Coronavirus hits charity collections
Howard Lake | 12 March 2020 | News
The Irish Cancer Society (ICS) has taken the decision to cancel all Daffodil Day street collections and events that were scheduled for Friday 27 March as a result of the coronavirus.
The ICS collection is one of the charity’s biggest fundraising events of the year, raising around €3 million each year and involving thousands of people selling daffodils on streets throughout Ireland. The charity is asking people to donate to the appeal online. ICS had an income of €22.3 million in 2018.
The ICS cancellation follows the decision of the Make-A-Wish Foundation to cancel its street collections which were due to happen this week because of coronavirus.
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“In the interests of public health and safety, Make-A-Wish Ireland has reluctantly made the decision to cancel on street collections, which were due to take place around the country, this Friday, March 13th,” a Make-A-Wish Foundation statement said.
“However, we are proceeding with a ‘Virtual Wish Day’ this Friday, where we are asking the public to donate through the Make-A-Wish website,’ the statement added.
Susan O’Dwyer, Chief Executive said: “As we receive no government funding, we rely entirely on the generosity of the general public. Wish Day is our first large fundraising campaign of the year and the decision taken to cancel on street collections has not been taken lightly. However, we have a duty of care not only to our wish families, who are so vulnerable, but also to our volunteers and the general public”.
Ms O’Dwyer thanked their 650 volunteers who had committed to fundraising on the streets and shopping centres. In 2018 the collection day raised €100,000. Total charity income in 2018 was €2.1 million.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.