The Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation (CCOF) offers many programs specific to Canadian Optimist Clubs. These include a potential for an outsourcing agreement to produce charitable receipts for fundraising events and 4 Club Grants of $500 each year. For more information, visit their website at optimistfoundation.ca.
Contact the District Foundation Rep: Gord Holly (905) 801-1633 if you have questions or need assistance.
General Donations – download and fill in this form to send a general donation to CCOF.
Giving Tuesday 2024
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Dime-A-Day Donation
The Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation, DIME-A-DAY Program is one way to support CCOF. With your donations, you are helping cultivate the Foundation for a Flourishing Youth. The Foundation is honored to be giving $10,000.00 annually to each District for the winners of the oratorical and essay contest, and the communication contest for the deaf and hard of hearing (CCDHH). The Foundation also funds Optimist International activities such as the JOI clubs and the Reel Optimism video contest.
Club Grants Program
Each quarter, the Foundation gives $500.00 grants to Canadian clubs for community projects that benefit youth under 18 years of age. Newly built Optimist Clubs that are formed with 25 members will receive $100.00 to help cover the expense of a first community project. Contact the CCOF staff to learn more about these programs.
Childhood Health & Wellness
Last year, the Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation gave $3,000.00 as a matching grant to the Southlake Regional Health Centre, in Newmarket, Ontario. The purpose of this gift is to support their Paediatric Oncology Clinic. We are proud to support our members in their efforts to help the families who struggle with childhood diseases.
And now, there is the Spread Relief program. (Previously, Childhood Cancer Campaign (CCC).) The objective was to broaden that well-known and well-loved program in order to help more kids and their families across the country. An always growing number of clubs and members were asking for a way to help kids with a range of health issues. The autism spectrum is subject to increasing media scrutiny. Physical disabilities generate high treatment costs for a family. Every community has special needs and asking the Optimists for some help is often the first thing that comes in mind when in need of support. Unfortunately, we were not able to help the clubs in helping children with mental health problems, cystic fibrosis or heart diseases, for example, as much as we would have liked to.
The CCOF therefore has broadened its program to assist more children and families dealing with more diverse health issues. The mission will include projects focused on assisting children and families dealing with more mental and physical health issues, or promoting and raising awareness of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to inspire entire communities.
Since October 1st 2017, the Spread Relief program will:
- Develop a template for Clubs to use to identify and assess the needs in the community – available here: http://ccof-foec.org/spread-relief/
- Through a committee, select from all the project submissions, those that exemplify this program;
- Give seed money to the chosen projects, based on funds available and the Club’s needs;
- Share the projects on the Foundation’s platforms to promote the program’s success and inspire other Clubs.
The closer you are to a community, the more you know their needs. We therefore think Optimist members and Clubs are well placed to know how they could serve youth in their own community. Optimist members are well-known for their active work and we have committed to help them. The Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation is ready to Spread Relief from coast to coast. Are you?
Donate now
General Donations – download and fill in this form to send a general donation to CCOF. (Please remember add the CCV number from your card.)
CCOF CLUB GRANTS
Club Grants
Excellent opportunity to apply for an Optimist Club Grant from CCOF – Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation
How to Submit a Project for Funding
The Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation is seeking project ideas from Optimist Clubs and an amount of $10,000 will be available through the CCOF President’s Incentive & Club Grants Program to support projects for the benefit of children in various communities.
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For updates to this page, email: bwick@brooklinsigns.com