events & donations

Fundraising Events Campaigns

In addition to grants, provincial, municipal and federal funding, individual and legacy donations, FTP also receives generous community support through both third party and fundraising events hosted annually by FTP.

Our three major fundraisers have historically included a celebratory luncheon in honour of International Women’s Day (IWD) in March, the HOPE Project event in the fall, and Heidi’s Walk (formerly The Ferguson Memorial Walk third party event) in the summer.

These events have evolved alongside the COVID-19 restrictions placed upon our community and sector. While each came with new challenges, it also pushed us to be creative in our approach to raising much-needed awareness and funds for our programs and services.

One thing we can be absolutely certain of—the support of our community never wavered.

The timing felt right for us to welcome Heidi’s Walk participants back to picturesque Island Lake for our annual 5k walk in-person. Presented by GoYoga Orangeville, the 2022 event combined both Heidi’s Walk and our annual HOPE Project event. These two events share the same important event mandate: to raise awareness and funds toward ending violence against women—so it made perfect sense to us to align the two, enhancing the overall impact of both. The event’s 5k family-friendly walk was accompanied by a beautifully curated vendor marketplace presented by The Hometown Market Orangeville, as well as a silent auction and guest speakers. Heidi’s Walk for HOPE raised over $30,000. We were also thrilled to welcome guests back—inperson—to our IWD fundraising luncheon on March 8, 2023. Alongside our wonderful and engaging guest speaker—Linda Murphy, also known as The Healthy Hiker —we were joined by over 240 guests. The energy in the room was magnetic. Through sponsorship, donations, a silent auction and our lively vendor marketplace, we were delighted to raise nearly $50,000 in support of our work. It brings us much hope to know that our community is fiercely committed to raising awareness of the critical issue of domestic violence through supporting our events and sharing information about our programs and services within their networks.

Monthly Donors

Monthly donations provide us with a consistent and reliable source of income. We are continually working on ways to grow our monthly donor program. In 2022-2023, we were able to count on over $26,000 for the year in monthly donations. This amount includes donations by staff who also contribute to our monthly donation program, on a biweekly basis, through payroll deductions.

Awareness Events

International Overdose Awareness Day

The Dufferin-Caledon Drug Strategy Committee—of which FTP is a proud member—hosted an in-person event to acknowledge International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, 2022. The event was held at the County of Dufferin Paramedic Services building and featured a barbecue, guest speakers and health fair. This event provides the community with an opportunity to discuss ways to end overdose, the stigma surrounding drug use, and remember those we have lost.

Wrapped in Courage Campaign

FTP participated in the 10th annual Wrapped in Courage campaign—an annual initiative developed by the Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses in recognition of Woman Abuse Prevention Month (WAPM). This initiative emphasizes the ever-existing importance of ending genderbased violence. A new Wrapped in Courage purple scarf was released—each scarf being unique and handmade with hand-felted Merino wool and integrated recycled saris. Throughout November, we also shared information and resources on our website and social media pages. Other community activities, such as flag-raising ceremonies and proclamations were organized with local municalities.

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

Each year, FTP hosts a ceremony in recognition of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (December 6th). The ceremony has historically been held in the parking lot at our Orangeville location. We invited guests to join together in a conversation circle, and welcomed the sharing of perspectives, reflections and experiences.

Third Party Fundraising

The generosity of our community and the effort to raise funds on our behalf through third-party events makes up a significant portion of our annual revenue. In the last year, third party events contributed almost $15,000 in support of our programs and services.

Donations

The last three years have been challenging, and we’ve had to rely on the kindness of our community to provide items for our clients that might otherwise have been unavailable. We are continually amazed and touched by the generosity and thoughtfulness we receive from local individuals and businesses; a few of our many supporters are pictured below.