The Society’s efforts in battling this disease have improved cancer mortality rates from an approximate 33% in the 1960’s to 62% today. Despite these improvements the startling statistics still estimate that 177,800 Canadians were diagnosed with some form of cancer in 2011 with 66,900 of those being Ontarians.

The society currently funds over 40 clinical trials and 122 grants and awards for work towards various forms of cancer. It’s this extensive work in curing and eradicating cancer that it is so important to support this valuable organization. Five other reasons to support Canadian Cancer Society research includes:

1. A 2010 study showed that researchers funded by the Canadian Cancer Society are making a bigger scientific impact than other researchers in Canada.
2. The Canadian Cancer Society uses an internationally recognized peer review process to allocate its research dollars to the most promising projects across the country.
3. In addition to basic laboratory research, the Society provides funding for clinical trials and behavioural research focused on prevention, early detection, screening and quality of life issues.
4. Thanks to Society-funded research, cancer treatment and the quality of life for patients during treatment have dramatically improved in the past 20 years.
5. Cancer research saves lives. Today, 62 percent of people diagnosed with cancer will survive, compared with 1 in 3 in the 1960s.

As the largest national cancer charity and funder of cancer research in Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society manages many community based fundraising initiatives throughout the country and their regular lottery fundraising program is one of their largest and most successful initiatives.

This year’s new Daffodil Daily Lottery marks the second year of this particular lottery fundraising program which offers 3-4 daily prizes drawn in the month of April and 10 Grand Prizes including 3 Grand Prizes of $1 million. Other prizing includes:

• 7 x Grand Prize ‘Cash & Car Packages’
• 10 x Early Bird Prizes of $50,000 cash
• 30 x Daily ‘Take the Car or Cash’
• 30 x Daily ‘$10,000 Cash Prize’
• 30 x Daily ‘$5,000 Travel Prize’
• 4 x Weekly ‘Bonus $10,000 Travel Prize (drawn each Wednesday)
• 4 x Weekly ‘Bonus $25,000 Cash Prize’ (drawn each Thursday)
• 4 x Weekly ‘Bonus Car Prize’ (drawn each Friday)

Definitely an exciting line up of prizes and if you purchase before midnight February 10, 2012 your ticket(s) qualify to win the VIP prize consisting of a 2012 Lincoln MKT.

Tickets are $100 each or 3 for $250 and can be purchased 24 x 7 via mail, online or phone at 416.650.7847 in the Greater Toronto Area or toll-free 1.866.727.2025.

Despite the advancements and efforts made in cancer research, treatments and education it is clear that a lot of work is still left to do. Your lottery ticket purchase will help make a difference and will support a healthier, happier life for Ontarians and Canadians.

Order your tickets soon as the last Daffodil Daily Lottery sold out in record time.

Good luck to all ticket purchasers!

Lottery license #4458
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For nonprofit, professional fundraising, CSR business and other news, connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin or subscribe to our RSS feed.

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.

Lady Gaga image courtesy of msnentertainment

In 2011 she topped the Top Twenty Celebs Gone Good list and was bestowed this honour in part because of her anti-bullying message. Her hit song Born This Way from the album of the same name has become a touchstone to people. The song celebrates being who you are and has inspired and empowered people to be true to themselves rather than conforming to the expectations and comfort level of others. Last year Gaga announced that she was creating the Born This Way Foundation to be launched in 2012 and she is making good on that promise.

Lady Gaga is officially launching the Born This Way Foundation (BTWF) on February 29th, 2012 with the help of her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, who is the president of the foundation. The unveiling of Gaga’s Foundation will be held at Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre. The one day event that will kick start the BTWF is being co-hosted by “the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and The California Endowment.” This event will take place in front of a group of notable people including nonprofit organizers, policy makers, the foundation’s leaders and youth committed to the cause. 

The BTWF is a nonprofit organization that will tackle the issues that are relevant to youth today such as: “self-confidence, well-being, anti-bullying, mentoring and career development and advocacy.” The foundation will focus on using digital mobilization, such as social media sites to help create the change they want to see. The ultimate goal of BTWF is to foster a society that will be more tolerant and to help people embrace who they are. 

Gaga’s mother Cynthia Germanotta explained the pop star’s natural connection to the BTWF as, “she has experienced many of the struggles that our youth encounter today, and identifies with the lasting effects they can have without proper support.”

“Together, we look forward to creating a new movement that will engage and empower youth and accept them as valuable members of our society.”

Though the foundation hasn’t officially launched, the landing page on its website asks visitors to join the movement by providing their name and email address. Those who join the movement are then asked to share this information on their social networks. The BTWF Twitter account is active so feel free to follow @BTWFoundation for the latest news and updates on BTWF which already has over twenty-four thousand followers. You can also follow Lady Gaga via @ladygaga to stay informed but join the movement and encourage others in your network to do the same. By asking people to share that they have joined the movement, allows for it to grow in an organic way. 

This foundation is a way for Gaga to give back to fans and use her celebrity status to generate support and awareness for a very worthy (and personal) cause she holds close to her heart. Leading up to BTWF, Gaga has worked with many organizations including being the face of MAC cosmetics Viva Glam campaign to help with AIDS awareness. She is also launching her own social network, Little Monsters, and currently you can submit your information to receive an invitation when launched but we’ll feature more on that in a future blog.

It is refreshing to see a young, confident female super star promoting individuality and self-acceptance. Hopefully BTWF and its supporters will make the world a better place for little monsters everywhere. It’s on the right track baby.

Lady Gaga – Born This Way (live from SNL)

Click here to view the embedded video.

On the menu tonight we are making a classic Moroccan vegetable tagine which is a simple and hearty meal that is packed full of flavour. There is no need to go out when you can have an amazing Moroccan meal at home any night of the week. The recipe for vegetable tagine comes by way of Green Kitchen Stories which is a beautiful website full of gorgeous images, captivating stories and even better vegetarian recipes. Check it out if you haven’t had the pleasure yet.

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine image courtesy of greenkitchenstories.com

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch fresh ginger, minced (or 1 tsp grounded)
• 1-2 tbsp grounded cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin
• salt
• 2-3 tsp harissa paste (or dried harissa)
• 2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• a handful fresh cilantro
• 1 small pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 zucchini, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 10 dried apricots
• 1/2 cup chickpeas/garbanzo beans, pre boiled
• a handful raisins
•  Serve with: white quinoa or couscous, roasted almonds, fresh cilantro and fresh mint

Directions Option 1:

1. In a clay pot: Heat olive oil in a large clay pot and sauté the onion for a few minutes until it softens. Add garlic, ginger and the spices and stir around before adding harissa, tomatoes, lemon juice and fresh cilantro, Bring the tomato sauce to a boil and then lower the heat.
2. Add pumpkin, carrots, sweet potato, zucchini and apricots. Stir around, make sure that all vegetables are somewhat covered in tomato sauce. Put the lid on and simmer for about an hour. Stir carefully once or twice, otherwise leave the lid on.

Directions Option 2:

1. In a tagine: Prepare the tomato sauce according to the instructions above. Transfer it to the tagine. Add the vegetables, attach the lid and put in the oven on low temperature for at least an hour. When the vegetables feel tender, add chickpeas and raisins and let everything simmer for 5 minutes before removing it from the oven.
2. Serve the tagine in bowls together with cooked quinoa. Sprinkle with almonds, lemon zest and fresh spices.

This vegetable tagine will yield four servings and “it’s a rich, warm and comforting dish, similar to a stew or a hot pot. It’s sweet, yet a little spicy. It has a scent of cinnamon and sweet raisins with a twist of lemon and cilantro. Not to mention, it’s perfect for a cold winter day”.

We encourage you to visit the Meatless Monday website and join us in taking the pledge to reduce meat consumption one day per week. It’s easy with delicious recipes like this one. Spread the word at work to promote the value of CSR business initiatives and make your green call centre, office, factory, shop, restaurant, hotel or salon even greener.

Enjoy and our thanks again to Green Kitchen Stories for this recipe and the pleasure that is their website.
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For nonprofit, CSR business, digital and other news,please connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin or subscribe to our RSS feed.

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.

Clara Hughes image courtesy of letstalk.bell.ca

Canadian Olympian Clara Hughes is the spokesperson for the campaign. In the ads that Bell is running she opens up about her own battle with depression. Joining Hughes as the Québec spokespersons are author, composer and performer Stefie Shock, as well as actor and comedian Michel Mpambara. Both Shock and Mpambara will also share their own battles with mental health during the campaign.

This CSR business program that Bell has started is part of Bell’s five year $50 million mental health initiative. Let’s Talk is based on four pillars: “anti-stigma, care and access, research, and workplace best practices.” It is apparent that Let’s Talk is the centrepiece of the campaign and deals head on with the task of changing the perception associated with mental health issues. Bell’s program delves deeper than just breaking down social mores; they are funding research hospitals and grassroots organizations.

Let’s Talk is a multi-platform program and a large part of that is cross-media promotion. Bell is running ads on television, print, radio and via social media channels along with other media outlets to spread the word that this is something people should be discussing. However, the campaign culminates on February 8th, 2012, which is Let’s Talk Day.

On this day Bell will donate $0.05 cents to mental health organizations for every text message and long-distance call that Bell and Bell Aliant customer’s make (standard rates still apply). In 2011, Canadians rose to the challenge making a total of 66,079,236 long-distance calls and text messages. This translated into $3,303,961.80 which Bell donated. If non-Bell customers want to get involved in the campaign they can via the “Twitter [account] @Bell_LetsTalk and join in retweeting the Bell Let’s Talk Day message on February 8. For each such retweet, Bell will donate an additional 5 cents.”

“Canadians really stepped up to talk about mental health on last year’s very successful Bell Let’s Talk Day, and the conversation has only continued to grow since then,” said Ms. Hughes, Canada’s six-time Olympic medalist and the smile at the forefront of Bell Let’s Talk. “Open and honest discussion of how mental illness impacts each of us is crucial to driving the awareness, acceptance and action needed to make a real difference in mental health. So let’s talk Canada!”

Bell is Canada’s largest communications company and it is using its resources and considerable clout to raise awareness about a problem that is plaguing 20% of the population and that still has a degree of shame attached to it. CSR business programs such as these can truly change and save lives and the whole idea of reaching out to people is in-keeping with the core competence of the Bell brand. Overall this is a groundbreaking CSR business program as they are tackling a touchy subject matter in a manner that brings to light the best of the brand.

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For nonprofit, CSR business, digital and other news,please connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin or subscribe to our RSS feed.

Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional professional fundraising 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.

Today we explore another valuable report, the Non-Profit Digital Teams Benchmark Research Results, which was released at the end of 2011 by Communicopia. Commissioned to better understand how leading professional fundraising managers build their online teams, the report is insightful and provides an excellent guide for nonprofits in all phases of planning and development. Research was conducted online from July to September 2011 with 67 senior level staff from mid to large sized nonprofit organizations. The listing of participating nonprofits is rather impressive and included organizations such as Greenpeace, DoSomething.org, Nature Canada, WWF, Imagine Canada, Unicef Canada, Amnesty International and the David Suzuki foundation amongst many others. The following are 5 lessons learned from this study:

1. Create A Digital Department. Based on the results of the study, work and tasks in digital channels are more geared towards communications departments as it accounted for 45% of nonprofit responses. Almost rarely is this area assigned to Information Technology departments and for good reason. The social media and online worlds require a specialized skill set that has more to do with marketing than IT so don’t be fooled by the fact that it is technology-based.
2. Allocate Suitable Resources. Currently teams are smaller in size and typically correspond with the size of the organization. 39% of respondents had 1-2 team members in their digital team and only 17% of respondents felt they were appropriately staffed.  It’s important to grow the team along with the demands and expectations of the department choosing enthusiastic and knowledgeable talent. It’s also important to involve members from other departments to contribute as over half of the respondents (55%) cited some form of digital work being shared with 6 or more team members in other departments.
3. Jack of all Trades. Interestingly the varied roles that are most often found on digital teams include Social Media Engagement (13%), Strategy (12%), Content Editing/Leadership (12%) and Project Management (11%). It’s clear that nonprofits are seeing the value of Social Media marketing and strategizing along with creating content that is engaging to supporters. According to the report, 60% of teams are expected to spearhead new initiatives as well so it’s important that they keep an eye on the big picture and not get lost in daily tasks.
4. Start with a Plan. An incredible 79% of respondents manage over 5 properties including websites/blogs, social media platforms, mobile applications and others. Ironically, the report also reflected that most digital teams are too small so it can easily be concluded that insufficient resources may be allocated to these teams. It’s important for nonprofits with limited resources for these teams to have a social media marketing plan that prioritizes action items so they can focus on the platforms that are most engaging to their target supporter demographic and maintain interesting content.
5. Appropriate Funding. An overwhelming 71% of respondents felt that their digital programs were either underfunded or significantly underfunded. As generally is the case in the nonprofit world, this tends to be a shared sentiment in general regardless of the department. As the line between digital programs and direct marketing continues to blur additional funding may be provided to future budgets. It`s encouraging to see that 57% of organizations plan to make some increase in their digital budgets for 2012.

The full 26-page report has many more insights and is worth a read as it can benefit professional fundraising team planning.  
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For nonprofit, professional fundraising, CSR business and other news, connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin or subscribe to our RSS feed.

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.

The foundation organizes several fundraising initiatives each year including the White Knight gala which is held in honour of a different charity every year and a breast cancer fundraiser. Another one of the foundation’s main events is their yearly shoe drive. The shoe drive that the RON WHITE foundation hosts is the largest shoe drive in Canada. This year’s event launched on January 6^th, 2012 at Toronto’s Manulife Centre marks the foundation’s 16^th successful year.

The public are encouraged to “follow in the footsteps of your favourite celebrity” and donate their gently used women’s, men’s or children’s shoes or boots to any RON WHITE  location in the Greater Toronto Area so they can be distributed to those in need. Donations will be accepted until Sunday February 5^th, 2012 so this week is a last call to donate your shoes if you live in the area.

Image courtesy of ronwhiteshoes.com

The Shoe Drive is helped by the support of celebrities who bring much needed attention and publicity to the event. The generous celebrities who have donated signed shoes for display over the years leading up to (and including) the 2012 event are:

• Glee star Max Adler
• Matt Damon
• Celine Dion
• Eric McCormack
• Kevin Spacey
• Hilary Duff
• Jeremy Irons
• David Foster
• Catherine O’Hara
• Modern Family’s Rico Rodriguez
• Entourage’s Debi Mazar
• Twilight saga’s Tinsel Korey

Once the shoes are collected, they are sorted and checked for suitability then given to shelters and organizations in need. This year the foundation is partnering to help such organizations as: Dress for Success, Halton Women’s Place, New Circles, Ve’ahavta, and Out of the Cold.

During a recent segment on Cityline with Tracy Moore, White explained that the idea for the event came about rather organically. Apparently, customers took to leaving their old shoes behind when purchasing a new pair at his store. This left them with a box full of gently worn shoes and boots which they would donate to local charities. That is how this event was born and this year, they expect to bring in and distribute approximately 3000+ pairs of shoes for those in need.

White, who was named Independent Retailer of the Year for 2011 by Conde Nast’s Footwear News, has even expanded his shoe drive into the United States. Last November he partnered with Nordstrom’s for a drive held at The Grove in Los Angeles.

It is easy to look at this as a shrewd marketing move however there is more to it than that. If it were purely for attention, Ron would partner with causes that are more known but instead he is associating his high-fashion product with helping those less fortunate locally. This is a CSR business program that promotes conscious consumerism by allowing consumers to shop their values even when shopping for designer brands.

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For nonprofit, CSR business, digital and other news,please connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin or subscribe to our RSS feed.

Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional professional fundraising 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.

1. Social Media & Online Giving. Many of our past blog posts have focused on the importance of Social Media and Online GIving due to the tremendous growth seen in these platforms. In fact many nonprofits are embracing these channels as a cost effective way to engage socially connected supporters. According to the latest Blackbaud Index, from July to November of 2011 online giving saw growth in the double digit percentages over 2010. Although these are positive results, there are still many nonprofits that are intimidated and overwhelmed by venturing into this relatively new and always changing arena. The key is to ‘FOCUS’. Considering we are now entering the fifth year of challenging economic times, budgeting time and resources to 1 or 2 of the bigger platforms (i.e. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) and developing a strategic Social Media Marketing plan can net excellent engagement results and ultimately more donor dollars.
2. A Clean & Cohesive Website. A nonprofit’s website is the face of the organization and first impressions will make or break a supporter’s perception of the nonprofit and can impact whether or not they chose to support them. Review your existing site and ensure that the following key components are integrated:  i)  Ensure that your ‘DONATE’ button is easy to find, functions properly and is on the first page. Without it, an organization can potentially lose donations if supporters have to search how to make their gift. A clear call to action is crucial; ii) Make the purpose, mission and urgency of your organization obvious with engaging stories that will put a face to your cause on the first page, with links to additional experiences and stories; iii) Keep it organized and easy for supporters to navigate and explore what your cause is all about. It must have a clean, professional and polished look that will validate the authenticity and instill supporter confidence and loyalty in your nonprofit. Make sure the most important messages are “above the fold”; iv) Optimize your website for viewing on mobile devices. In 2011, more people spent time on their mobile device than on their PC and it is expected by 2013, more consumers will access the web from a mobile device than a PC or laptop. More and more (potential) donors will be accessing your site via a smart phone, tablet or other mobile technology and if their experience is lacking, they may find an accommodating competitor; and v) Include interactive components such as an option for supporters to sign up to receive regular newsletters about your organization (see next tip) and polls.
3. Regular Communication. Communicating with your supporters regularly through newsletters that highlight your organizations’ accomplishments, updates, new campaigns and fiscal transparency will engage supporters and build loyalty while keeping your cause at the forefront of their minds. Ask supporters for their newsletter frequency preference as you don’t want to come off as “spammy” and turn them off your cause. Generally one to two carefully timed issues every 4-6 weeks is acceptable. While every newsletter can include a “click to donate” button, not every newsletter should contain a formal ‘ask’ as supporters may grow tired of frequent requests and feel badgered.
4. Strengthen and Grow Your Volunteer Community – Volunteers are the backbone and local face of your organization. They are a highly engaged group and studies show most give financially along with time spent. They are great advocates for your cause in the community and can reach out to potential volunteers and donors to grow both bases. Take care of this important group and encourage and listen to the valuable feedback they accumulate from supporters.
5. Saying Thank You. Thank you goes a long way and can be used in more ways than on a tax receipt issued for a financial donation. You can thank supporters personally through your Social Media platforms like your Facebook wall or Twitter account. You can also thank the volunteers that worked on your last event or the new ‘Like’ers  and ‘Followers’ and even the supporters who shared your content to their community. Showing appreciation for even the smallest acts not just furthers your mission, it will also leave a lasting, positive online impression.

There are many more tips that could be added to this list and I’m sure we will explore them as the year progresses but these are a few important enough to make the early 2012 to-do list. As has been the case in these economic times, increasing donor engagement will require effort in 2012. With a strategic plan that considers diversified nonprofit fundraising channels, social media and emerging technologies you will be giving your organization the best opportunity for success. What is on your to-do list for 2012?
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For nonprofit, nonprofit fundraising, CSR business and other news, connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin or subscribe to our RSS feed.

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.

In celebration of the big game, we’ve put together some vegetarian dishes to show you don’t have to eat meat if you want to snack during the game. We start with some nibbles like a five layer Mexican dip and a warm spinach and artichoke dip both courtesy of the Food Network’s Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger. For a main, we have a boldly spiced big-batch chili from Chatelaine magazine accompanied by a cheddar cornbread from Food Network Canada star Michael Smith’s show Chef at Home.

Five Layer Mexican Dip Ingredients (12 servings)

image courtesy of foodnetwork.com

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups corn kernels (10-ounce box frozen corn)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 ripe avocados
• 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion
• 1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeno pepper, optional
• 3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
2. Put half of the onion mixture into a food processor with the black beans, chipotle pepper, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, cumin, water and salt. Puree until smooth. Set aside.
3. Add the corn to the skillet with the remaining onion mixture and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro leaves.
4. In a small bowl mash the avocado with the remaining lime juice. In a medium bowl toss together the tomatoes, scallion and jalapeno, if using. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Spread the black bean dip into the bottom of an 8 by 8 glass baking or serving dish. Top with the corn mixture, spreading it out to form a single layer over the beans, repeat with the avocado, then the tomatoes. Top with cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip Ingredients (12 servings)

image courtesy of foodnetwork.com

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 (9-ounce) package artichoke hearts, defrosted, rinsed and dried
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, excess liquid squeezed out.
• 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) Neufchatel cheese (reduced-fat cream cheese)
• 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until onions are light golden but not browned. Remove from heat and cool.
3. In the bowl of a food processor combine artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, Neufchatel, mozzarella and salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Add cooled onion-garlic mixture to the food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
4. Transfer mixture into an 8-inch glass square baking dish or 9-inch glass pie plate which has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve with tortilla chips, toasted pita wedges or crudites.

Boldly Spiced Big-Batch Chili Ingredients (6-8 servings)

• 6 garlic cloves or 1 tbsp (15 mL) bottled minced garlic
• 3 onions
• Olive oil
• 1 small butternut squash or about 4 cups (1 L) squash pieces
• 2 (28-oz/796-mL) cans diced tomatoes
• 14 oz (389 mL) can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) chili powder
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) each ground coriander and cumin
• 1 to 2 tsp (5 to 10 mL) hot red chili flakes (optional)
• 1 tsp (5 mL) each ground cinnamon, allspice and salt
• 3 peppers, preferably a mix of colours
• 12 oz (341 mL) can corn niblets or 2 cups (500 mL) frozen corn
• 19 oz (540 mL) can black beans
  

  image courtesy of chatelaine.com

Directions:

1. Coarsely chop garlic and onions. Lightly coat a large wide saucepan with oil and set over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Stir occasionally until onions start to soften, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, for easier squash peeling, microwave whole squash on high, 2 to 3 minutes. Then cut squash in half. Slice off peel. Scoop out and discard seeds. Cut squash into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces.
2. Add squash, tomatoes and tomato sauce to softened onions. Sprinkle with chili powder, coriander, cumin, chili flakes, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, core and seed peppers. Cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces. Stir into chili. Reduce heat to medium-low.
3. Cover and simmer, stirring often, until squash is fork-tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Meanwhile, drain corn and beans, then rinse and drain again. Once squash is tender, stir into chili. Simmer until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve alongside your favourite chili toppings like jalapenos, cheddar, sour cream, green onions, etc.

Cheddar Cornbread Ingredients (6 servings)

• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup corn oil
• 1 cup grated cheddar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Oil and flour an 8″ x 8″ pan.
3. Place cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and chili powder in a large bowl and whisk well to combine.
4. Blend together the milk, eggs, corn and corn oil.
5. Pour into the dry ingredients and add the cheese.
6. Stir just until combined.
7. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake until golden on top and cornbread springs back when touched, about 20 to 25 minutes.

We encourage you to visit the Meatless Monday website and join us in taking the pledge to reduce meat consumption one day per week. It’s easy with delicious recipes like this one. Spread the word at work to promote the value of CSR business initiatives and make your green call centre, office, factory, shop, restaurant, hotel or salon even greener.

Enjoy the game!
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For nonprofit, CSR business, digital and other news,please connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin or subscribe to our RSS feed.

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.

Bookprint [book-print] noun:
The list of books that leave an indelible mark on our lives, shaping who we are and who we become.

It is free to create a bookprint profile and you include the five books that have had an impact on your life. The five books can be either adult or children’s literature, as long as the book holds meaning for the creator of the profile. The campaign launched with a $20,000 donation for the twenty thousand bookprints already created on the site.

The books will be distributed through the “national school readiness initiative Reach Out and Read.” This is a CSR business program that is building on what Scholastics is known for which is children’s books. In fact this is part of Scholastic Book Clubs’ annual ClassroomsCare program. The ClassroomsCare program tries to help teachers impart a love of reading and the importance of giving to their students.

Images courtesy of scholastic.com

On youarewhatyouread.comyou will find the “bookprints of names you know” section where over two hundred celebrities, journalists, and political figures have created their bookprints for the project. The notable names on the list includes Oprah Winfrey, who famously ran her own  highly successful book club on her long running syndicated talk show, and Microsoft creator Bill Gates. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush have also made their profiles. Celebrities like comedienne and The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg, actress Scarlett Johansson, Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, Skateboarder Tony Hawk, and singer songwriter Taylor Swift are just a few who have taken the time to create a bookprint.

Having such high profile people participate in the CSR business program helps raise awareness of the campaign and also allows people to look into the books that made them who they are. In an age where pop culture contributes to people’s perception of the world hopefully these figures will allow both children and adults to find a love of reading.

The campaign is now more important than ever because “‘it is crucial for reading to begin at a young age and for all children to have books in their home,’ says Earl Martin Phalen, CEO of Reach Out and Read. ‘The recent loss of government funding has impacted the ability of literacy organizations to continue to get books into the hands of children in need, so we thank everyone who creates a Bookprint in support of this campaign.’”

This campaign is a stellar example of how the private sector can help to further education and is a model example of CSR business initiatives done right and it is just one of many for Scholastic. Scholastic Book Clubs has found a way to marry their core business with a cause that will show return to their industry. Giving someone a book is a way to start a lifelong love of reading and that in turn sells more books. Reading shapes mind and an educated mind has the potential to change the world.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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.

Along with providing insightful data, another excellent aspect of the Blackbaud Index is how that data is segmented – by organization size and by nonprofit sector. These sectors include: Arts, Culture and Humanities; Healthcare; Human Services; International Affairs; Environmental & Animal Welfare; and Education. As each nonprofit is different in size and scope, this segmenting is even more valuable and relevant as it allows for review and comparison of like organizations which is critical for analysis of fundraising efforts and marketing planning.

A new index added by Blackbaud is Public, Society Benefit, which according to Giving USA includes nonprofits that collect donations and then redistributes to other organizations focused on: civil rights, voter education and registration, public policy research, social science research, community and neighborhood economic and civic development and leadership programs. In both overall and online giving this new sector performed well according to this latest index, with an increase of 5.4% and 11.9% respectively.

As reported in yesterday’s post, overall giving experienced an increase of 1.4% in the three month period ending November 2011 versus the same timeframe in 2010. This increase however was not seen across all nonprofit sectors. The breakdown in the table beneath shows that ‘International Affairs’ was one of two sectors that saw a decrease from 2010 to 2011. Dubbed as “a deadly year for natural disasters” by MSNBC, 2010 saw its share of earthquakes, forest fires, volcano eruptions, hurricanes and tornadoes amongst others. However, so did 2011. The difference being that a new record was set in 2011 for domestic natural disasters. The U.S. had an estimated $50.3 billion in damage from hurricanes, flooding, wild fires tornados and drought compared to $6.5 billion in 2010, an increase of 773%. This could explain a decrease in giving in the International Affairs sector, as donors may have shifted their gifts closer to home.

Most concerning is that ‘Environmental & Animal Welfare’ also saw a decrease in overall giving. When one can argue the relation between natural disasters and global warming you would think this sector needs the donor support more than ever. Nonprofits in this sector need to develop strategies that address this decline to meet immediate and future needs. Andrew Watt, president and CEO of the AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) advises all nonprofits to: “Challenge the status quo”. He also advised “nonprofits have to make absolutely certain they stay fresh and at the forefront,” he said, “keeping the necessity of what they are delivering at the front of people’s minds.”  Certainly sound advice, especially for nonprofits in sectors that are not seeing the same growth as others. 

 
It’s encouraging however, that nonprofits across all sectors have seen growth in online giving. This can be attributed to two main factors: 1) an increased presence of nonprofits on social media platforms and engaging more donors virtually in conjunction to other traditional giving channels; and 2) donors becoming more comfortable with and trusting online channels as secure and convenient ways of making a donation and supporting a cause they care about. I imagine we will see continued growth in this sector in 2012 as emerging mobile technologies become more and more prevalent.

How 2012 will unfold remains to be seen. However, with cautious optimism and sound creative strategies, charities should experience success in their nonprofit fundraising efforts.
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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.