How non-profits are pivoting as the Canada Post strike lingers
Why It Matters
The December holiday season is one of the main fundraising times for non-profits and charities. A strike by Canada Post means direct mail to current and former charitable donors is not being delivered, impacting non-profits’ bottom lines.
New developments in Canada Post’s ongoing strike are forcing Canadian non-profits to change their fundraising strategies during what is generally the most lucrative giving time of the year—and some are taking a direct advocacy approach.
Bruce MacDonald, president and CEO of Imagine Canada, said his organization has been working with the sector and various government agencies to help mitigate the effects of the strike.
“We are advocating for an extension to the giving deadline and the ability to count donations received early in 2025 towards a donor’s 2024 income tax,” MacDonald wrote in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday.
“Last Friday, we met with a senior Cabinet Minister who is raising this with Finance Minister Freeland.”
To do this, however, requires a legislative change, he said, noting Imagine Canada has been working with the Canada Revenue Agency and the Department of Finance on the idea.
“The hopeful news is that it has been done twice in the past (1997 postal strike and 20024 tsunami relief) so we have forwarded those pieces of legislation to Parliamentarians and department officials,” said MacDonald.
Imagine Canada and two other organizations have also sent a joint letter to key cabinet members.
The group also plans to release new polling data shortly about this year’s holiday-giving intentions, he said.
“We are continuing to encourage Canadians to support their favourite causes by donating online directly or with groups like CanadaHelps, drop off contributions and support charitable social enterprises such as thrift shops.”
Canada Post, union talks appear to have stalled
The strike, which began on Nov. 15, is approaching the one-month mark, and both sides have accused the other of unreasonable demands.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) said their latest proposal was delivered on Friday to Canada Post.
“None of us want to be on the picket line, but we cannot continue with management steamrolling workers with random ideas they have to change work rules and impact our safety.
In it, they make wage demands starting at nine per cent, a cost of living allowance, ten medical days, an increase in short-term disability payments and improved rights for temporary workers, along with separate demands for rural and urban workers.
The Crown corporation responded by saying they were disappointed with the union’s latest offer.
“In the last few weeks, Canada Post has made several important moves to close the gap and reach negotiated agreements, but the union has reverted to their previous positions or increased their demands,” they said in a statement shared with media.
Government officials maintain they have no plans to intervene to force the two parties back to the negotiating table.
How to pivot
The strike has left charitable organizations scrambling to adapt their fundraising strategies, said Nicole Danesi, Senior Manager, Strategic Communications and Brand at CanadaHelps.
“One charity I have heard from has shared that they will be restructuring the way they raise funds in the future to try and avoid issues like this so they can be more nimble and adaptive,” she said.
There are several ways that charitable organizations can reach out to donors while the strike lingers.
Increase email campaigns
Canadian fundraiser Harvey McKinnon suggests charities consider increasing the frequency of their asks.
He noted that many groups sent out email communications on Giving Tuesday, which can be used as jumping-off points for continued communication through the winter holiday season.
Utilize your website
Organizations may also want to tweak their websites if they haven’t done so already, McKinnon said.
“Add a lightbox, banner or article on your website to advise donors of the strike … and make it easy for them to complete a donation online.”
Use your phone for actual phone calls
Remember when people used to call people on their telephones? It’s time to go back to some old-school methods, said McKinnon.
“Whether you do that in-house or with an agency, now is a great time to connect with donors over the phone,” he said. “Thank them for their support, and ask if they will make their holiday donation.”
“And if you don’t have a lot of phone numbers on your database, you can work with a telemarketing agency to do a phone append and increase your reach.”
Partner with local businesses to gain visibility
Small businesses are also struggling during the strike and might be open to collaborations, he said.
Contact your favourite local business and ask about a joint fundraising venture or donation drop-off event. Then, you can promote it to your clients via social media, email, or even the local media.
Speaking of social media
Just like increasing your emails, now is the time to go all-in on social media posts and post much more frequently. Don’t worry—you won’t overwhelm your audience.
Enhance your online donation platforms
Platforms like CanadaHelps can be a big boost, so charities should enhance their online presence on them, said Mark Blumberg of Canadian Charity Law late last month.
“Many charities have pivoted more to online donations, and this strike will encourage others to put more effort into online donations,” Mark Blumberg said late last month.
“Because CanadaHelps delivers funds every week electronically to thousands of charities, the strike will not slow down most Canadian charities on the CanadaHelps platform getting their payments.”
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