Help vulnerable kids in Canada by hosting a fun event like

the canadian tuxedo at your school!Did you know that many kids leaving Canada’s child welfare system don’t have a home and struggle for

their daily necessities like food and clothing? Helping them with things like counselling or education can

change their lives.

Wear your Canadian tuxedo and support kids in Canada’s child welfare system.

K2K KIT PROGRAM

K2K Kit program

SO WHAT IS IT EXACTLY ?We are empowering young people to organize an event or activity at your school to raise money for the

Children’s Aid Foundation.

10 Benefits of K2K

1. Helping kids across Canada

2. Volunteer Hours

3. Great extra-curricular to add to your resume

4. Make new friends

5. Learn new skills

6. Events are FUN

7. Get involved & trying new things

8. Leadership experience

9. Give back to your community

10. Learn more about charity

FUN FACT: 2 million Canadians are employed in

the charitable and non-profit sector! Could this

be a career that interests you?

CHILDREN’S AID FOUNDATION, or CAF for short, is an independent charity. CAF raises money in a variety of ways (for example: the Teddy Bear Affair gala, donations made by companies or individual people and fundraising events held by others in the community who want to raise money for CAF).

With the money that is raised CAF is able to GRANT funds to child welfare agencies in Canada who use the money for specific programs that help young people in the care of CHILD WELFARE. CAF also has a scholarship program to help support youth in care with post-secondary education.

To better understand, here’s a concrete example of just one of these programs:

Bridging to Independence

FACT: Approximately 2,500 young people “AGE OUT” or leave the child welfare system every year in Toronto alone.

When a young person ages out of care any government funding they have been receiving largely ceases, as does the emotional support they received from former care providers. Suddenly, they must find the means and resources to establish a life of independence. Without the appropriate level of support, these young people face homelessness, insurmountable poverty, and a lifetime of hopelessness.

The BRIDGING TO INDEPENDENCE PROGRAM provides funds to help youth with vital support such as food, shelter, and clothing. Funding goes towards things like:

• Rent for a place to live

• Gift cards for food

• Moving fees and emergency storage

• Basic home furnishings like beds, tables, and sofas

• Kitchen essentials like plates, cutlery, and pots and pans

• Bed sheets and towels

• Bathroom necessities like toilet paper, shampoo, and soap

• Laundry detergent

• Cleaning supplies

K2K Kit program

CHEYANNEFormer Child in Care Came into care system at age 14 due to abuse; currently pursuing Masters in Social Work.

A FEW MORE SHOCKING FACTS• 76,000 young people across the nation live in foster homes or residential facilities and approximately 200,000 more are

at risk of experiencing neglect or abuse in the community

• Neglect, maltreatment, abuse, or extreme poverty hinder a young person’s abilities to learn in school, affecting short-term memory, the ability to concentrate, and the motivation to complete work

• Young people in care often lag one to two grades behind their peers in primary and secondary school

• 44% of kids involved with the care system graduate high school compared to 81% of the general population

K2K IN BROAD TERMS

A K2K fundraiser is an event or ongoing activity organized by students or school community that raises money for the Children’s Aid Foundation. Jeans days, scavenger hunts, and “a-thons” are only a few examples! Dollars raised through K2K fundraising events help CAF fund a broad range of programs that address the needs of vulnerable children and young people in the child welfare system across Canada. Funds raised are directed to the Foundation’s highest priority needs.

The Children’s Aid Foundation funds programs that help kids in Canada’s child welfare system build self-

esteem and brighter futures.

“Your gift gave me the confidence to choose sports over joining a gang. Some of my friends have been shot, others are in jail, and I just graduated grade 12 on my way to university and a better life. I am incredibly grateful.”

CHECKLIST, AKA THE KEY TO HOLDING AN AWESOME K2K

FUNDRAISER!! Obtain approval to hold a school fundraiser (Depending on your school, you may need to speak to your Charity Head, your

Student Council or a teacher)

Contact Jess at the Children’s Aid Foundation at jbrayne@cafdn.org or at 416-923-0924 to let CAF know about your event!

Gather a team & form a committee to plan the event (Start by asking your friends to join you!)

Decide what type of fundraising event you will hold (Keep reading for suggestions, but creativity is encouraged! You might have other ideas as well!)

Set a date and time or choose a launch date if the fundraiser is ongoing (Be sure that there aren’t any other major events happening at your school on the date you choose!)

Create a plan and set a timeline for action items (This will help keep you on track! Work backwards from the event date to make sure everything is ready)

Set your fundraising goal and create a budget for any expenses you might have (Always try to minimize expenses so you don’t use too much of the money you raise to cover your costs)

Promote the event to other students and staff to build up excitement. (Brainstorm all the ways you can promote the event so EVERYONE knows about it, not just your friends!)

Committee members can ask family and friends to donate items (gift certificates, sport or concert tickets, etc.) to use as a prize. Prizes can help attract more people to participate in your event = you raise more money!

Keep track of the time you spent planning and running your K2K fundraising event to submit for volunteer hours. (VERY important: confirm with your Charity Head, teacher or principal that the work you put into your K2K fundraising event will be eligible for volunteer hours)

SAMPLE FUNDRAISER FOR A

CLASSROOM

A K2K fundraiser is an event or ongoing activity organized by students or school community that raises money for the Children’s GUESS HOW MANY GREEN JELLY BEANS ARE IN THE JAR!

1 GUESS FOR $23 GUESSES FOR $510 GUESSES FOR $10

Closest guess will win 2 tickets to a Raptors game

POST-EVENT• Be Proud! Raising money to support kids in your community is a great accomplishment!

• Say Thank You! Be sure to thank everyone who was involved in making your K2K event a success. (And let everyone know how much was raised!)

• Collect all the funds raised and deliver to the Children’s Aid Foundation at 25 Spadina Rd, Toronto, ON, M5R 2S9. (Right beside the Spadina subway station)

• Hold a wrap up meeting with your committee members. It’s a good idea to discuss your successes and challenges. If you decide to hold a second event, this evaluation will be really helpful!

• Tell CAF all about your K2K fundraising experience and share photos and videos from your event so we can show other K2K fundraisers what it’s all about!

• Submit the breakdown of the time you spent (and how you spent it!) organizing and running your K2K fundraising event for CAF to sign off on your volunteer hours

K2K FUNDRAISING IDEAS!• Want a day-off from your school uniform? Hold a jeans day! Collect a set amount of money for participants to wear jeans to

school.

• DIY-sale! Love Etsy? Create your own marketplace! (anything goes - jewellery, greeting cards, art, photography, etc.) Sell your one-of-a-kind pieces to raise money.

• Turn your school dance or semi-formal into a fundraiser! Have part of the ticket price go towards your fundraiser to raise money.

• Host an intramural sports tournament! The team that raises the most money gets extra points! (i.e. $5 raised = 1 point for the team) Hint: find a get prize to award to the winning team to encourage fundraising!

• Show-off your hidden talents in a fashion show, dance show or music concert. Have the audience pay an entrance fee to raise money.

• Challenge your school to a unique activity such as a scavenger hunt! Have participants pay an entrance fee to raise money.

• Turn any activity into an “a-thon”; dance-a-thon, walk-a-thon, zumba-thon and ask participants to raise money by asking family and friends for donations

• Whip-up your family’s secret recipes for a bake sale or find a good page-turner through a book sale.

• Craving pizza? Get your fix with a pizza lunch day! Sell it by the slice to raise money.

• Use ECHOAge (it’s a really cool website! Google it.) to host a birthday party (or other type of party!) where guests give money online. Half the money is donated to charity and half the money goes towards a gift for the party host!

JESSICAFormer Child in Care Abandoned at birth, raised in kinship care, graduated teachers’ college.

FEATURED K2K FUNDRAISER IDEA: CANADIAN TUXEDOTURN YOUR NEXT JEANS DAY INTO A CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL PRIDE BY SHOWING-OFF YOUR CANADIAN TUXEDO! WEAR YOUR FAVOURITE JEAN-ON-JEAN COMBINATION AND RAISE MONEY TO SUPPORT THE CHILDREN’S AID FOUNDATION.

Canadians are renowned for our laid-back attitudes, and what could be a more fitting tribute to the Great White North than a day dedicated to our very own Canadian Tuxedo?

Turn dress-down Fridays into a fashion forward fundraiser! Create a fundraising goal and consider adding another fun component such as awards for best tuxedo or best denim “personality”.

Establishing how long you would like the fundraiser to run (1 Friday/month, 4 Fridays/month or one-time event) and collect donations from each participant.

Event day activities can include:• Fashion show with awards for best dressed• Canadian-themed trivia (music, history, sports)• Any other games/activities/competitions that will get people involved!• Channel your True North pride by raising money to design and wear your denim-on-denim combination, otherwise known

as the Canadian Tuxedo. Help vulnerable kids across Canada in a fun, creative day filled that can include fashion shows, contests, and amazing style!

Here are just a few ways you can style your Canadian Tuxedo:

“The Purist” – jeans + matching blue shirt or jacket “The Punk” – jean + cut-off jacket with a Forgotten Rebels or A for anarchy patch on the back “The Bedazzler” – jeans + jacket that is jewel studded“The Retro Preppie” – jeans + jean jacket with popped collar“The Hipster” - jeans + jean or chambray shirt“The Socialite” - jeans + jean jacket with faux fur collar/scarf “The Boy Band” – all white denim

INVOLVE YOUR SCHOOLInvolving other students and staff in your school fundraiser will ensure the event is a success! Here are a few ways to build some hype and PROMOTE your fundraiser:

• Use CAF’s event poster template (or create your own!) to post information about your event in communal areas (cafeteria, hallways, classrooms).

• Mention the event over the P.A. system or in an assembly.

• Does your school have a weekly bulletin/newsletter/notice board for announcements? Post information about your event!

• Send an email (or ask a staff member to send one) to all students & staff encouraging them to take part in the event.

• Leave a fun promotional piece or personal event invite on lockers or in classrooms so students and staff will be reminded about your fundraiser with a fun surprise!

• If your school is connected on social media, use those channels to promote your event!

• Send an email reminder the day before your event or take a walk through the school to personally remind students, staff and the school community.

HOW CAN CAF HELP YOU

WITH YOUR AWESOME K2K

FUNDRAISER?Please be sure to let us know about your event well in advance to ensure that we can support you! As long as your fundraiser does not conflict with the Children’s Aid Foundation’s mission, values and priorities, we would be glad to provide the following:

• Fundraising ideas, tips and feedback on your plan!

• A poster template

• CAF’s Community Event logo to use on your event posters, tickets or any other items you create to help you promote your event!

• A thermometer poster to track the progress to your fundraising goal! (This is useful if your fundraiser spans more than one day)

• Letter of Acknowledgement – If you decide to ask friends and family to donate prizes, the letter can help assure that you’re holding a fundraiser for the Children’s Aid Foundation!

• An online fundraising page for your event on the CAF website that CAF will set up for you (This is if you need to collect $ online – for example if you have an intramural sports tournament and ask teams to collect donations from family, friends, neighbours etc.)

• Posting of your event on our online events calendar

• CAF Handouts (about the work we do) and signage for event (whenever possible)

• CAF representative and/or qualified speaker to attend your event (subject to availability)

• Tax receipts for eligible donations (speak to CAF staff for more information about this)

CAF IS NOT ABLE TO:

• Assume any financial or legal liability for your event, including covering any costs, providing insurance coverage, signing any contracts or applying for any permits and/or licenses on your behalf

• Promoting your event or selling tickets to your event

• Soliciting sponsorship or prizes for your event

• Provide access to CAF’s mailing lists, including contact information of CAF sponsors, donors, partners and staff

• Guarantee speakers or CAF representatives to come to your event

• Issue tax receipts without proper paperwork, as per CRA guidelines

FUNDRAISING GUIDELINES

CHILDREN’S AID FOUNDATION BRAND INTEGRITYPreserving CAF’s brand integrity is very important to us. We can provide community event organizers with CAF’s In Support of logo for use on event collateral (posters, tickets etc.) and we ask that you show CAF the materials before use for approval

TAX RECEIPTINGCAF can issue tax receipts according to Canada Revenue Agency’s guidelines. Please confirm with CAF which donations are eligible for a tax receipt before promising any tax receipts to event donors, participants and supporters.

EVENT EXPENSESEvent expenses cannot be covered by tax-receiptable donations made to the Children’s Aid Foundation. Ticket sales and/or sponsorship can be used to cover event expenses.

PERMITS, LICENSES AND INSURANCEBe sure to verify any permit/licensing/insurance requirements of your venue and the applicable levels of government. The Children’s Aid Foundation will not assume any legal or financial liability for your event.

Lara FellmanSr Development Officerlfellman@cafdn.org416-923-0924 ext 284

Jess BrayneDevelopment Officerjbrayne@cafdn.org416-923-0924 ext 261

BONUS!HOW TO GET YOUR 40 HOURS BY VOLUNTEERING WITH CAF!

http://www.hdsb.ca/ParentInfo/HSGradRequire/Pages/40HourVolRequire.aspx

http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/citizenship/changetheworld/yac.shtml

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/124a.html

GLOSSARY

GRANT: CAF takes money that has been raised and gives it to its partner child welfare agencies.

CHILD WELFARE: “Child welfare” is a term used to describe a set of government and private services designed to protect children and encourage family stability. The main aim of these services is to safeguard children from abuse and neglect.

Canada’s provinces and territories all have CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES that can be contacted by the public 24 hours a day. These agencies ensure the safety of children who, for a variety of reasons, may not be safe in their homes. These agencies, grouped together, cover the entire country and are called the Canadian CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM.

CROWN WARDS: This term is used to describe children who are the legal responsibility of the government because they are no longer in the care of their biological parents. Crown wards may be placed in kinship care (under the care of a relative), foster care, a group home or residential care. When young people reach a certain age (18, 19 or 21 – it differs by province) they “AGE OUT OF CARE” and the government no longer has legal responsibility for them.

YUANFormer Child in Care Entered care system at age 9 due to abuse, became Crown ward, currently pursuing law school.