I thought it was going to be a typical day at FlipGive, What I wasn’t expecting was Thomas’ letter.
“My name is Thomas and I’m 13 years old,” it read. “I am writing you because I was wondering how I can get funds for hockey.”
Now - apart from the author being a bit young, there wasn’t much out of the ordinary. But what came next made me take a step back.
“My dad just finished going to university and he doesn’t have a job yet,” Thomas wrote. “If I can find a way to help with my team fees then I know that would make it better for him.”
Thomas’ letter didn’t stop there when tugging at the heartstrings:
“Can you tell me please how do I apply to see if I can get help so I can still play hockey this year.”
Having been both a teacher at one time, and a member of a fundraising consultancy at another, this hit me from two sides - and I knew that there was a lot more to be done than simply explaining the FlipGive program to Thomas.
While I could help him set up a fundraiser for the long term, I wanted to make sure he could get some short-term help as well. So I made sure Thomas had the contact for JumpStart and KidSport Canada – both great charities that would be able to help in this sort of a situation.
As a B Corporation, FlipGive believes in the power of business to solve social problems, be it making sure kids have the chance to play sports, or helping a school get the funding they need.
This is why I work here, instead of somewhere else – I want to help. Luckily I knew some places he could go.
With some stopgap funding in place for Thomas, I made sure the rest of the office saw the letter.
It’s great to be able to help in this way, so I wanted to make sure the whole team saw our impact. Because when it comes down to it: it’s why we’re all here. We want to make a difference.
[earners]
THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS
FlipGive and Cammi Granato would like to thank our official supporters Dallas Stars, Seattle Kraken, LA Kings, Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, Hawerchuk Strong, Jackson Events, Canlan and other donors for helping support future legends as part of the Cammi Granato Girls Hockey Grant.
ABOUT CAMMI GRANATO:
Cammi Granato is a former captain of the United States women's national ice hockey team, Olympic gold medalist and one of the first women to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010. She currently works as a scout for the NHL’s Seattle Kraken organization.
ABOUT FLIPGIVE:
FlipGive is a free tool to make and manage money for your team. Earn cashback toward team expenses, balance the budget, accept fee payments, and more. Managers and parents save time and energy while lowering the cost to play. Teams across North America have earned $29M and counting. Learn more at flipgive.com
