Toronto Star
\nBy Jason Miller, Staff Reporter
\nFri., April 17, 2020<\/p>\n
It has been a tough month for charitable organizations, as agencies across the sector, which rely heavily on donations, collectively shed hundreds of jobs and are bracing for the loss of millions in revenue.<\/p>\n
Several organizations have announced major reductions in their workforce, as they restructure their bottom line, amid a drastic reduction in donations and the postponement of flagship fundraisers key to their revenue stream.<\/p>\n
The Heart and Stroke Foundation cut more than 200 staff (45 per cent of its workforce) and the MS Society of Canada let go of more than 100 people.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a really tough couple of weeks for the charitable sector,\u201d said Pamela Valentine, the MS Society\u2019s president and CEO. MS Canada did a mixture of layoffs and permanent cuts, which impacted about a third of its staff.<\/p>\n
She said organizations which stage many of their high-profile events throughout the spring and summer months, are now hard-pressed to find alternative means to generate funds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe anticipate this has a potential impact of up to $25 million this season,\u201d Valentine said.<\/p>\n
Over the last five weeks, the Canadian Cancer Society has adapted many of its cancer support programs and has cancelled in-person fundraising activities.<\/p>\n
The pandemic, which Cancer Society CEO Andrea Seale called \u201cthe greatest financial challenge that the society has faced in our 80-year history.\u201d will result in an estimated financial loss between $80-100 million out of a total budget of $180 million.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"