What would you like to know?
Option 1: Organization. Select this option if you are a representative of a company or an organization who is looking to start a company-wide or a department fundraiser.
Option 2: Individual Fundraiser. Select this option if you are starting a personal fundraiser. This could be a birthday fundraiser, a fundraiser in memory of a loved one, or a fundraiser in lieu of wedding gifts. The options are limitless!
Option 3: Start a New Team. Select this option if you are setting up a friendly competition within your company or between organizations.
For example, your company has three floors, and you want to set up a competition between the floors; each floor will get a dedicated page to track their progress, in addition to an overall company page where you can see the result of the three floors combined.
This option would also work on a group of friends. You and your friends might want to start a friendly competition to see who can raise the most money within a certain time frame. Winner gets eternal bragging rights!
Email us at [email protected] if you want to brainstorm fundraising ideas!
Option 4: Join a Team. Select this option if you know that someone from your company or organization has already set up a "teams" page. For example, if you are on the fourth floor (see option 3 for context), and would like to join the company-wide competition after the other three floors are set up, you can select this option and join the competition.
The Spring Food Bank Challenge Virtual Food Drive allows individuals and groups of all kinds to raise money through an online fundraiser. It's a very efficient way to maximize your fundraising efforts. It's also easy and fun! Start one with your co-workers at the office, as a family project or with a group of friends as passionate about our cause as you are.
Maybe you're having a birthday or wedding and would like your guests to donate in lieu of gifts. You can use a Virtual Food Drive to encourage donations to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.
Holding a Spring Food Bank Challenge Virtual Food Drive lets you or your group get involved in providing access to healthy food for our clients in Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster and the North Shore in the most efficient and easy way.
For every dollar raised, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank can DOUBLE your donation because of our strong buying power and relationships with farmers and retailers!
Below are some benefits of running a Virtual Food Drive event:
Anyone can host a Spring Food Bank Challenge Virtual Food Drive. You can register as an individual, start your own team or join an existing team. Your event can be customized to meet the needs of your organization, your school/ office group, your family, or yourself. Click here to start your Virtual Food Drive today.
Below are some benefits of running a Virtual Food Drive event:
The Spring Food Bank Challenge Virtual Food Drive website gets "refreshed" each summer. If your Virtual Food Drive page was set up prior to July 2023, your page may have been archived and you'll want to set up a new Virtual Food Drive for this year here.
Your username and password from before for accessing your page remains valid. If you cannot remember your username or password, recover your username first, then recover your password here. Note you have to use the same email you've used previously to recover your username and password.
If you have any challenges with this process, please reach out to [email protected] for help.
It's important that you make your own personal donation to kick start your campaign. Lead by example, the amount of the first donation will set the bar for others to follow. Others generally feel more comfortable donating if they see that someone else has.
We value all donations, but if your gift is generous, your coworkers, friends and family will likely be generous with their donation as well!
+ Share the URL everywhere – Send an email, put it on your website or social media pages, create a QR code to put on posters or printed event materials. The more you share the link, the opportunity people have to take part in your VFD.
+ Add a video – This can be linked on your personal Virtual Food Drive page or your Teams page.
+ Make a personal donation to kick off your fundraiser – It's important that you make your own personal donation to kick start your campaign. Lead by example, the amount of the first donation will set the bar for others to follow. Others generally feel more comfortable donating if they see that someone else has.
+ Ask – Make a personal appeal to your friends and family. Use the tools inside the Participant Center to send emails or just share your page link via your own personal email.
+ Make sure donors share their support – In your requests, ask donors to click the 'Share' button on your personal page. When donors share their donation, about 20% of the time it results in a new donation of $15 on average!
+ Get a match – Ask your employer if they would make a generous 'matching gift' of the total amount or portion raised. Use this handy tool to find out if your employer will match your donation and what process you need to follow. Each organization is different, but we're here to help.
+ Leverage the reach of social media – Post your campaign on all your social media platforms - share your Virtual Food Drive on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and any other social media you use.
+ Include everyone in your campaign – Be proud to raise funds for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and invite everyone to help. Include friends, family, work colleagues, teammates, club members – anyone. Most people understand how important the work of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank is, and some may even know someone who has used a food bank before. You may be surprised at who will donate to support you.
+ Come for a Tour – The best way to learn about the GVFB and what you are supporting is to come in and see it for yourself. If you want a tour, we'd love to show you around. Please email [email protected] to set something up. - subject to availability. Some restrictions apply.
+ Tell Our Story... and Yours – Share what you know about the GVFB and why you've chosen to support our clients. People give to causes they believe in and often when someone they trust shares their own connections to a cause someone is more likely to support the same cause.
+ Follow up – It is easy for people to overlook emails. They are probably not ignoring you. Send at least one follow-up email and repost on your social media to keep your campaign in front of followers.
+ Stewardship – Thanking your donors in a timely manner will show them how much you appreciate their support to your fundraiser. They might be likely to make a second gift as well!
The Spring Food Bank Challenge Virtual Food Drive is a fun and engaging tool, and an ideal way to engage your family, friends and colleagues in supporting the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. The funds raised are used towards purchasing healthy and nutritious food, or our area of greatest need, towards supporting our 16,000 clients and 139 Community Agency Partners weekly. We can often double the value of each dollar donated because of our purchasing power with our industry partners and local farmers.
You can physically bring your cash and cheques or mail your cheques to the GVFB Burnaby head office. Cash can only be accepted in person at the GVFB Burnaby head office. Please DO NOT mail your cash donations. Cheque and cash donations can be added to your Virtual Food Drive total.
Please email [email protected] to request an “Offline Donation Form” to be attached to your cheque or cash donations to ensure your donation is attributed to the correct fundraiser.
Please fill out the “Offline Donation Form” fully and accurately to ensure that tax receipts can be sent to the correct person and address. Please note that for all cheques and cash donations, the minimum donation amount eligible for a tax receipt is $20. For online donations, there is no minimum donation amount to be eligible for a tax receipt.
Please bring or send cheques to:
Greater Vancouver Food Bank - Events
8345 Winston St, Burnaby, BC V5A 2H3
Payable to: Greater Vancouver Food Bank
You can bring your cash donations to the same address. Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm except for statutory holidays. We encourage you to email our Events team at [email protected] before doing so to ensure that someone is available in office to collect your donation and maybe even give you a quick tour!
Yes! If you want to simple make a donation and not host a fundraiser, you can do so here: https://foodbank.bc.ca/donations/donate-now/
Yes! Share your support with a stylish cap or shirt. Our online store offers a variety of GVFB-branded items designed to help volunteers, team members, and everyone else share their love of the GVFB.
We're happy to help! Please contact the Events team at 604-876-3601 ext 373 or email us at [email protected] We are here to help and want you to be as successful as possible in your fundraising efforts. Thank you!