Alberta flood donations leave established charities struggling
CALGARY — The response from Albertans following June’s historic flooding was great but the impact of generous flood-recovery donations has established charities struggling to make ends meet.
Many agencies throughout southern Alberta are dealing with donor fatigue.
Organizations are experiencing a massive drop in donations from both individuals and corporations.
On Thursday, Easter Seals Alberta was to host its biggest fundraising event of the year but as of Wednesday morning, they were only halfway to their goal of $300,000.
At Inn from the Cold, an organization which helps homeless families during cold weather, the majority of donations are typically received in the last two months of the year.
This year, the agency is taking measures to save as much operating capital as possible should this winter’s donations fall short of previous years.
Officials with the Red Cross, the largest flood-recovery charity, are reminding the public of the importance of supporting all charities.
“It’s just been very difficult because the focus has been on floods,” says Sue Phillips of the Canadian Red Cross. “It’s so important to continue to support the operations and organizations on an ongoing basis, as well as the flood efforts, because both are very important.’
The Red Cross itself is facing the challenge of reduced donations for its non-flood recovery programs. All funds allocated to the organization’s Alberta flood recovery must be used for flood relief and cannot be used to fund other Red Cross programs.