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2010 Canadian Film & Television Charity Challenge
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"I thought this was going to be a little side event that people would grudgingly take part in. But once everybody understood that the Actors' Fund helps all industry professionals, the support was overwhelming. It was a great excuse for a party and it's a cause that really brings together a cast and crew. We've all been through hard times, we all have friends in the business who are losing their homes and find themselves in desperate situations. This challenge is going out to those working on active productions right now - let's help those who aren't so lucky."
- Cara Pifko, Actor & Challenge Participant
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About the Charity Challenge
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The Charity challenge is your chance to put your creativity and innovative spirit to work for a good cause. For the past decade, productions across Canada have participated in the Charity Challenge, raising money for a cause that benefits the entire film and television community: The Actors' Fund of Canada. Events have ranged from collecting donations at a wrap party to throwing a four hundred person barbeque complete with silent auction and live performances.
Proceeds from the Challenge will go straight to the Actors' Fund of Canada: the lifeline for Canada's entertainment industry. The Fund provides vital aid to workers in film and TV, theatre, music, and dance to help with their recovery from an illness, injury or other circumstance causing severe financial hardship. Performers, producers, creators, technical staff and other production team members can benefit from the Fund, which has paid out over $3.7 million in rent payments, grocery money, utility payments and other basic living expenses in the last ten years.
Challenge yourself to give back to your community.
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Event Ideas
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Any type of event, from simple to elaborate is eligible for the Challenge.
The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
Here are a few of our favourites:
Weekly Raffles on Set
Many sets have weekly 50/50 raffles for cash prizes. If there's a weekly raffle on your set, you could easily donate half the money raised through ticket sales to the Fund as your Challenge project. If you don't already have a raffle on set, why not start one?
Payroll Donations
One of the easiest ways to give to the Fund is through our Reel Friends Plan which allows you to make small consistent donations to the Fund that are automatically deducted from your paycheque. Small contributions of just 2% likely won't be missed by anybody, but if even half of the cast and crew sign up for the duration of the production you can make a big difference to the Fund.
Visit www.actorsfund.ca/reelfriends for more details or to sign up online.
Raise money at your wrap party
Every production has a wrap party. You can use this opportunity to raise money for the Fund, either by simply collecting donations or by having an event at the party, such as a karaoke competition designed to raise money. Start the planning early and get everyone in your cast crew on board and this can be a very effective event!
Hold a social event or barbeque
Feel like making a splash? Why not plan a social or fan event designed to raise money? Some of the Charity Challenge's biggest successes have been these events, which allow everybody on set to use their creativity and skills to help the cause.
Auction props and wardrobe
When it comes time to auction off the props and wardrobe from a set why not donate all or partial proceeds from this "found money" to the Actors' Fund?
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Hints & Tips
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Let us help you
If you're thinking of taking part in the challenge, contact the Actors' Fund right away. We can provide any advice you might need and send you materials to help you get started. Once your challenge is up and running, we'll work with your show's publicist and the media to help generate interest on other sets and good publicity for the charitable work your cast and crew are doing. Be sure to take lots of photos of what you're doing as we'd love to use them on our web site and in the press.
Challenge others
Do you want to add a friendly competitive spirit to the mix? If you have contacts on other shows in production that you can persuade to compete against you, more fun will be had by everyone. We have production and cast lists at the office that can help you find out who's working on what. Getting another production to vie for bragging rights means everybody wins - the more productions that are involved the more money is raised to help provide emergency financial aid to entertainment workers who have fallen on hard times and need a chance to bounce back from adversity.
Build a team
Any kind of fundraising project will be easier if you have a good team around you. The Actors' Fund is for everyone in the entertainment industry and every group represented on set, whether cast, crew or producers - has a stake in the Fund's success. Be sure to invite all cast and every technical department to get involved. Try to get some promotion for your fundraiser on the call sheets - it's a great way to get the word out on set about what you're doing.
If you need more volunteers to help out or other kinds of local support for your challenge efforts, you might want to reach out to the local professional theatre community, the film and television unions or local colleges offering performing arts or technical production courses - we can help you to get in touch with all of them. If you're planning a fundraising event in the community, consider partnering with a local charity that can provide contacts, volunteers and fundraising expertise in exchange for part of the proceeds from the event.
Ask the producers to match what you raise
If you're a member of the cast or crew, you'll want to talk to the producers early on to get them on board with your fundraising project, especially if it's happening during working hours. Many producers already support the Actors' Fund - why not ask them if they're willing to match what your raise, either in part or dollar for dollar.
Gather online support
Planning a social or fan event? Your fans may be willing to give online support and publicity to your cause. Try posting information on your fundraising effort on your show's web site, fan sites and blogs and the personal web sites of anyone involved in the production. The Actors' Fund accepts online donations at www.actorsfund.ca - any donations coming in from fans and earmarked for the Challenge will be counted towards your Challenge total.
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Good to Know
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Tax receipts
Although the Actors' Fund is a registered charity and can issue receipts for income tax purposes, Canada Revenue Agency has very strict rules that dictate how tax receipts may be issued and what kinds of donations are ineligible for tax receipts. We will be happy to issue tax receipts for any eligible donations but please check with us first before offering a tax receipt to anyone.
After the Challenge
How to send the money you raised:
Please send a cheque or money order payable to The Actors' Fund of Canada to:
The Actors' Fund of Canada
1000 Yonge St., Suite 301
Toronto, ON M4W 2K2
You can also drop money off at our office, or call us to make alternate arrangements.
Ready to enter the Challenge? Have another good fundraising idea?
Let us know! You can get in touch by e-mail at contact@actorsfund.ca or by phone toll-free at 1-877-399-8392 (416-975-0304 in the Toronto local calling area).
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"We're very proud of what we have accomplished with the challenge and with the great community support we had. Whether they are aware of it or not, everyone who works in the film and televison industry has a friend or a colleague who has been helped in some way by the Fund. There are lots of great productions out there. I challenge everyone who's lucky enough to be working on a series this year to get into the spirit and see if they can match, or better yet, beat what we've raised"
- Tina Grewal, Producer, "Heartland" the top 2008 Charity Challenge Participant
"We are very happy to participate in the Challenge this year and we hope that we can help to increase the support for the Actors' Fund throughout the production community. It's a fund that is there for any of us who find ourselves in serious trouble. We all hope that we will never have to use the Fund ourselves but we're all better off for having it to call upon in a time of crisis or need."
- Manny Danelon, Producer, "The Listener"
"I know from personal experience how tough it can be to make it in this business. Because of the sporadic nature of our industry, someone who gets sick is quite vulnerable to extreme financial distress. Canada wouldn't be what it is without its culture. The Actors' Fund makes it possible for so many of us to survive the hard blows the business can dish out and continue to produce work for Canadians to enjoy."
- Natalie Brown, Actor & Challenge Participant
"Our show has had a great run and enjoyed some success. But we know that there are many other talented members of the Canadian entertainment industry who can't get out there and give there all because they have fallen ill or become injured or otherwise found themselves in financial distress. It's only natural that we would want to give something back to the industry that has been good to us and donating to the Actors' Fund was the perfect way to do it."
- Roger Abbott, Writer, Performer & Producer, Royal Canadian Air Farce
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Charity Challenge News Archive:
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CLICK HERE for an archive of Charity Challenge News.
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