INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY CORPORATE ENGAGEMENT GUIDE
ALEX TIESSEN, POSTERITY GROUP, MISSION SUPPORTER
Be a part of something life changing. expand our programs to meet the growing demand of our services. We value our partners and the critical role they play. As a corporate partner of The Mission, not only can you give back to your community, but you can also provide meaningful opportunities to engage your employees.
TODAY, IN OTTAWA, there are too many people who struggle with poverty, addiction and poor mental health. That’s why the work being done at The Ottawa Mission is vital and must continue. Beyond providing food, shelter and clothing, The Mission has evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of our community. Today, we provide comprehensive programming to help people achieve sobriety, receive valuable education and job training, regain their health, find an affordable place to live, and so much more. Partnerships are essential to the ongoing work of The Mission. They enable us to continue to 2
Jack Welch once said that “no company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the vision and understand how to achieve it.” Whether it is teambuilding, critical thinking, problem solving or leadership development, The Mission provides a unique opportunity to build capacity within your teams. It’s often when we look at things through a different lens that we find new solutions and refocused passion. The Mission understands the importance of corporate social responsibility and we are ready to
partner with your organization to achieve higher levels of comradery, success and purpose. We believe we have something to offer you, and in the process, you will be helping the poor and homeless in our community. Opportunities to partner with The Mission range from fundraising events in the workplace, to matching gift programs, on-site team volunteer opportunities at the shelter, and high profile sponsorship opportunities. We invite you on a life-changing journey of generosity with The Mission. Let’s work to change lives, together.
SEAN WONG, MA, CFRE Executive Director The Ottawa Mission Foundation
“We believe we have something to offer you, and in the process, you will be helping the poor and homeless in our community.”
Corporate giving is a fundamental part of doing business in Ottawa. But it is more than a way to show appreciation for the communities in which we work. In a time when many firms are facing a talent shortage, it has also become an important way to recruit and retain top staff. Many professionals now consider a social conscience a must for employers. After all, we spend the majority of our waking hours at work – why shouldn’t the organizations we work for give back to the communities that enable them to prosper? This is what leads many Ottawa-area businesses to support The Ottawa Mission. More than a shelter, The Ottawa Mission provides an array of services to some of the city’s most vulnerable residents. Job training and housing assistance, to help people get back on their feet. Health services, including mental health counselling and addiction treatment. Hospice care, for those who have nowhere else to go in their final days. For businesses looking to give back, The Mission’s sponsorship packages can be customized to fit any budget. Many corporate teams spend a day on-site, meeting clients of The Mission and helping to run one of many programs that it offers. As you can see on the following pages, all it typically takes is one visit to see why The Ottawa Mission is an organization worth supporting.
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Steve Creighton / Dymon Storage Matching sponsor for #GivingTuesday & annual shoe drive
MAKING AN IMPACT AT HOME Most Ottawa residents are familiar with Dymon Storage facilities. The towering glass structures pepper the city, often lit up in beautiful displays at night and always sporting the blue and yellow Dymon logo. As a homegrown business, Dymon takes a great deal of pride in its local roots and Ottawa connection. “We’re very committed to giving back to the community that’s made us successful as a company,” says Steve Creighton, Dymon’s senior vice-president. The storage solutions company holds philanthropy as one of its central tenets, and has pledged to donate both 50 per cent of its profits and 50 per cent of its value creation to various charities over time. Among them is The Ottawa Mission. In 2017, Dymon partnered with The Mission as the matching sponsor for #GivingTuesday, the annual fundraising day that takes place after Black Friday. As the unofficial opening day of the season of holiday giving season, it calls on corporations and individuals to make a donation to their charity of choice. As a way to motivate others to donate, Dymon pledged up to $15,000 of the company’s own funds to match the donations of others. And the effort paid off – 2017 was Dymon’s first year as a matching sponsor, and donors raised more than $81,000 for The Ottawa Mission in the course of a single day. “There are people who are in desperate need of societal support. It’s really a tragedy to see people who are homeless and living on the streets,” says Creighton. “The Mission does great work and they need corporate support in order to continue to do that.”
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Dymon also runs an annual shoe drive in support of Shoe Bank Canada’s Ottawa chapter. It provides collection boxes for the campaign, and offers all of its locations as drop-off points for those looking to donate new or gently used footwear. In Ottawa each year, Dymon has a hand in the collection of more than 100,000 pairs of shoes, of which several hundred are donated to clients of The Mission. In addition to shoes for day-to-day wear, many Mission clients also receive work boots that make it possible for them to secure a job, an expense most would not be able to afford otherwise.
“It’s corporations like Dymon that are needed – both financially and from a volunteer perspective – to really make things work better,” says Creighton. For him, The Ottawa Mission is a logical choice as beneficiaries of Dymon, given the close community connections of both organizations. “We’re locally owned and operated, and we’re quite proud of that. As a result, we really feel that there is an obligation for us to do what we can do to help people less fortunate in our society, particularly in the local Ottawa area.”
CHARITY OF C H OIC E
Employee engagement
Maximize the impact of your workplace charitable giving campaign. Now more than ever, it’s expected that businesses give back to their communities. A campaign or event to support The Ottawa Mission helps boost your company’s ability to recruit and retain talented staff and positions your company as a community leader.
Team building
Run a standalone campaign or designate The Ottawa Mission as your charity of choice. Corporate donations, workplace campaigns and special events to raise funds are great ways to build love around your company’s brand and give back to the community. Not sure where to start? The Ottawa Mission has resources to help. Recognition and corporate engagement packages are available starting at $2,000. Charity of Choice
Mission Champion
Mission Leader
Mission Friend
Brand recognition on Ottawa Mission van
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Media exposure opportunities
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Photos and/or videos of your team from the day
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X
On-site employee engagement day
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Certificate and/or letter of thanks from the Ottawa Mission
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Recognition on the Ottawa Mission’s channels
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For a full breakdown of the many perks that come with each package, contact Angie Kelly at akelly@ottawamission.com.
Community building
Corporate social responsibility
Brand awareness
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Adam Seguin / LRO Staffing Young Professionals Network (YPN)
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS When Adam Seguin, Director of Business Development at LRO Staffing, went in search of a way to give back to the community, he unexpectedly found a cause that also helped him make valuable professional connections. At The Ottawa Mission Foundation’s Young Professionals Network (YPN), enthusiastic individuals come together to affect change through volunteering, organizing events and fundraising, while also meeting other local business leaders. “You’re mingling with other people who are there to contribute and to grow, as opposed to going to your typical business meeting,” says Seguin, 33. “It’s like-minded people who are really trying to make an impact.” Professional development and networking are key building blocks for a successful career. And for companies looking to attract and retain millennials – who now make up the largest segment of Canada’s labour force – a robust community engagement program is a must. For LRO Staffing, a full-service recruitment firm serving the nation’s capital, supporting its employees’ involvement in the Young Professionals Network is a logical choice for community engagement. It boasts a relatively young workforce and as a staffing agency, relationships are critical to the success of the organization. As an Executive Member of the Young Professionals Network, Seguin has the chance to meet other millennials interested in making a positive change at the grassroots level. Members of YPN have the opportunity to work alongside socially conscious peers, and take an active role in supporting The Ottawa Mission and its Foundation. They sit on organizing committees for fundraising
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events, such as the annual Blue Door Gala, and are often appointed as chairpeople. For young professionals such as Seguin, it provides a networking and leadership opportunity like no other. “In its social statement, The Mission says that it’s ‘more than just a shelter,’ and I didn’t really understand what that meant until I went for my first tour there,” he says. Seguin was taken aback at the services offered beyond The Ottawa Mission’s well-known emergency shelter and a hot meal. Through his involvement with the Young Professionals Network, he’s also able to support The Mission’s hospice care, addiction services, health and dental services and job programs, among many others.
“We’re going to start seeing more people in a vulnerable position,” says Seguin, pointing to Ottawa’s rising homelessness rate. “The onus is on young leaders to start taking the initiative to help support the people in need in our community.” For him, involvement in The Ottawa Mission Foundation’s YPN comes down to a matter of responsibility. “The Mission needs people like ourselves – if you’re young and ambitious and looking to really make an impact, not just in the community but within your own career, this is where you need to be.”
JOIN OUR MISSION Make a difference while building connections with The Ottawa Mission Foundation’s Young Professionals Network (YPN). More than a buzzword, millennials represent a significant segment of Ottawa’s labour force. In time, they’ll grow to become its key decision makers. YPN is for those looking to expand their professional network while making a tangible impact in the community.Members have the opportunity to meet like-minded young professionals, engage in meaningful volunteer activities and help lead fundraising events for The Ottawa Mission.
Professional development
Networking
Leadership opportunities
Community building
Membership with YPN is also a great addition to any CV. Members receive a number of benefits, including: recognition on The Ottawa Mission website; invites to exclusive events; discounted tickets to select Ottawa Mission events; access to special volunteer opportunities and communications from The Mission; and a professional development opportunity like no other. Membership fee is $20/month.
For information on how to join, contact Angie Kelly at akelly@ottawamission.com.
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Andrew Norgaard / NAV CANADA Coldest Night of the Year
COLD FEET, WARM HEARTS On a brisk February evening, more than 430 residents braved the elements to trudge through Ottawa’s downtown core. But it was more than a typical winter walk. The annual Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) charity walk raises funds for The Ottawa Mission. In 2017, one of the highest-ranking teams in Ottawa in terms of funds raised – second only to The Mission’s own kitchen team – came from NAV CANADA. “The team loved being part of the crowd that had all come together for the same reason – to support The Mission. It felt like we were really part of something important,” says Andrew Norgaard, NAV CANADA’ Vice-President of Communications and Public Affairs. Between his team members’ efforts and the company’s contribution, they raised more than $15,000 for the event, which helped bring the total raised to $136,882, crushing The Mission’s $100,000 goal. Teams raise funds through pledges, then participate in either the 2km, 5km or 10km walks on the day of the event. The walkers are then treated to a meal catered by The Mission Food Services Training Program students once they return to the event’s headquarters. Upon completing the walk, the NAV CANADA team immediately pledged they’d be back the following year, with an eye to surpassing their $15,000 benchmark. Although 2017 was NAV CANADA’s first year partnering with The Mission, Norgaard has been volunteering in the charity’s kitchen for more than four years. After initially starting to volunteer with his then-teenaged son, he has since become a passionate advocate for the organization.
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“Go and spend an afternoon with the people and the programs of The Mission, and you will be convinced.” As a busy professional, the Coldest Night of the Year is an ideal way for him to rally his colleagues around a cause he feels strongly about. “We are in a privileged position. We’re able to go to work every day and draw a salary. We have the capabilities to give back to our communities,” says Norgaard. Despite being an organization with a national scope, NAV CANADA is committed to giving back to the local communities in which its employees live
and work. As Norgaard explains, it’s a philosophy within the company that is ultimately driven by passionate ”NAV Canadians” from coast to coast to coast. Not only does NAV CANADA’s commitment to philanthropy serve as a great way to engage employees, it’s also a key element of being a top employer in Canada. “Our employees expect us to have corporate social responsibility as a priority. It’s important to our employees and it’s important to our company,” he says.
COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR
Employee engagement
The Coldest Night of the Year is for teams looking to test their mettle beyond the bounds of traditional corporate team building exercises. As night falls, walkers get a glimpse of what the city’s homeless population has to contend with during Ottawa’s harsh winters. This family-friendly charity walk takes place each year in February, and gives participants the option to take part in 2km, 5km or 10km routes. Ahead of the event, team members leverage their personal and professional networks to collect online donations on behalf of The Ottawa Mission. Sponsorship packages available starting at $500. Charity of Choice
Lead sponsor
Supporting sponsor
Rest Stop sponsor
Distance sponsor
Brand awareness
Goods & Serivces sponsor
Media exposure opportunities
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Premier position for team at event
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Premier branding spots at event
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Branding at event
X X X X X
Recognition on Ottawa Mission channels
X X X X X
Community building X
To learn more about sponsorships or how to get your team involved, contact Jennifer Graves at jgraves@ottawamission.com.
Corporate social responsibility
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Shannon Gorman / TELUS Fundraising and volunteering
BUILDING STRONGER TEAMS Shannon Gorman knows first-hand the effect a strong employee engagement strategy can have on a workplace. “When team members feel happy and engaged, you retain them longer,” says Gorman, the National Director of Community Affairs for TELUS. The Canadian telecom company has been a partner of The Ottawa Mission for more than 10 years. Recently, TELUS donated $25,000 towards the renovations of The Mission’s Diane Morrison Hospice, where patients receive 24-hour palliative care. As a partner of The Ottawa Mission, TELUS sent a team of its employees to spend a full day volunteering in the newly renovated hospice. Employees spent hours painting, assembling furniture and meeting with locals who use The Mission’s services. “We never have an issue finding volunteers to participate in activities that support The Ottawa Mission,” says Gorman. To her, an employee engagement campaign in support of The Mission – involving fundraising and volunteering – is a smart move for employers. Not only do they get to contribute to a local organization with a broad reach in the community, but employees get to meet the beneficiaries of their campaign. “Employees want to give back to organizations that are important to them. The Ottawa Mission is an organization that is very important to our team members in Ottawa,” says Gorman. As a resident of Ottawa herself, she has a full appreciation for the scope of the work that The Mission undertakes. Whether through its education, rehabilitation or shelter programming,
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it has a positive impact on many of Ottawa’s most vulnerable residents. “Once you’ve been there, you realize that it’s a place inspiring hope for people,” says Gorman. “A lot of times, for people that go there, it’s just a stop-gap between something traumatic having happened in their life and getting their life back on track.” For corporate volunteers, days spent at The Mission help build stronger teams, inspire individual growth and make a positive change for Ottawa’s homeless population. Successful companies and organizations have community outreach built into their employee engagement plans.
Despite being a national corporation, TELUS places huge importance on supporting local, grassroots organizations in the cities in which it operates. “We give where we live,” as Gorman puts it. In addition to bolstering the strength of the Ottawa team, providing meaningful volunteer opportunities, like those at The Mission, has proved to be an effective way of increasing team member engagement at TELUS. “A lot of people come to work for TELUS because of the work that we do in the community.”
EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT
Employee engagement
Customize your team’s volunteering experience with The Ottawa Mission. Experience a life-changing day of team volunteering at The Ottawa Mission. Full day and half-day experiences are available for groups of all sizes. The full day on-site experience is ideal for teams of up to 40 people. Larger groups can be accommodated by having teams working both on and off-site.
Team building
Experiences include working in our kitchen, serving meals, sorting donations, hosting a special activity for our clients or assembling sandwiches or Hope Packages for clients. The Mission’s staff will work with you to develop an experience that your employees won’t soon forget, all while benefiting clients. Experiences are fully customizable. Employee engagement experiences start at $750.
Full day on-site
Half day on-site
Impactful on-site
(on or off-site)
Community building
Hands on
Unique employee engagement experience
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X
X
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Recognition across Ottawa Mission channels
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X
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Photos and/or videos of your team from the day
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Certificate and letter of thanks from the Ottawa Mission
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To create a customized volunteer experience your team won’t soon forget, contact Angie Kelly at akelly@ottawamission.com.
Corporate social responsibility
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Brand awareness
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Wendy Bell / Keller Williams Integrity Realty Charity of Choice, annual fundraiser for Red Day & annual holiday sock drive
REALTORS FIND UNIQUE WAYS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY Giving back may be part of Keller Williams’ global DNA, but some of the brokerage firm’s Ottawa staff have found meaningful and creative ways to make an impact in their own community.
Members of the Keller Williams Integrity Realty team had the chance to volunteer on or off-site with The Mission. On-site volunteers helped to orchestrate the lunch, which fed more than 250 people.
Keller Williams Integrity Realty is part of an international network of brokerage firms overseen by Co-founder and Chairman Gary Keller and President and CEO John Davis.
Meanwhile, off-site at the Keller Williams Integrity Realty office, another team helped assemble more than 300 sandwiches and treat bags decorated with handwritten messages for Ottawa Mission clients.
Locally, Keller Williams Integrity Realty has channeled its corporate values into grassroots efforts that support organizations such as The Ottawa Mission. “Our company has a high level of cultural identity, both within the Ottawa marketplace and throughout the world,” says Wendy Bell, a Co-founder and Broker at Keller Williams Integrity Realty along with partners Marvin Alexander and Sunny Daljit. Each holiday season, the firm runs a drive to collect new socks for clients of The Ottawa Mission, many of whom spend long periods of time outside during Ottawa’s harsh winters and benefit from having access to clean, warm socks.
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“It was a very humbling experience for all of us,” says Bell.
well-known for her business savvy as well as her philanthropic contributions, and uses her birthday as an international day of fundraising at the firm’s locations around the world. RED Day sees 185,000 of Keller Williams’ staff and agents from around the globe rally to raise funds for a cause of their choosing.
For both groups, the volunteer opportunity served to bring the teams closer together as they collaborated on a common goal. They also found a new appreciation for the coordination required to keep things moving at The Ottawa Mission. “We were shocked at how much manpower it takes to do this,” says Bell.
But Keller Williams Integrity Realty’s generosity goes beyond a single season.
“This year, we decided to do something a bit different,” says Bell.
To recognize the efforts put forth by the Keller Williams Integrity Realty team, The Ottawa Mission sent a representative to their office to present them with a Certificate of Appreciation as well as thanking them in a print edition of the Ottawa Business Journal.
The team also runs an annual fundraising campaign as part of the company’s RED Day, which was inspired by former President and CEO Mo Anderson’s birthday in May. The businesswoman and public speaker is
Keller Williams Integrity Realty hosted a charity bowling tournament. Funds raised at the event – which totaled more than $7,000 – went into sponsoring an upgraded lunch at The Ottawa Mission.
“Any corporation that is thinking of doing this will find that it is very rewarding, humbling and generates that team spirit that most businesses work hard to put together,” says Bell.
BLUE DOOR GALA
Brand awareness
The annual Blue Door Gala is The Ottawa Mission’s signature event, where graduates of its Food Services Training Program showcase the skills they have learned. The gala – named for the iconic blue doors at The Mission – stands as a celebration of the program’s graduating class, The Mission’s reach and Ottawa’s generous philanthropic community.
Community building
In addition to the gourmet meal, attendees also enjoy an exciting live auction, a raffle and live entertainment. An intimate and exclusive pre-event reception is held for sponsors and special guests. Join other members of the city’s business community to help change lives. Corporate tables and sponsorship opportunities are available for the Blue Door Gala. Sponsors are acknowledged both online and at the event, in programs, and display positions around the gala. Select sponsors will also receive title recognition ahead of the event, as well as on-air media exposure.
Presenting sponsor
VIP pre-event sponsor
Corporate social responsibility
Registration sponsor
Coat Check sponsor
Entertainment sponsor
Media exposure opportunities
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Event name recognition
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Inclusion in event promos
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Speaking opportunity at event
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Corporate table + access to VIP event
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Branding at event
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For a full breakdown of the many perks that come with each package, contact Jennifer Graves at jgraves@ottawamission.com. **Blue Door Gala sponsorships start at $3,500. Corporate tables (10 people) are priced at $2,500.
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QUICK STATS Average over one year
1,312 Meals served daily 236 Beds occupied each night 2,000 Individuals provided with shelter
250 Volunteers per week 45 Average age of residents 27 LifeHouse graduates 20 Food Services grads 230 People successfully housed 7,600 Patient visits to the medical clinic
622 Visits to dental clinic 14
MISSION STATEMENT Our Mission is to provide food, shelter, clothing and skills, and offer healing, faith and hope for building a wholesome life. For over 110 years, The Ottawa Mission has provided the basic necessities of life, including food, shelter and clothing to the hungry, homeless and poor in our city. Today, more people are using shelters than ever before and homelessness does not discriminate. The Ottawa Mission serves people who have suffered a life of trauma, living on the streets for a long time. But, we also serve individuals who are educated, come from loving families and had successful working lives in their past. Through partnerships, we are able to expand our programs to reach more individuals, and increase opportunities for those who use our services. We value our partners and the critical role they play. As a corporate partner of The Ottawa Mission, not only can you give back to your community, but you can also provide meaningful opportunities to engage your employees. It costs about $11 million dollars a year for us to be able to provide basic necessities and life-changing programs to the homeless and poor. In addition to city funding, we need an additional $7,000,000 in donations this year from caring individuals, corporation and foundations to care for the hungry, homeless and hurting in Ottawa. We need your help. Every single gift makes a difference.
SERVICES Food, shelter & clothing Spiritual support Mental health services Day & residential addiction treatment Education & job training Employment & housing services Primary medical & dental care Hospice/palliative care
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“They share freely and give generously to the poor Their good deeds will be remembered forever.� PSALM 112:9
46 Daly, Ottawa ON K1N 6E4 613.234.1155 OttawaMission.com
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The Standards Program Trustmark is a mark of Imagine Canada used under licence by The Ottawa Mission Foundation.