You Are Collective is a local Okanagan initiative to raise awareness and increase education for mental health and illness. When Michael and Rebecca first sought out to raise money for mental health, they did it based on the lack of resources and accessibility they noticed while going through their own struggles. They often felt alone and isolated as the stigma around mental health and illness affects us whether at work, school, home, or in public. By providing safe spaces to have open conversations about mental health, Michael and Rebecca are closing the gap in the mental health community by using apparel and their voices as a vehicle for their movement.

We’re so thankful for all the work that You Are Collective is doing in our community and beyond!

Got questions about how you can make your next event like Strike out the Stigma? 

We’re here for you!

The post Driving impact through collaboration with existing businesses & charities appeared first on Trellis.

About the cause.

Victoria chose the Upstream Project, which works to address youth homelessness, with a focus on prevention for at-risk youth. The Upstream Project works with students still in school. Its goal is to address these issues before youth experience these challenges. Passionate about the cause, Victoria knew she could do something to help.

Victoria had a cause close to her heart. All she needed now was a massive goal to inspire others and raise the money.

About the trek. 

The opportunity to summit Mount Kilimanjaro was a big goal to say the least. See Victoria had never done a trek like this before, but wanted to use it as a chance to push outside of her comfort zone. “I wanted to do something that would be really difficult. I thought the metaphor of ending youth homeless and inspiring these kids to reach for their dreams played in nicely to climbing a mountain, and really fitting for what these youth feel.” 

Through this trek, Victoria wanted to inspire at-risk youth in her community and encourage them that with any mountain they face, they can overcome it too. For them a mountain may be getting out of bed and asking for help, going back to school, or starting detox; but whatever it is they can overcome their mountains one step at a time.

About trellis.

Victoria used trellis to raise money and awareness for her climb. She started by creating pages on Gofundme and Facebook, but quickly found that her trellis page was far more effective at raising money and sharing her story. She also loved that she was supporting a local company that was focused on giving back. 

So far, Victoria has raised over $8,000 and is still collecting donations for the Upstream Project to hit her $10,000 goal.

Join the action. 

Inspired by what Victoria’s done? You can start a fundraiser for a cause close to your heart, and make a massive difference too. 

And hey, rumour has it the Sprout a Fundraiser challenge is still on! If you start a fundraiser for an organization in the Okanagan before the end of the year, you have a chance to win an EXTRA $10,000 in cash for that cause. Yeah we know, it’s a pretty sweet deal. 

The post Overcoming mountains and inspiring generations. appeared first on Trellis.

So we thought we’d help you out and come up with a list of our top 5 ideas for giving back that you can start today!

1. Start a donation campaign.

I get it, you’re super busy but still want to make an impact! Why not start a donation campaign? Share the story of why you care, and inspire others to give to your cause. (And hey, if you pick a cause in the Okanagan you’ll have a chance to win an EXTRA $10K for your chosen organization. Yeah… we’re serious.)

2. Give your time.

Find a local organization that aligns with your values and donate some time to help them as they draw closer to the winter. Maybe that’s serving a warm lunch, helping with an upcoming fundraising event, or simply greeting people as they come through the doors to receive support and services. Whatever it is, sometimes a warm smile goes a long way! 

3. Spread awareness.

Talk about your favourite cause, tell your friends and family, and share why it matters for you! Use your words to inspire others to get involved or find a cause they care about too!

4. Host a fundraising event.

A potluck with friends, a karaoke pub night, a hockey game for a cause, or a fancy gala for a great night out. Plan a fundraiser, and raise money for your favourite cause! (Oh yeah… and events are also eligible for the Sprout a Fundraiser challenge, so better get started before the end of the year if you want to win that $10,000!)

5. Donate resources to a local organization.

Maybe that’s food to your local food bank, clothes to a homeless shelter, or toys for a child and youth centre. It’s the giving season after all!

However you choose to give back, remember that you can make a difference, big or small and help make our community an even better place! GivingTuesday is December 3rd, and I don’t know about you, but we’re excited to start giving back today!

Have a question about how to get started? Speak to one of our fundraising specialists and they would be happy to help.

The post GivingBack this GivingTuesday. appeared first on Trellis.

OKGNtech for Good is a campaign challenging the OKGNtech community to raise $1 million dollars. We’ve chosen Child Advocacy Centre (CAC) of Kelowna as the suggested organization to donate to. The CAC, expected to open in early 2020, is an innovative and collaborative solution designed to support vulnerable children in meaningful and productive ways. Put simply, a local Child Advocacy Centre actually helps clear the path for a child victim to leave victimization behind and have the support and hope to start again. Sadly, this is a need in our community.

The Child Advocacy Centre is a shining example of our region’s ability to innovate and collaborate and isn’t that what OKGNtech is all about?! We’ve seen lots of amazing companies come on board already including Accelerate Okanagan, MAVAN Capital Partners, CREW Marketing Partners, and there is still room for you too!

Here’s how you can get involved with OKGNtech for Good. 

Choose.

Choose a cause that aligns with your company! The CAC is our organization of choice, but you can invest in any cause that moves you. 

Create.

Create a fundraising page on trellis.org to raise money. Trellis will track the collective impact so we can celebrate our wins together. 

Do good. 

Raise money for your chosen cause. Anything goes and any amount helps! Getting started is easy, the hardest part is remembering to hashtag #okgntechforgood.

There are 1 million different ways you can get involved with OKGNtech for Good, but we thought we’d start you off with just 5 fundraising ideas to get that brainstorming party started. 

1. Client Appreciation Event. 

Make your next client appreciation event an opportunity to give back! Gathering your clients together to show them your new space, say thanks for their support, or celebrate with a holiday party? Why don’t you use it as an opportunity to also raise money for OKGNtech for Good? Not only does it give clients an opportunity to join the excitement, but it’ll remind them why they love your company so much! 

2. Lip sync battle anyone? 

Sometimes after a busy work week, you just need to let loose. What about a lip sync battle with your colleagues? Invite some of your favourite OKGNtech companies to join in the fun! Charge an admission fee or raise the stakes for the losing team! 

3. A Private Concert

Okay, so maybe you don’t want to get on stage and sing, but why not call on a local OKGN band to entertain your guests at a private concert for your cause! Under the Rocks, anyone?

4. A Business Development Workshop

Don’t you love discovering that the companies you support also give back to their community? What about when it’s a company you are just considering signing on with? For your next business development workshop, charge admission by donation, and give your potential clients another reason to choose you over the competition. 

5. A Donation Campaign. 

Maybe an event isn’t quite up your alley. Well, what about a fundraising campaign instead? Donate a portion of your commissions or revenue from the quarter to a cause you care about, and trust us, you’ll feel really good about it. 

Have some other ideas for how you can raise money? That’s the spirit! Join the OKGNtech for Good challenge and let’s raise $1 million dollars for our community!

Curious who has already started their fundraisers? Check that out here!

Let’s show Canada what the OKGNtech community is all about.

The post OKGNtech for Good – The Million Dollar Challenge appeared first on Trellis.

You want to learn more, do more, donate more.

Well turns out it’s easier than you think to get started. We’ve got our top three ways to make an impact in your community, and as you can see it’s pretty simple! 

talk about it

Actually though! That’s where it starts! Talk to your network and build awareness. 

In a world of social platforms, where it’s easy to send texts or share our thoughts, why not try starting there to build awareness for your favourite causes? Sometimes a simple post gets way more attention and awareness than we could ever imagine.

build a campaign in under 5 minutes to give to the cause you care about

Your friends and family are now aware of your cause, so what’s next? Why don’t you set up a fundraising page, and they can donate to your cause right away!

Ultimate impact for your cause – instantly. It doesn’t get better than that.

Curious how you can set up a sweet fundraising page in under 5 minutes? Watch a quick video here!

plan a fundraising event

Okay before you get scared, this can actually be easier than you think, trust us. 

Fundraisers don’t have to be a fancy gala, or a big event with 2000 of your closest friends (although those are amazing!), they could just be an open house, a cozy potluck with friends, a 5km walk, or a mini-game tournament in your local park! 

Honestly, anything goes, so pick something you love and you know your friends will love it too!

It’s also really easy to start a fundraiser, click here to get started.

You know all those amazing movements that you hear about, where communities are transformed and countless people are helped? Well, lots of those movements are started with just an idea. Usually nothing fancy, just a thought as you’re falling asleep or a napkin scribble at a restaurant.

And from there they grow.

Into something unexplainable, into an entire community of do-gooders enhancing a collective movement.

(Don’t believe us? Check out this story!)

So, what do you say? Ready to start your movement?

The post Why it’s easier than you think to create an impact in your community appeared first on Trellis.

We are so excited that you are here. We mean it. We know that Sprout a Fundraiser is going to make some serious waves, and we are so glad you want to be a part of it!

We’re explaining how it works, so champions listen up! (And charities keep listening too, so you can tell your third party champions what they need to do!)

Here’s how it works.

pick a cause

We know you have a cause you’re passionate about, everybody does! Pick a cause that’s close to your heart and start brainstorming your fundraiser!

Have a cause in mind but not sure which charity within that space to work with? Reach out and we’d love to help!

Have a charity in mind but don’t see it on our platform? No problem! Holler our way and we can help with that too!

create a fundraising page on our platform

Get creative and come up with an awesome fundraising idea! Head to trellis.org and create a fundraising page. If you don’t have all the answers yet, not a problem! Make an outline and you can keep making changes and edits from there! 

launch your fundraiser and start raising money

We’ll help connect you with your chosen charity or non-profit, get your page approved by them, and get it live to start raising money! Once you’re live you can start collecting donations right away!

Keep checking your trellis page to see your progress on ticket sales and donations through our easy-to-use dashboard.

oh yeah! There’s some more helpful details to know!

Once you begin, you’ll see it’s super easy to get started, and our amazing Customer Support team will be here along the way to help you if any challenges arise! 

The Sprout challenge runs from now till December 31, 2019. In order to be eligible to win the $10,000 make sure your event page is live and you’ve sold at least one ticket, or received one donation by the end of the year! You’ll have until our launch party in February to keep raising funds and have at a chance at winning the Most Impactful Fundraiser for the $10K prize.

Already planned for your fundraising event to be held after our announcement event in February? No worries! You’ll still be eligible to win the $10K, but just remember you’ll be judged on your impact up until the announcement day!

So what do you say? Ready to get started?

The post How to Sprout Some Serious Impact appeared first on Trellis.

Launching September 1, we’re hosting our Sprout a Fundraiser challenge and it’s your super fun way to raise money for the causes you care about and make a difference in your community. Oh yeah, and I almost forgot… you have a chance to win $10,000 for your favourite cause!!!

So you’re probably thinking, “I’m in, now how do I get started?”

Well that’s the easy part! Sign up and choose a cause you care about and decide on your fundraiser. We’ll provide the platform to create and run your event, including an event page, ticketing, receipts, and more! And after the challenge, we’ll be holding a party and announce the winners! 

Get started

Prizes will be given out for the Most Impactful Fundraiser and the People’s Choice Award. There will be more categories announced in the weeks to come!

Brainstorm your fundraiser ideas, talk with your coworkers and friends, and get ready to launch your fundraiser! The competition will run September 1 to December 31, giving you lots of time to plan and host your event, and raise money for the causes you’re most passionate about. 

Follow along on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to hear the latest news in all things Sprout a Fundraiser, and to hear what others in your community are doing to make a difference!

Learn more about Sprout a Fundraiser here.

The post Sprout a Fundraiser Challenge appeared first on Trellis.

The Right Kind of Data Collection

A big data problem exists when a champion wants to fundraise for a charity, but the charity’s fundraising isn’t synced with a platform like trellis that helps manage relationships with supporters.

If you as a supporter are both a donor and a fundraiser, it’s easy for the organization you support to miss your overall contribution when their data isn’t linked properly with your account.

trellis changes the game on this, streamlining data into easy-to-understand overviews and spreadsheets that are updated in real-time. This means organizations can – at a glance – see the numbers and know the contribution you are making as both a donor and a champion.

Talk to a fundraising specialist about planning your next fundraiser today. 

Social Animals

When you host a fundraiser as a champion for a charity, you’re creating a team environment where attendees feel personally connected to your event. And most people don’t want to go to an event by themselves; they’re more likely to attend fundraisers with a group of friends, which inevitably means bringing even more people out. Champion fundraising, anyone?!

Champion fundraising is all about gathering friends, family, and coworkers. The most successful events are the ones that encourage people to hang out, have fun, and feel good while doing good. Our friends at MAVAN Capital proved this first hand. Being new to the city, they wanted to host an open house and welcome the community to their office. They chose to take it a step further, and donated to Stigma Stroll and the Third Space Life Charity at the same time, which brought in more new friends and coworkers to their open house than they ever expected!

Find out more about what it looks like to champion an event for a cause you care about, and learn just how easy it is to get started here.

We’re social animals, so the minute you bring friends, family, fundraising, and fun together you’re bound to feel like a superhero. And trust us, you should.

The post Make your champions shine appeared first on Trellis.

What did that look like for their charity? Amazing!!

Reid came forward with the plan to walk 100km in 4 days for charity, gathering communities across 7 cities to talk, walk, and end the stigma around mental health. 

All funds raised from the Stigma Stroll are going to Third Space Life Charity so counselling can be accessed by anyone who needs it.  

The Third Space team met Reid last December. They were immediately taken with his passion for mental health and community, stirring up an opportunity for people to talk about mental health.

Third Space was grateful that someone like Reid came forward because they don’t have a lot of resources or time to take on extra projects. 

Reid came to Allie and told her he wanted to plan, lead, run and coordinate an event. That was huge to Third Space as they are a tiny team (Allie as the executive director is the only paid person on staff) heavily relying on collaboration with community-minded companies and people to fundraise, volunteer, and help them in providing support services throughout the Okanagan.

Reid, as the champion using trellis

• Is passionate about mental health
• Has a concept in his head of what the event could look like
• Meets Third Space team
• Has coffee with Allie to solidify plans
• Takes 5 minutes to create an event page on trellis

Allie, as the Executive Director approving Reid as a trellis champion

• Meets Reid
• Sees the amazing opportunity that aligns with Third Space Life Charity’s vision and mandate in the work they’re already doing
• Approves Reid’s event page, uploads Third Space logos & branding to the page, and completes a customized tax receipt in just a few minutes
• Creates a subcommittee for booking parks & venues
• Completes a few simple tasks before the event weekend

Reid took the lead

Allie supported him in the background for whatever things he needed to be booked and helped him with time management as he still had a full-time job and was doing this event on the side. 

Over 18 different companies sponsored or supported the stroll in some way, making this a very active and widespread event.

Benefits Third Space experienced through using trellis

• User-friendly
• Easy user experience 
• Simple streamlined process: 
  • page setup → charity branding & customized messaging → receiving donations 
• Increasing community awareness about mental health
• Increasing understanding & engagement from people regarding who Third Space Life Charity is and what services they offer the community.

As Allie puts it, “If we had any troubleshooting, I’d just email the trellis team, and it was like a two-second turnaround, so I loved that we could work together to solve problems. One donor, I didn’t get the donor receipt for, and trellis staff were right on it, working with me to solve that issue…When you’re in the moment, or working on a project, being able to stay in that momentum and have the trellis team respond so quickly in the ways that they did was amazing.”

Events that piggybacked on the Stigma Stroll walk

MAVAN Capital hosted an open house, and this patio event raised $2,840 so now 24 people can access a free counselling session via Third Space. The event sold out in two weeks, and MAVAN made it clear they wanted to do more than just sponsor an event, so they hosted one instead!

Mental Health and the tech community – public panel discussion led by thought leaders in the Okanagan’s tech industry. This event sold out within days, sparking more meetups and talks about mental health and wellness in the workplace.

Once Upon a Stigma – hosted by Okanagan Young People’s Collective at Third Space Culture Coffee Shop. This event was all about connecting community and raising awareness – a time where people gathered to hear and share their honest, raw stories about mental health.

4 days | 7 cities | 135 kilometres walked | 500+ participants | 3 other events created to increase awareness and support of Stigma Stroll initiatives

The Stigma Stroll has raised $9,240.21, translating into 77 free counselling sessions that are made available to anyone in the community who needs them. Amazing! Even better, the campaign is still live, so Reid can continue championing this important cause, and Allie and the Third Space team can continue receiving donations throughout the year. 

No new pages need to be made, and the current event pages can be duplicated with minor tweaks being made for future events. Simplified events – for good. 

Meet Justin and he’ll show you how simple it is to champion a cause you believe in!

The post How to host a fundraiser and champion your cause appeared first on Trellis.

Giving back feels good – really good. When you give, the “glow” you experience is so vibrant it carries over into other aspects of life and work.

Giving, volunteering, and bettering a social cause make people feel amazing, so what does it look like to infuse more of this ethos into our world?

Enter neuroscience and the world of social enterprise.

the science of doing good

Neuroscientists think prosocial behaviours like volunteering, donating money to strangers in need, or actions that provide a positive impact on others can boost your brain’s oxytocin levels (playfully called the “morale molecule”) by as much as 50%. Wowzers!

When people give willingly, studies show the pleasure center of the brain lights up and oxytocin is released. Performing philanthropic acts causes our bodies to release different “happiness chemicals” creating a reaction similar to a runner’s high, known as the warm glow of giving.

So what does this all have to do with the world of social enterprise?

As humans are hardwired to do good, social enterprises make it their mission as businesses to do good at the corporate level.  Fun fact: Kelowna’s Innovation Centre is home to a variety of diverse social enterprises like Trellis who are putting purpose before profit. Social enterprises make it their mission to provide solutions to complex world problems as they create impactful improvements in financial, environmental and social well-being.   

Researchers note that humanity’s secret to success as a species has been our ability to socially cooperate. We collaborate to ensure the survival of community groups we are affiliated with. As humans, we’ve evolved to cooperate. We’re hardwired to help others.

Oxytocin – or behaviours like giving that result in its release – may help form social bonds that underlie the authentic, lasting engagement of employees and customers. Research shows that oxytocin plays a role in forming the social bonds that create a strong sense of affiliation and connectedness paramount to engagement. When an employee or company is authentically connected to benevolence, the quality of their work is rated by consumers as higher.

increasing employee engagement by doing good

Authentic engagement isn’t really about kitschy gimmicks. It has to do with creating a real emotional connection involving a person, their peers and the company they work for.

Give your team what they really want.

People want to be engaged. Ample psychological research demonstrates that fulfillment and happiness – both personal and professional – derive from having a sense of purpose, meaning, or connection.

When team members see their company helping them attain a sense of meaning by doing good, they form deeper emotional connections to their company and coworkers.

When companies keep giving in mind and champion causes they care about, this provides fantastic opportunities to genuinely engage their workforce while attracting and retaining other valued people!

Champions are individuals or businesses like you who give back to the community. Host an event on behalf of a charity. Raise awareness and support a cause you believe in.

Want to become good-cause approved? Our Trellis team can get you set up with a spiffy looking event in less than 5 minutes. Book a demo and plug into a feel-good cause that will benefit you, your coworkers, and your community.

The post Why corporate giving is good appeared first on Trellis.