Many couples these days are opting out of traditional gift registries and choosing charitable registries instead. Signing up on the web is a quick and easy way for you and your husband-to-be to give back to your community.
The company: canadahelps.org
What they do: Canada Helps is the only organization in Canada that provides access to all of Canada’s 80,000 charities, including the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies and the Red Maple Foundation. Through this organization, people can safely donate as much money as they want to the charity of their choice.
Their latest feature: As a way to help brides and grooms manage their registries, Canada Helps has created a new feature entitled Giving Pages where you and your future spouse can sign up for a personalized page and raise money online. Through the Giving Pages your guests will have the option of donating to any one of the charities that you and your fiancé have selected.
How it Works:
* Sign up for a Giving Page.
* Manage your page and sign up for charities that you’d like to support.
The charity: Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
What they do: The CBCF is the leading volunteer-based breast cancer charity in Canada. They support, fund and advocate research, education and awareness programs, early diagnosis and effective treatment, and a positive quality of life for those living with breast cancer.
Their latest feature: The CBCF has a feature on their website called “Tie the Knot for Breast Cancer” in which they allow you to register your wedding as a donor. They also offer suggestions as to how to raise money for the CBCF at your wedding. You can make donations instead of shower gifts, ask for donations instead of wedding gifts or have a jar for receiving donations and ask guests to make a donation (instead of clinking their glasses) to see the bride and groom kiss.
How it works:
- Register your wedding at cbcf.org.
- The CBCF will send you donation cards, pink ribbons, templates for place cards and a certificate of appreciation to customize and display at your wedding reception.
The charity: World Wildlife Fund Canada
What they do: The WWF is one of Canada’s leading conservation organizations. Their mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and create a sustainable future by supporting, funding and advocating conservation of the world’s biodiversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.
Their latest feature: The WWF allows couples to register on their website and makes suggestions about how to both include donations on your big day and ensure your wedding is environmentally friendly. Tips include: have your ceremony and reception all in one place to reduce transportation, use local and organic flowers, skip the invitations to save paper and buy your dress pre-owned.
How it works:
- Check out their wedding page at wwf.ca/donate/weddings/ for ideas on how to “green” your wedding.
- Register your wedding to get invitation inserts, place cards, gift tags and frameable donation signs to use at your wedding.
The charity: Habitat for Humanity Canada
What they do: HHC is a non-profit organization that organizes volunteers and community members to build affordable housing and promotes home ownership as a means to break the cycle of poverty.
Their latest feature: HHC allows couples to build their own wedding web pages as a fundraiser for HHC. They suggest you direct your guests to your wedding web page to both make a donation and to raise awareness for HHC.
How it works:
- Visit their website habitat.ca and check out their fundraiser starter tips.
- Start your own web page and find out how to raise awareness and donations at your wedding.
The charity: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
What they do: The HSFC is a volunteer-based Canadian charity that supports, funds and advocates the advancement of research into heart disease, community education and exploration of life-saving knowledge in communities across Canada.
Their latest feature: The HSFC allows you to make donations in someone else’s name online and sends out complimentary gift cards to the recipient. You can use this feature either to make donations to the HSFC in lieu of wedding favours—giving each guest a card representing your donation—or you can ask guests to make a donation online in lieu of a wedding gift.
How it works:
- Visit heartandstroke.ca to donate and pick which card design to have sent out to guests if making donations in lieu of wedding favours or gifts.
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