Hello wonderful readers! I hope you have all enjoyed your summer with lots of time outdoors, running, walking and having fun playing any other sport or activity that came your way. I have been sitting back in awe watching our fellow Canadian athletes at the Olympics and am currently tuning into the Paralympic games. Go Canada Go! 

 

All of a sudden we have reached the final weeks of August and with it the summer. Somehow it has flown by - and with it National Nonprofit day (NND).

 

National Nonprofit Day takes place on August 17th and we couldn’t let it pass without recognizing the wonderful day and organizations it celebrates.

 

Shockingly, NND was only recently declared to be celebrated annually, in 2017 by Sherita J. Herring.

 

Herring founded NND to educate, enlighten and empower others to make a difference while acknowledging those in the trenches, impacting lives every day. So today’s blog will do just that! 

 

Educate & Enlighten

 

Nonprofit organizations are associations, clubs, or societies that operate for social welfare, civic improvement, pleasure, sport, recreation, or any other purpose except profit. 

 

According to Imagine Canada there are over 170,000 registered charities and nonprofits in Canada alone! Some common examples you may be familiar with are the Boys and Girls Club, Canadian Cancer Society, SPCA, and many Universities.

 

Lead Thru Sport is also a nonprofit, as you probably already know. Our mission is to empower girls and women by using sport as a vehicle to provide meaningful and intentional learning experiences for personal growth.

 

Empower 

 

Nonprofits across Canada positively impact several layers of their communities. The most obvious one is, of course, to serve the target group in need. But a key role of nonprofits is also to empower other generous change-makers in the community to volunteer their time to a great cause. 

 

 

Nonprofits empower volunteers, which accounts for 41% of the Canadian population! That is 13 million people! 13 million dedicating their time, effort and energy to a cause they do not only believe in but want to positively impact. 

 

Acknowledge  

 

So I want to say thank you. To all the amazing go-getters and entrepreneurs taking risks to provide a better future for their community. To Carmen and Tash, the Co-founders of Lead Thru Sport, for all the work they put into empowering girls and women to not only continue participating in sport but using it as a catalyst for success in all areas of life. Personally, I thank them for allowing me to be a part of something much bigger than my regular 9-5. LTS is an organization that brings me much joy and fulfillment. 

 

I have witnessed the work and dedication it takes to start and run nonprofits. All of them, big or small, well known or operating quietly, deserve to be acknowledged. 

 

A challenge for you, yes you reading this ... if you have a chance to volunteer your time, funds or support to any nonprofits you come across, I encourage you to do so.