Fundraising Event Toolkit
About Calgary Pride With more than 40 years of history, Calgary Pride is a volunteer-led, non-profit organization with significant roots in Calgary and a passionate commitment to the communities we serve. Calgary Pride’s mandate is to advance visibility and inclusion for Calgary’s gender and sexually diverse communities. To do this we endeavour to build strong community partnerships, implement ongoing programs like our Reading with Royalty program, and produce Calgary’s premier celebration of diversity, our annual Calgary Pride Parade and Festival.
In order to achieve success, we rely upon the generous support and collaboration of our community partners. Your partnership allows us to offer enhanced programming throughout the year, bringing us closer to our vision of a city free from discrimination against gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.
MISSION Leveraging off of Calgary Pride’s visibility; our mission is to promote equity, inclusion, and celebration of Calgary’s gender and sexually diverse communities.
VISION An inclusive city, free from discrimination against gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.
VALUES These core values represent our commitment to the individuals, groups, and organizations with whom we interact in the course of our work, each and every day.
Equality We create an environment where everyone enjoys the same universal rights.
Celebration We celebrate the cultural landscape and history of our community.
Learning We facilitate the growth of a just and inclusive society through continuous learning.
Respect We cultivate a city that embraces diversity with respect and dignity.
Collaboration We engage the community, seeking opportunities for mutual benefit.
The Difference You Can Make Contributions from the community ensure that we can continue to offer our annual events, including the Calgary Pride Parade and Festival, Central Memorial Pride, Queerly Festive Dinner & Show, Ally Toolkit Conference, and Reading with Royalty without creating barriers for participants. In donating your time, money and resources you and your organization support the following programing:
Calgary Pride Parade & Festival We’ve come a long way! From the humble beginnings of a backyard BBQ, to the current celebration attracting 80,000 spectators and 200 entries! In order to meet the needs of a now world class parade, significant viewership, and community participation, the Parade flows parallel to the Bow River, through downtown Calgary’s main artery along 6th Avenue, and north back to Calgary’s pre-eminent festival and celebration space, Prince’s Island Park.
Pride in the Park is free, fabulous, and formidable! Pride in the Park is Calgary Pride’s post parade celebration and cultural festival where you can enjoy delicious food, experience local performance artists on two different stages, dance barefoot in the grass at our Wellness Oasis, bounce in a bouncy castle, peruse the Marketplace, and of course make a toast to a beautiful, diverse, and inclusive city!
Central Memorial Pride Central Memorial Pride is a two day, multi-generational, inclusive, and educational event kicking off Pride Week in Central Memorial Park, a prominent landmark in Calgary’s queer history. This celebration includes performances from local artists, family friendly activations hosted by community groups, and workshops as diverse as our community, all of which are free to attend.
Ally Toolkit Conference In partnership with Calgary Queer Arts Society, and Alberta Health Services, the Ally Toolkit Conference is the first and only of its kind in Calgary. This three-day conference brings together leading perspectives from healthcare professionals, corporate leaders, and community organizers to safely answer questions, discuss what ally-ship means, and equip individuals with the necessary tools to become leaders in creating more equitable communities.
Queerly Festive Dinner & Show As the winter holiday season comes into full swing, we understand that it can become a difficult and emotional time. Many members of our community find themselves displaced and without family, and that isolation is further heightened during traditions and festivities that typically bring together typical family units. To support those members of our community who experience this isolation and to bring together friends and families of choice, Calgary Pride is honoured to produce a holiday dinner and show, with entry by donation. This event aims to ensure that each and every person within our community has an opportunity to take part, connect with friends, meet new ones, and celebrate our collective diversity!
Reading with Royalty In partnership with the Calgary Public Library, Reading with Royalty celebrates diversity and encourages children to look beyond gender stereotypes and embrace exploration of self. In this year-round programming, participants are able to experience those who glamorously interpret gender expression and imagine a colourful world where people can express their identity freely. Sparking the imagination and celebrating inclusion this family-friendly story-time program, led by local drag Monarchy is produced monthly at libraries around the city and at a variety of community events.
Community Fundraising Guidelines Thank you for your interest in supporting Calgary Pride! Before you begin planning your event it is important to review the following guidelines with the understanding that not all events will qualify for the use of Calgary Pride brand markers.
Terms and Conditions For Calgary Pride to officially endorse Community Fundraising Events, organizers must agree to the following terms and conditions:
● Prior approval to hold a third-party event is required. Approval is based on the type, theme and financial viability of the event. Calgary Pride reserves the right to withhold the use of its name and logo from any event that is not considered to be in alignment with the mission, vision and values of the organization.
● An Event Proposal Form must be completed and submitted at least 30 business days prior to your event.
● All promotional material must indicate that your event is “in support of” or “proceeds benefiting” Calgary Pride. Publicity should not imply that Calgary Pride is involved in any capacity other than as the beneficiary.
● Unfortunately Calgary Pride does not have the resources to provide volunteers for all Community Fundraising Events. However, there may be some areas where we can assist. Please contact [email protected] for further information.
● Funds generated from your event will be issued to Calgary Pride within two weeks of the event date (some exceptions may apply).
● Calgary Pride assumes no legal or financial liability associated with the event. Nor is Calgary Pride liable for any injuries sustained by volunteers or participants related to your event.
● Official tax receipts may be issued where fundraising is directed specifically to collaborative programming with Calgary Pride’s community partners. For more information, please contact [email protected]
● Events should take care to abide by all laws and regulations, and, where applicable, organizers should obtain appropriate insurance and/or gaming licenses.
Event Ideas
Auctions (art, silent, services) Trivia night Movie night Sports tournament Benefit concert School dance Garage sale Fashion show Bake sale Gala event Games tournament Cook off Can/bottle drive Benefit BBQ Speaker series Lemonade stand Donations instead of gifts at a birthday/anniversary party Dinner party where everyone makes a donation to attend
Promoting Your Event
Graphics & Marketing If you would like to create your own graphics, send it to us for approval first prior to sending them out. Depending on your event we may be able to assist with the design of this [email protected]
Online Promotion Using sites like Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and Twitter or contacting people through email and text messaging are great ways to get the word out about your event. Ask your friends to forward on the details of your event to their friends!
Check out online event calendars serving your community such as municipal or community centre websites to see if they will accept a posting for your event.
We are also happy to help promote your event through Calgary Pride’s event calendar and social media channels. Please contact [email protected]
Media If you’re planning a large event, you might consider sending a press release to local newspapers, radio and TV stations. When you contact them, ask if one of their editors might be interested in doing a story in advance, covering your event or taking photos. Local media loves local news!
If a reporter contacts you about your event, tell them about what you are planning, why you are doing it, and other key details. If the reporter has questions about Calgary Pride, please refer them to us directly at [email protected].
Planning Checklist To help keep you and your event organized use this checklist to ensure everything is covered.
Before your event □ Brainstorm ideas – refer to our event ideas to help get you started. □ Consider any possible safety or legal issues and re-plan accordingly. □ Determine how many people you’ll need to help you with your event and recruit volunteers. □ Complete the event proposal form and return it to Calgary Pride before planning gets underway and a minimum of 30 days to your event. □ Find a suitable location - consider all aspects of accessibility. □ Create a budget plan. □ Pick your date and schedule your event. □ Promote your event, ensuring all materials with our logo have been approved.
During your event □ Ensure volunteers have clear directions and understand their roles. □ Ensure that gender neutral washrooms are available with clear signage indicating they are gender neutral. □ Offer a land acknowledgement prior to the start of the event. □ Assign someone to be responsible for handling the donations. □ Have fun! You’re doing a great thing for a great cause so be sure to enjoy yourself too.
After your event □ Be sure to thank your donors and sponsors – we have provided a template to help! □ Collect the funds. □ Complete the Financial Summary Form and Fundraising Feedback Form. □ Send your completed forms along with the funds to Calgary Pride within two weeks of your event.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens after I submit the Event Proposal Form? As soon as we review your form, a Calgary Pride Team Member will email you with approval and further instructions. We aim to get back to you within 2-5 business days. Please note, we do not accept submissions during our festival season (August - September).
Can I use your logo on my website, product or publicity materials? If you would like to discuss a partnership with Calgary Pride in relation to your Cause Related Marketing campaign, please contact [email protected]
How can I cover the costs of my event? Calgary Pride will not cover the costs of your event. Local stores or companies may agree to sponsor your event, donate goods or lend you their services for free.
Can I advertise my event on the Calgary Pride website? We would be happy to help promote your event benefiting Calgary Pride! Depending on the nature of your event we may post on the Calgary Pride social media platforms as well.
Thank You Letter Template
It is always important to say thank you to those who helped with your event. Successful fundraising is about building relationships with your supporters. Writing a thank you letter will show your appreciation and also build stronger relationships for your next event!
Use the template below as a guide to write an email or a letter to your key supporters and fellow team members thanking them for their dedication and contribution to your event.
Dear Friend,
Thank you for supporting my fundraising event, Event Name, held on Event Date at Event Location.
Proceeds will be donated to Calgary Pride. These funds will support Calgary Pride’s work towards building an inclusive city, free from discrimination against gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.
For more information on the programming your generous donation supports, please visit www.calgarypride.ca.
Thank you again for your generous support.
Sincerely,
Your name
Feedback Form
Thank you for your hard work! In order to help other fundraisers, plan events in the future and to help us offer the support you need, please take a few minutes to tell us about your experience.
Briefly describe your event: ______
What was your fundraising goal? $______How much did you raise? $______
How many people attended your event? ______
How did you promote your event?
Invitations to friends/family Internet Facebook/Twitter/Other social media
Posters Radio/TV Word of mouth Other: ______
What would you consider to be the strengths/weaknesses of your event? ______
What advice do you have for future events or other fundraisers? ______
Did you find Calgary Pride’s Fundraising Event Toolkit helpful? Yes No
What recommendations would you make to improve Calgary Pride’s Fundraising Event Toolkit? ______
Thank you for your feedback.