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Host your own event

In Canada, 1 million children are not reading at grade level, and 1 in 5 adults face literacy challenges. These gaps create barriers to success in education, the workplace, and everyday life. You can help change this.

By hosting your own event, you become an essential part of the movement to break down these barriers and support the power of literacy across Canada. Community support is vital to our success, and we recognize the effort it takes to organize and host an event on our behalf.

To make it easier for you, we’ve developed an easy-to-use fundraising toolkit. This step-by-step guide will help you plan and organize your event from start to finish.

We encourage you to read the following information carefully. If you need any further clarification, please contact Jennifer Chow, Events Manager, at [email protected] or 1-800-555-6523 ext. 3342.

Fundraising Toolkit

From setting goals and recruiting volunteers to planning, promoting, and wrapping up afterward, we've got you covered every step of the way!


Get the guide!

Below is a preview of what you will find in our toolkit, along with answers to our most frequently asked questions:

  • Guidance and expertise on event planning including checklists
  • Issue tax receipts as applicable
  • Promote your event on our digital platforms
  • Provide United for Literacy name/logo for approved use
  • Limited supplies, such as brochures and other resources

  • We cannot share our donor or sponsor lists for privacy reasons.
  • Funding or reimbursement for event expenses
  • Guaranteed attendance of staff or volunteers at your event
  • Application for gaming and other licenses (i.e. raffles, liquor, insurance)
  • Prizes, auction items, awards

United for Literacy is permitted to issue tax receipts to individuals and companies that make a donation without receiving a benefit in return. We can issue tax receipts for financial donations of $20 or more in the calendar year they are received. It is important you understand the rules about tax receipts before you plan and promote your event, to determine if tax receipt can be issued for your event.

In adherence to Revenue Canada’s guidelines, United for Literacy cannot issue tax receipts for any of the following:

  • Purchase of raffle tickets
  • Event admission tickets
  • Green Fees
  • Live and Silent Auction items
  • In-kind goods donated to an event
  • Donated services for an event (i.e. entertainment, website support)
  • Sponsorships
  • Gift certificates donated by the issuer of the certificate

We can provide sponsors and other corporate contributors with a business gift letter that acknowledges their support and sponsors can then use to claim their sponsorship as a business expense.

  • Gaming and lotteries including bingos, 50/50 draws, raffles or games of chance often have special considerations that require permits. Please visit the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario or your local commission website for more information.

  • The event organizer is responsible to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and insurance for the event.
  • If the event is cancelled, please notify United for Literacy at minimum of one day prior to the event
  • We ask the event organizer to submit all publicity (i.e. posters, invitations, etc.) for the proposed event to United for Literacy for approval prior to being printed or released.

  • We ask the event organizer to remit the proceeds from the event to United for Literacy within 30 days of the event taking place in order to ensure proper stewardship of donors.

  • United for Literacy reserves the right to withdraw the use of its name at any time and will not assume any costs that may be involved in doing so.

 If anyone who contributed cash requires a tax receipt, please download the offline tax receipt form.

Inspirational Stories
People are the heart of United for Literacy. That includes learners, volunteers, staff, donors, Literacy Ambassadors, and community partners. Their words tell the real story of the impact of literacy on people and in communities.
Read their stories here
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