Already feeling the impact of an uncertain economy, charitable organizations like Southlake Health Foundation are encouraging donors to find alternative ways to donate.
Newmarket, ON – $266 million – that is the estimated loss in fundraising revenue that charities across Canada experienced during the 2024 postal strike, according to CanadaHelps. “The postal strike had a profoundly negative impact on charities, disrupting mail-based fundraising for organizations across the country,” said Julie Fiorini, now General Manager, Charity & Donor Services at CanadaHelps in a February 2025 press release.
With another postal strike becoming a reality on September 25, charitable organizations, like Southlake Health Foundation, are once again, bracing for the potential impact the strike could have on fundraising revenue, particularly leading into the holiday season.
“Donations made through the mail represent a significant percentage of our annual donations,” says Lesley Ring, Chief Development Officer at Southlake Health Foundation. “Southlake Health serves an extremely large catchment area and as a result, our donor pool is geographically diverse. Many donors choose to mail in their gifts from across our communities. This disruption in postal services is extremely challenging for those donors who may not be familiar with or have access to, online ways to give. It’s concerning as their donations are urgently needed to help fund equipment, technology, and space upgrades for patients and providers at Southlake.”
At Southlake Health Foundation, holiday giving, through the months of November and December, account for nearly half of the organization’s annual fund revenue which supports urgent needs across every program of the hospital. Donor support of Southlake in this year alone has made tangible impact for patients and providers, including bringing a new MRI to the hospital, and renewing and expanding the Emergency Department so Southlake Health can face hallway medicine head on for our communities.
The postal strike comes at a time when economic uncertainty, and the impact of tariffs have already taken a toll on fundraising revenue for charities and non profits across Canada. Imagine Canada, the national accreditation and advocacy body of Canada’s charitable sector, reported in a May 2025 quarterly update that a recent survey by the Charity Insights Canada Project indicated 48% of responding charities were already experiencing reducing funding.
“No matter what is happening in the world, the doors to Southlake Health’s emergency department never close, patients and families continue to require cancer treatment, surgical procedures, cardiac care, mental health support, and all the other ways our communities rely on Southlake Health to be there when they need us most,” said Jennifer Ritter, President and CEO of Southlake Health Foundation. “This is a critical time in our fundraising season, so we are encouraging those wishing to give back to Southlake to connect with our team, or go online to find alternative methods of giving so our incredible Southlake physicians and staff can continue to deliver leading edge care, close to home for you and your loved ones.”
Those looking for alternative methods to give to Southlake during the postal strike can contact the Foundation by phone at: (905) 836-7333, or access a dedicated page on the Foundation’s website that lists alternative giving options: https://southlake.ca/foundation/canada-post-service-interruption/
