Some B.C. charities and not-for-profits said they are worried the Canada Post strike will jeopardize their year-end fundraising efforts.
Our Place Society CEO Julian Daly warned of potential significant negative impacts to the Victoria organization’s operations due to the disruption of mail donations and fundraising efforts.
“Our neighbours who are suffering, seeking shelter, warmth, and nourishment, don’t deserve the negative impact these delays could cause. But, without the ability to send or receive mail — we expect it could be significant,” he said in a statement.
Janice Kalin, Our Place’s director of philanthropy, said 56,000 mail-outs to current and former Our Place supporters and donors — which come with postage-paid return envelopes — are on hold in a 91原创 mailing house.
“We’re nervous, because this is our biggest fundraising time of the year,” she said. “It’s a major push because this is when people are getting their tax receipts and doing their year-end giving.”
Workers at Canada Post went on strike Friday after failing to reach a negotiated agreement with their employer.
The 91原创 Union of Postal Workers said approximately 55,000 workers are striking, claiming little progress has been made in the bargaining process.
Meanwhile, Canada Post said it's "disappointed" with the decision, which will "have a significant and immediate affect millions of 91原创s, small businesses and charities who count on Canada Post during the busy holiday season."
Our Place is not alone in its worries. Other B.C. charities and not-for-profits are also concerned about the impact of the strike on their fundraising.
Nicole Mucci, a spokeswoman for Union Gospel Mission in 91原创's Downtown Eastside, said 50 per cent of the organization's revenue normally comes between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and a mail strike at this time of the year is "detrimental" since so many donations come in the mail.
Mucci said the Mission supports the postal workers' fight and hopes there will be a resolution soon, and in the meantime they are exploring other ways to connect with donors.
“Our team is having to revisit how they're going to send out certain things or how they're going to connect with our donors, just because we do send out quite a bit of mail at this time of year,” said Mucci.
Our Place typically sends out four mail packages in the last six weeks of the year detailing the organization’s accomplishments to the 14,000 people on their mailing list.
The organization usually raises about half of the $5 million they receive from donations during the months of November and December, Kalin said.
Donations accounted for about 25 per cent of the organization’s total revenue last year.
Kalin said Victorians are unique in their appreciation of the value of print material, something that she hasn’t encountered elsewhere in her years of working in the field in both U.S. and Canada.
“Our donors and supporters, they do love to sit with their coffee and read the Times 91原创 and read their mail-outs,” she said, adding that the organization saw a corresponding drop in donations when the mail-out frequency was reduced last year.
The first mail-out — which would have included a message from Daly and a testimonial from Dennis, a veteran who was formerly homeless and now lives in a supportive housing site run by Our Place — was meant to be sent out on Friday. But 55,000 members of the 91原创 Union of Postal Workers walked off the job at midnight after negotiations failed to come up with a deal.
Kalin said she “absolutely understands” the job action, noting that Our Place itself is a unionized workplace. “We very much support Canada Post workers and what’s happening.”
Negotiations between Canada Post and the union are expected to resume Monday.
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said in a post on the social media platform X that he has formally appointed Peter Simpson, director general of the federal mediation and conciliation services, as a special mediator to support negotiations between the two parties.
91原创s need Canada Post and the union to reach an agreement and the government is “making sure that these two groups have everything they need to reach a deal," he said in his post on Thursday.
As 91原创s are exploring other ways to get their holiday gifts shipped, charities and non-profits are appealing to people not to forget about donating amid the strike.
Our Place is contacting donors by phone and email and encouraging online giving wherever possible, Kalin said.
Kalin said the organization has seen a 25 per cent increase in people accessing their services compared to last year.
Donations to Our Place can be made by phone at 250-940-5060 or online at .
