Photo: Lynn Cassidy, Executive Director of OCGA, and Judith Lingeman, International Affairs Director of the Postcode Lottery Group, hosted the inspiring session bringing together nearly 200 charity leaders.

The session is the latest in a series of digital events hosted by the Canadian Postcode Lottery Foundation and the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association (OCGA).

The Canadian Postcode Lottery Foundation is committed to running events which benefit the charity and non-profit sector in Ontario by helping them improve their efficiency and effectiveness.

Vital role in communities across Canada
Experts from Volunteer Canada delivered an informative session by sharing valuable strategies and examples of best practice.

Charity volunteers play a vital role in communities across Canada but the latest data shows declining levels of participation in recent years.

Anita Newling of Volunteer Canada told participants: “We’re seeing a dramatic drop in volunteer numbers and we’re having to work extra hard to recruit new volunteers. This is a challenging time for all organisations and if you are struggling you are not alone.”

The inspirational session was designed to help charities to manage the current downward trend in volunteering, by developing new ways to reinvigorate community participation.

Working in partnership
Lynn Cassidy, Executive Director of the OCGA, said: “Charitable gaming in Ontario relies on hundreds of thousands of volunteers to raise millions of dollars across the province, so we’re very pleased that we were able to partner with the Canadian Postcode Lottery Foundation to deliver this event.”

Judith Lingeman is International Affairs Director at Postcode Lottery Group, which operates successful charity lotteries in Europe. The organization is hopeful about launching a Postcode Lottery in Canada to start raising funds for good causes in the country.

Speaking on behalf of the Foundation, Judith Lingeman said: “Our ambition is to start a Postcode Lottery here in Ontario and our conversations with the local authorities seem very promising.”

“Until we have an official charity lottery license, we’ll continue to focus on our other goals, as we do in the Netherlands, Sweden, Great Britain, Germany and Norway, which is strengthening the charitable landscape.”

You can watch the inspiration session here:

Volunteer Power: Boosting Recruitment and Retention

Almost 200 charity representatives have taken part in an online inspiration session designed to explore the best ways of attracting and retaining volunteers.