For Canada’s cross-country skiers, the Olympics are the dream of a lifetime. But they’re also a challenging journey, and hopefuls need the very best training and resources to prepare with sports fundraising. 

NTDC chooses the most talented, promising athletes, and connects them with high-level coaching, facilities, and training competitions to help them reach their full potential and achieve their dreams. 
To support the next generation of champion skiers, the NTDC used FundRazr in a creative, collaborative, and delicious way — to launch their 2022 Olympic Takeout Dinners campaign!

Event-based Sports Fundraising, Done Digitally

During the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, the NTDC leveraged Olympic spirit through a partnership with Willow Springs Creative Centre, an organization that provides professional and creative mentorship to adults with disabilities.

Willow Springs’ mentees prepared a menu of delicious, Olympic-themed takeout dinners, designed to be enjoyed as an at-home Olympics viewing experience. Then, the two organizations offered the dinners as donation perks to those who gave generously to their joint campaign.

Two Organizations, One Platform

Through partnership, organizations reach a wider audience of donors, promoting both their causes together. It’s a great way to bring together organizations that do very different work in the community, and introduce donors to new causes they might be inspired to give to again. 

By partnering with Willow Springs, the NTDC was able to provide a fun opportunity for trainees to gain culinary work experience, preparing international foods inspired by the Olympics. 

Through their FundRazr campaign page, the NTDC could highlight their partnership with Willow Springs, while raising awareness — and funds — for their work supporting Canada’s most exceptional cross-country skiers. 

This kind of sports fundraising partnership usually places an additional burden of labour on nonprofit administrators. But with FundRazr’s next-generation digital fundraising platform, advanced campaigns like this become easy, efficient, and even fun.

Creating a Community-Building Experience with a Customized Sports Fundraising Campaign

Because their FundRazr campaign page was completely customizable, the NTDC was able to frame their fundraiser as a fun community event, not just a digital fundraising initiative. 

They chose not to show the campaign’s overall financial goal. Instead, the NTDC enticed people to “buy a ticket” instead of asking for donations. 

Tickets could be redeemed for one of three Olympics-inspired meals. Donors contributed $35 for a small meal, or $50 for a large meal, giving added flexibility that incentivized donations. With each donation, participants got to support local athletes, help adults with disabilities gain work experience, and enjoy a tasty night in! 

The first of the three nights featured a “Canadiana” menu that offered tasty favorites from Graham Ritchie, a Team Canada cross country ski athlete who trained at the NTDC. In honor of the Beijing location of the 2022 Winter Games as well as the forthcoming 2026 Games in Italy, the Willow Springs team put together menus featuring both Chinese- and Italian-inspired dishes for the remaining nights. 

Within their flexible, customized campaign page, the NTDC added eye-catching branded graphics for each night’s menu. By not featuring their monetary goal on the campaign page, they kept the campaign focused on Olympic spirit, and the athletes themselves. They were also able to feature Willow Spring’s graphics and mission statement on the page, giving donors greater visibility into their impact on both organizations.

Maximize Digital Fundraising Impact – and Fun!

The NTDC’s clever campaign brought their community together over a shared love of winter sports and local pride. 

They demonstrated their organization’s impact by celebrating Graham Ritchie, who was able to pursue his Olympic dreams because of the NTDC. By reminding donors how meaningful their donations are to young athletes and the sporting community, the NTDC was able to reach their sports fundraising goals while strengthening their ties to the community that supports them. 

By encouraging people to enjoy the Olympics on television along with their Willow Springs meal, the NTDC turned the act of giving into an event to remember, and an opportunity for donors to connect with friends and family. The NTDC didn’t directly organize these activities, but just suggesting that donors enjoy the experience with friends and family created an added layer of fun and community spirit. 

Finally, the NTDC doubled their impact by partnering with Willow Springs. They were able to raise awareness about Willow Springs’ mission and also tangibly support it, by giving their program participants work experience with a culinary instructor in a professional kitchen.

Building Community for a Cause

A fundraiser is more than just an opportunity to collect donations. It’s a chance to build relationships that will benefit the organization — and the community — into the future. 

With FundRazr’s completely customized digital fundraising campaign, the NTDC facilitated a truly unique experience that gave the community a chance to connect over good food and shared interests. The NTDC’s campaign did more than sports fundraising for their athletes. They created a space where everyone—from emerging chefs to sports lovers—can thrive.