A charity to help charities
In order for charities to be successful, they need to be putting their resources where they matter - on their mission. To do that, they need a reliable stream of funding which can be difficult to acquire, time-consuming to manage, and ultimately, costly to an organization.
Our mission is to amplify the impact of every donation dollar raised.
What We Do
Hashtag Charitable Foundation (#charitable) is a citizen-led charity that empowers not-for-profits to
focus on their mission instead of their funding. Since 2006, we have been connecting citizens and charitable organizations
through fundraising and donation-driven events. We have made a lasting impact through coordinating and fundraising over $900,000
in donations, assisting over 30 different charitable organizations.
We work alongside charities of all sizes that provide different services to the community.
Our History
#charitable was founded by Rich Bouchard and Scott McKay. The two began fundraising
in 2006 by partnering with The Inn of the Good Shepherd on the Race to Erase Hunger event.
The Race was a huge success with 30 teams participating and raising more than $38,000. Today, the event carries on under
the name of Race to Erase, in order to include more charities and raise money for their specific mission. Since those early
days, Race to Erase has been held in three communities and has raised over $750,000 for more than 30 local charities.
#charitable was incorporated in 2021, and has taken on additional fundraising initiatives to support the community all year long.
Our charitable registration number is 846821825 RR0001.
Initiatives
Fundraising programs developed by #charitable focus on collaboration, scalability and just as importantly fun!
Collaborative fundraising is a cornerstone to #charitable fundraising events. Why? Because it raises more money, more efficiently, with less risk. Charities can share in the task of marketing for the event, working together with their networks to raise awareness for the event and ultimately more fundraising dollars.
A little bit of work by many hands means that charity staff can focus on their mission, rather than fundraising and marketing for this event.
See Current InitiativesBoard Members
#charitable is run by a board of directors who are first and foremost active citizens. They are local professionals who volunteer their time to help #charitable create fundraising initiatives that are for citizens by citizens. The #charitable board is comprised of a diverse group of individuals, and includes a selection of local business owners and charity advocates.
| Name | Position | Sector |
|---|---|---|
| Justin Beaulieu | Secretary-Treasurer | KPMG |
| Rich Bouchard | Ex-Officio | Hashtag Local |
| Brendan Carney Killian | Board Member | In Motion |
| Laura Greaves | Ex-Officio | Great Lakes Refill Co. |
| Heather Haight | Board Member | Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change |
| Mark Hodgins | Board Member | The Eye Opener |
| Carissa Horley | Past Chair | Lambton College |
| Scott McKay | Ex-Officio | BDO |
| Craig Musico | Chair | McFarlan Rowlands Insurance Brokers |
| Paresh Thakkar | Board Member | Personal Touch Eatery & Catering |
| Tara Webster | Committee Chair | Investors Group |
Partners
#charitable works closely with Hashtag Local Inc (#local), a for-profit organization that connects citizens, businesses and organizations to support the communities they love. For more information on #local, visit hashtaglocal.com