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10,000 ways to make a difference

SHARE Whistler is about building the community

The only thing better than a new winter season is a new board, or boards, to enjoy the new season.

That's the carrot that SHARE Whistler is dangling for the next six weeks: your choice of skis or most snowboards manufactured right here in Whistler by Prior. Six boards/pairs of skis will be given away.

The "catch" is you have to give a little back to the community - or more precisely, to the Community Foundation of Whistler.

SHARE Whistler is a six-week campaign to drive donations to the CFOW and the multiple charitable organizations it supports. Pique Newsmagazine will match donations up to a total of $10,000.

There are three primary goals of the campaign:

• To attract new donors and volunteers to support local non-profits through the CFOW;

• To encourage people 35 and under to get involved in philanthropy and the Whistler community;

• To provide publicity and exposure for a variety of local charitable causes.

Pique chose the CFOW because it's an umbrella organization dedicated to improving quality of life by enabling, demonstrating and encouraging philanthropy in Whistler and the Sea to Sky corridor. Donors can direct their contributions to specific endowment funds within CFOW (see www.whistlerfoundation.com) or to one of 12 charities: AWARE, Community Foundation of Whistler Youth Fund, Get Bear Smart Society, Zero Ceiling Society, Whistler Adaptive Sports Program, Whistler Animals Galore, Whistler Arts Council, Whistler Children's Centre Society, Whistler Community Services Society, Whistler Museum and Archives Society, Whistler Public Library, Whistler Search and Rescue Society.

Community foundations are different from, but complementary to, other charitable organizations. Community foundations create and manage permanent endowment funds. The funds are held in perpetuity; only the investment income is distributed. A donation to a community foundation, therefore, grows over time while continuing to provide funds for specific objectives.

But to ensure there are funds distributed in January, Pique's donation of up to $10,000 will go into a CFOW flow-through fund, for disbursement to the 12 charities listed above.

 

Why focus on people under 35?

We want to encourage people under 35 to get involved in philanthropy. Research has shown that if people start supporting nonprofit organizations at a young age, even at nominal levels, they are more likely to continue to give as they get older, and the amount of their support is likely to grow with their incomes.

 

Why donate?

You are part of the community; you can make a difference for others in the community. If that's not enough, there are a few incentives.

Pique Newsmagazine will match contributions up to a total of $10,000.

• Revenue Canada says Canadians can make donations to charitable causes up to Dec. 31 and receive a tax credit for 2011.

• Prior skis and snowboards and other made-in-Whistler goodies.

For the next six Wednesdays, starting Nov. 23, we will draw for a pair of Prior skis or a Prior snowboard - the winner's choice. Everyone who donates at least $50 will be eligible for the six draws, or whatever number of draws are left, at the time they donate. Draw winners will have their choice of any Prior skis or most models of Prior boards. The skis and boards will be unique in that they will feature the SHARE Whistler 2011 logo.

There will also be other draw prizes and anyone who donates a minimum of $10 will be eligible for these prizes.

 

If you don't have money...

You can volunteer with one of the 12 charities listed above. For each hour volunteered Pique will donate $10 (part of Pique's $10,000 total donation). Five hours of volunteer time prior to Dec. 28 will get you in the ski/snowboard draws. A supervisor must submit proof of volunteer time.

You can also contribute by going to the CFOW Facebook page and clicking "Like." Pique will contribute $1 for each new "Like," up to $1,000 (again, part of Pique's $10,000 total donation).

 

How to donate

Go to www.whistlerfoundation.com or www.piquenewsmagazine.com and click on the SHARE Whistler logo. The CFOW will forward donations (net of 3.9 per cent CanadaHelps processing fee) directly to the donors' charity of choice no later than Jan. 31, 2012. Be sure to identify where you would like your donation to go and indicate if you are under 35.

A hint: enter early to be included in more draws. The deadline to be included in the weekly Prior draws is 7 a.m. each Wednesday.

Donations will be monitored and updated weekly in Pique Newsmagazine , daily on the Pique and CFOW websites.