Give the Gift of Hope

Solid results and continued growth
Throughout our fundraising endeavours, the Foundation has been fortunate to partner with a variety of individuals and organizations, all of whom share a common pursuit — to improve the lives of people who have experienced debilitating injury and illness. Our success rests on our ability to forge strong and compelling relationships with these stakeholders who include patients and families, staff, the community and corporations.

It is these partners whose generosity and sense of community led to another banner year for our Annual Fund, allowing us to deliver our second highest year ever with a healthy $1.8 million in revenue.  The success of our annual events, increased individual donor activity and corporate sponsorships all contributed to another solid year.
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Special Events – Partnering for change
Special events play a vital role in our Annual Fund, contributing 73 per cent of gross revenue at an annual average of $1 million.

Thanks to strong partnerships forged with the Rick Hansen Foundation’s Wheels in Motion, the Canadian Cardiac Rehabilitation Foundation’s Walk of Life, and the Scotiabank Marathon, the Foundation’s community events program generated a 220 per cent increase in revenue in 2007/08.

Every year, we join current and former cardiac rehab patients, their families and friends on Cardiac Rehab’s state-of-the-art indoor track at Rumsey Centre for the On Track to Cardiac Recovery fundraising walk. Marking our 5th year as host, we were joined by 250 people and raised close to $100,000 for cardiac research. Rounding out the event was an educational session led by Dr. Paul Oh, Medical Director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention Program, a heart-healthy lunch, self-diagnostic and information stations and a silent auction.

Among the major reasons for the success of our special events program is the partnerships we have forged with corporate sponsors such as Loblaw Companies Limited. This year we paid tribute to Loblaws in recognition of its 18 years of helping the Toronto Rehab Gala generate over $4 million for Toronto Rehab programs and services, and for the valuable support the company provides through its Loblaws Property Golf Tournament.
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Individual Giving
Individual donors account for almost $450,000 in revenue and continue to remain the foundation of our fundraising activities. In fiscal 2007/08, personal giving grew by 21 per cent as a result of ongoing programs that reach out patients, their families and staff and the broader community.

Our direct mail program began in earnest in 2001 and has steadily increased each year in both response rates and the number of donors. This is a key program for Toronto Rehab Foundation because it provides our first means of contact with patients.

The annual Challenges of a Lifetime Breakfast allows us to have more one-to-one time with potential donors — while exposing them to the work of Toronto Rehab and the funding needed to continue its research and patient care. Yielding positive results for the Foundation, it has not only raised more than $210,000 since 2005, but also has introduced Toronto Rehab to five board members and 84 new donors.

The 2007 Giving Together Staff Campaign was our most successful to date with staff demonstrating their dedication and commitment to improvements at Toronto Rehab. We exceeded our expectations, realizing a $7,000 increase over last year and surpassing our goal of $80,000 by six per cent.
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Corporate Giving
We leverage our partnership with the corporate community through donations, events and conference sponsorships, customized project and publication sponsorship, and in-kind support. Cash contributions alone were close to $350,000 this year. Corporate giving has shown the biggest growth over the last three years, rising by 216 per cent from 2005 to 2008 with corporate sponsorship showing the greatest return with a 167 per cent revenue increase.
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