December 3rd is Giving Tuesday!
December 3rd is Giving Tuesday 2024! Giving Tuesday is the world's largest generosity movement. It's a time when businesses, charities, and individual citizens come together to celebrate giving, as well as to thank, help, give, show kindness, and share with those in need.
As a non-profit charity, we benefit greatly from donations, and we appreciate every cent! As we continue our efforts in drowning prevention and water safety education, we hope you'll consider donating to the Lifesaving Society's cause this Giving Tuesday.
On our CanadaHelps page, we've got four different funds available, allowing you to choose the precise area of our organization you'd like your donation to go towards:
- Drowning Research
- Lifejacket Loaner Stations
- Lifesaving Sport
- Water Smart Public Education
Drowning Research
To support our work in the prevention of water-related injuries and fatalities, we utilize regular drowning research and analyses. The findings from these studies, such as common drowning locations and the demographics of people most at risk of drowning, serve as the basis for our public education materials, programs, and services.
Donations help provide funding for more frequent studies on drowning factors, which allow us to focus on more specific demographics like marginalized communities.
Lifejacket Loaner Stations
Since the pandemic, lifejackets have become more difficult and expensive to procure, which is why our Lifejacket Loaner Stations program works with communities and organizations to ensure that individuals visiting waterfronts in Alberta and the Northwest Territories have free and easy access to lifejackets.
If you have any old lifejackets that are still in working condition, please consider donating them to us!
Lifejacket donations, no matter how big or small, are incredibly helpful for this program, especially to communities opening new stations. If you do not currently have lifejackets available, monetary donations are also gratefully accepted.
Lifesaving Sport
Lifesaving Sport is unique in that it is the only sport where skills are first learned for humanitarian purposes and then applied to competition.
We're always looking to lift up our hardworking athletes, coaches, and officials by offering them scholarships, and covering their travel expenses for international competitions. By donating to the Lifesaving Society, you're helping us support our sport community!
Water Smart® Public Education
The Lifesaving Society's Water Smart® campaign aims to promote water safety through public education materials (such as posters, rack cards, fact sheets), presenting at community events, and travelling across Alberta and the Northwest Territories to share water safety tips!
By donating to our Water Smart® fund, you're helping us ensure our resources stay up to date with the latest research and are effectively designed to reach the right audiences.
Your support allows us to create new materials, redesign existing ones, and expand the reach of our Water Smart® programs. Additionally, your donation helps us travel to communities across Alberta and the Northwest Territories, providing vital water safety education to those who need it most.
Testimonials - How Your Donation Helps!
"Living in a community with a river flowing through it, many people enjoy kayaking and floating during the summer. Every year, families borrow life jackets on weekends to stay water safety conscious without financial barriers. Thanks to generously donated lifejackets, we can encourage safe habits around the water, ensuring that finances are never a reason for compromising safety. Together, we create a safer, more connected community."
- Danielle Sonnie, Program Supervisor, YMCA of Medicine Hat
"Our organization had the privilege of hosting a Water Safety presentation facilitated by the Life Saving Society, and the experience was invaluable. Their team shared practical, straightforward information on water safety that resonated with our members and equipped them with essential skills and preventative strategies. The presenter's expertise and engaging approach made the content easy to understand, and the session sparked meaningful conversations within our group on enhancing water safety awareness in the dayhome setting. We are grateful for the Life Saving Society's commitment to this important mission and highly recommend their sessions to others looking to improve water safety practices in their communities."
- Danielle Bourdin, Executive Director, Alberta's Dayhome Support Network
Recognizing Our Donors
We always issue charitable receipts to individuals who donate $20 or more, or to those who donate "gifts in kind," such as lifejackets. In our annual report, we also recognize our highest donors through four donation 'tiers':
- Friends of the Society: Up to $99
- Bronze Club: $100 - $299
- Merit Club: $300 - $499
- Distinction Club: $500 or more