For Interac, COVID-19 has driven home the importance of community, togetherness and supporting one another. We gave nearly $650,000 to community-building initiatives across the country in 2021, to champion these principles in a challenging year.
And if we can support Canadians and their communities in a way that spreads cheer and brings people together to create memorable moments, all the better. Over the holidays, for example, we sponsored three winter markets across Canada to create InLife moments to make the season brighter. At each one, Canadians tapped to make donations to local charities and support local businesses.
Interac makes some magic during the holidays
At the Vancouver Christmas Market, families enjoyed taking free photos and carousel rides thanks to Interac. (Not having to line up to pay made the experience even more magical.) In Toronto, an Interac station at the Distillery Winter Village offered gift-wrapping to shoppers for their festive finds for friends and family. In Montreal, we invited visitors to the Great Christmas Market to warm up at fire pits we set up for their comfort — and because everyone likes snacks, we treated them to cookies we purchased from local businesses Coop Le Cagibi and Café Reine Garçon (which are LGBTQ2+-owned), and Sweet Isabelle, a woman-owned small business.
We did this to encourage Canadians to dig into their pockets for a donation, using an easy tap-to-give system using Interac Debit. The beneficiaries? The Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Salvation Army, the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, and Project 10, an organization whose mission is to support and promote the well-being of LGBT2Q+ youth aged 14 to 25.
Altogether, Canadians, together with Interac and partners, raised over $138,000 to support vulnerable communities.
How Interac can help charities and make donations easier
Nicolas Regnault, development manager for the Montreal office of the Make-a-Wish Foundation, said the money his organization receives will brighten the lives of children facing tough illnesses (Make-a-Wish will grant six wishes thanks to the Interac HolidayLife activations, to be exact).
“Thanks a million to Interac for this activation. It’s really important to us, and the donations will serve to realize kids’ dreams,” he said.
And in the longer term, the activations showed how charities can enable spontaneous donations via Interac Debit or Interac e-Transfer. “The fact that people can make their donations to the Make-a-Wish Foundation using Interac Debit is really something interesting for us,” Regnault said.
‘We are fortunate to touch the lives of more than 29 million Canadians so they can move their money safely and securely; supporting the communities in which they live, work, and play in is a top priority for us.’ said Daria Hill, Associate Vice President, Corporate Communications & Sponsorships, Interac Corp. “Continuing to deepen our relationships with community partners like those at the holiday markets brings a new layer of purpose to our work and helps those who need it most. We look forward to extending our investment in local communities even further in 2022.” As well, she said, Interac will continue to make community investment a priority by increasing donations. And internally, Interac has prioritized diversity and inclusion, as well as Giving Week.
Watch the video above to see how our HolidayLife activations helped communities — by the numbers.
