc.ca.

The BC Cancer Foundation uses two separate platforms to manage different types of donations.

• Fundraising events: If you’ve organized, participated or supported a fundraiser, you can log in here to view your previous donations and download tax receipts.
• All other donations: For general donations, monthly giving, or gifts to research priorities, centres or programs, log in here to view your donation history and access tax receipts.