Dressing Down to Raise Funds

Fundraising doesn’t have to be stiff, starchy, or boring. It can be as simple as a group of friends or coworkers finding a cause that they all believe in, and figuring out how to have fun while raising funds.

That’s the idea that Vince Ippolito, an insurance agent with Desjardins, took to heart when he started “Dress Down Fridays” at his office, raising money for Mission Services’ Good Food Centre.

“I started volunteering at the Good Food Centre in 2017, and I saw the impact that was made to members of our community,” said Vince. “I wanted to do more to help, and it was a great way to get my team involved in supporting such a great cause.”

Members of Vince’s team at Desjardins Insurance who want to dress in business casual attire on Fridays make a minimum donation of $2, which Vince matches. In the seven years they’ve been doing it, they’ve seen great success, with 10 other offices joining the program, collectively raising over $57,000 for the food bank.
“The team over the years has had a lot of fun with it,” Vince said.

“The unique thing about fundraising is that you get to decide how you do it,” said Susan, Director of Development at Mission Services of Hamilton. “The only limit is your creativity.”

If you would like more information about fundraising with a group, or would like a list of ideas that you can use to help raise funds, contact Marceli at 905-528-4211 x 3102 or mluz@mission-services.com.