Habitat for Humanity Canada to Collect 690 Million Pennies to Build 69 New Homes

Recently, the Canadian government announced that the penny would be discontinued and encouraged citizens to donate their leftover pennies to the cause of their choice. In response to this recent development, Habitat for Humanity Canada has launched a new nonprofit fundraising initiative that targets those stray pennies.

Habitat affiliates across Canada will be collecting pennies and their goal is to gather 690 million of them. The significance of that number is that there are 69 Habitat for Humanity affiliates located across Canada, and their objective is to raise enough money to build one house in each affiliates community. The average cost to build one safe and affordable home for the organization is $100,000.00 or ten million pennies.

Habitat for Humanity Canada is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1985. Their mission is help break the cycle of poverty by aiding low-income Canadians with affordable housing and promoting homeownership. Amazingly “over 50,000 volunteers every year [aid the] 69 affiliated organizations from coast to coast.”

“’We are very excited to kick-off this nationwide campaign,” said Stewart Hardacre, President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada. “Through the simple donation of spare pennies, more low-income Canadians will gain access to homeownership that is affordable, igniting a transformation within families that will last for generations to come.”

Image courtesy of habitat.ca

Hardcare’s statement illustrates that never before has the humble penny been so imperative to achieving the Canadian dream. Those who want to donate their pennies to the cause can do so at any Habitat for Humanity affiliate office or ReStore location. According to habitat.ca, ReStores are building supply stores run by Habitat for Humanity affiliates that accept and resell quality new and used building materials. Shopping at ReStores has both social and environmental benefits as all the funds generated are used to fund Habitat homebuilding projects and most of the gently used supplies sold might have otherwise ended up in a landfill.

The penny fundraiser is a very smart marketing move, as it poses a solution to a penny problem while encouraging the public to make a donation that will better the lives for fellow Canadian families. Pennies are something that most people don’t generally consider when taking stock of their available cash so they may be more apt to part with them. This makes this Habitat for Humanity Canada fundraiser seem very feasible regardless of the donors’ income level. By running their campaign on a national level with drop-off locations accessible throughout, Canadians may be more inclined to donate, as they feel it is an easy way that they can contribute to bettering their own communities.

Nonprofit organizations are always looking for new and creative ways to fundraise, while dealing with issues of donor fatigue in a struggling economy. What Habitat for Humanity Canada has done is found an innovative and affordable way that allows anyone to be able to donate to their cause and attached tangible value to that donation that is in their community. The end of the penny can herald a new start for low-income Canadians. Let it go out with a (hammer) bang.

What will you be doing with your leftover pennies?
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Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional fundraising services including telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery services, donation caging, donation processing and other donor management services. We are committed to our CSR business values in all contact centre services and mail house operations and advancing the missions of the nonprofits we proudly serve.