YOUR GOOD DEED IN THE 24 GOOD DEEDS CHARITY ADVENT CALENDAR

24 Good Deeds supports fundraising efforts of registered Canadian charities with a Charity Advent Calendar. The premise is simple: behind each of the 24 calendar doors there are concrete social and environmental projects which can be supported by a one-time donation starting at $24. Every door reveals information on how each of the participating organizations specifically utilize the donations. Additional and detailed information on each of the featured projects can be found on our website.

Seventy-five percent of all funds collected are passed on to the participating organizations and 25% of the proceeds are used for the production of the calendar. The calendar provides information on how each of the organizations is able to implement a good deed with 75 cents. Examples of these kinds of good deeds include the purchase of a cocoa plant for a small hold farmer in El Salvador, one day of Internet access for a refugee shelter in Germany and one tetanus shot for a child in the Philippines.

Every year, 24 Good Deeds supports 24 projects around the world in the areas of:

• Nature and environmental protection
• Access to food and nutrition
• Health
• Education

We focus on the organizations that:

• Have registered charitable status in Canada
• Seek sustainable cooperation
• Demonstrate a commitment to transparency regarding financial sustainability and how their work is carried out

We do not work with organizations that have a political or religious mandate or affiliations.

Specifically, we are looking for:

• Projects that work towards addressing a clearly identified need
• Projects with clear goals and targets
• Projects that are sustainable long-term and which are scalable
• Projects where 75 cents can be allocated to a concrete purpose
• Projects that have benefits which are being supported by relevant research and data will be prioritized
• Projects that are financially sustainable beyond 24 Good Deeds’ involvement
• Projects that are supported by 24 Good Deeds should not be one-off actions but rather, should be a component of a larger plan and vision

We do not support projects that are already complete and we do not support administrative activities.

Please note that, based on recommendations from international aid organizations, we do not support groups that collect donations for orphanages.

For 2023 we expect to be able to disburse $4,000 to $5,000 to each participating organization for project implementation in 2024.

24 Good Deeds selects projects for inclusion in the Advent calendar once a year via a publicly advertised, two-step application process. Applications must be submitted in a timely manner through the 24 Good Deeds online application form.

The application process requires the following information:

For Phase 1, the following is required:

• Basic information regarding your organization, i. e. legal status, goals, transparency
• Basic description of the Good Deed that provides details on the target groups, proposed action and expected outcomes
• Imagery for the calendar

Once we have received all Phase 1 applications, we vet each one and we shortlist the applicants. Successfully shortlisted applicants will be invited to participate in Phase 2 of the application process.

For Phase 2, the following is required:

• Description of and background on your Good Deed for the website
• Description of your Good Deed using an impact map
• Background information on the country where the Good Deed takes place
• A telephone interview with all successful Phase 2 applicants completes the selection process

Key selection criteria include transparency, impact potential and the presentation of a convincing concept.

Through a series of questions, we determine whether the proposed project fits within the parameters of the calendar’s concept. Specifically, we look at whether the applicant is able to clearly identify the target group(s) for the Good Deed, whether the root cause of the issue or problem is identified and described and how the Good Deed can affect positive change among the target audience in the medium to long-term. We also look at whether the project is part of a longer-term strategy. Ideally, the project is also supported by a variety of financing sources over the long-term. Last but not least, we also look at whether the submitted information has been written in an interesting, comprehensible, and appealing way.

It is our goal to make the selection process as objective and transparent as possible. To that end, we have created an online application form and we use a points system to evaluate the applications. The online application form is accessible to several evaluators at a time. In addition, the form is randomized by section. This means that at any given time, the system will choose a random section of each application for evaluation and the various application steps are evaluated independent of one another. This is a key component to maintaining objectivity in the evaluation process.

Throughout the evaluation process, each application will be evaluated by several different people and an average is taken of the points allocated by the various evaluators. Each application is then ranked according to the average of points allocated.

In Phase 1, the 24 Good Deeds team evaluates the applications. However, for Phase 2, all applicants may participate in the evaluation process themselves. Individuals will have access to a section of each application and are able to evaluate the respective application section based on predetermined criteria. One point is allocated for each fulfilled criterion. The system has been set up in such a way that an applicant will never be able to evaluate their own submission.

The final selection is made by the 24 Good Deeds team. An expert jury  assists with the final selection process.

Details on how 24 Good Deeds will work with participating organizations will be outlined in a collaboration agreement.

Fundraising
During the Advent season (December 1-24) your project will be featured behind one of the 24 doors of the 24 Good Deeds Charity Advent Calendar as well as on our website, newsletter and on our social media sites.

During the months of October, November, and December we collect donations for the 24 participating projects, generated through the distribution of the calendar. We promote the calendar through ad campaigns and press releases. Companies can order calendars as corporate gifts for their clients. Teachers are also able to use the calendar as a teaching tool in their classrooms. In addition, we ask participating organizations to promote the calendar. We provide social media and press kits for this purpose.

How the Funds Are Used

Funds collected from the donations of the calendars will be disbursed to the organizations at the beginning of the following calendar year. They must be applied right away in their entirety towards the Good Deed. The money may not be used for any other purpose, especially not for administrative or advertising costs.

Proof of Fund Allocation

Within five months of receiving the donation, organizations must fill out an online form with information that will provide us with an interim report of how the funds were applied. After the project has been completed, you will be required to send us a final report providing proof of and details on how the Good Deed was carried out and implemented and how the goals and targets of the project were met. We also request current photographs that show the implentation of the Good Deed.

Participating Canadian charities since 2020 (as of 2022 – 47):

Africa Climate Action Initiative
ALS BC
Alzheimer Society of AB & NWT
Anishnawbe Health Foundation
Association Aide Canada Cameroon
Breakfast Club of Canada
Canada Africa Partnership (CAP)
Canuck Place Children’s Hospice
Cheetah Conservation
CWH Foundation
Dare to Care
Dog Guides Canada
Edmonton’s Foodbank
Engineers Without Borders
Ethiopiaid
Fashion Takes Action
Fondation Senegal Sánte Mobile
Global Medic
Green Kids
Hamilton Health
Heart and Stroke Foundation
Hope Air
Hope for Malawi
Indspire
LCS Foundation
Lifewater
Love is the Answer
Martha’s Table Community Program
MedicAlert
Mutual Aid and International Solidarity Fund
NANKIND (formerly know as Nanny Angel Network
National Service Dogs (NSD)
PAAL
Ryan’s Well Foundation
Save Our Scruff
Search and Rescue Volunteer Association (SARVAC)
Second Harvest
Sick Kids Foundation
SPCA Montreal
Spirit North
The Hunger Project
The Children’s Book Bank
The Citizen’s Foundation
Vancouver Writers Fest
Wilderness International
Women In Need Society (WINS)
World Accord