Rona Foundation: the heart on the hand

This text is part of the special section Philanthropy

The Rona Foundation is a well-kept secret! Year after year, nearly 4 million dollars a year are donated to the communities. This year, the Rona Foundation celebrates its 25^e anniversary with Build with Heart, a new giving program for Canadians in need. The goal is to support organizations that help them directly through projects to improve living environments.

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Rona Foundation wishes to increase its impact. His new mission? Contribute to improving the quality of life of Canadians in need by revitalizing their living environments or facilitating access to housing. “We have reviewed our philanthropic strategy in order to group our actions around a clear mission aligned with our business activities,” explains Josée Lafitte, Director of the Rona Foundation.

“We will certainly have a greater impact by concentrating our efforts in an area that relates to what we do. If Rona is still present after more than 80 years of existence, it is thanks to our communities. As a socially responsible company, it’s important for us to give back,” she says. The recent logo also perfectly illustrates the new philosophy: “The heart in the O reflects the place that giving back to communities occupies for us. »

With its activities and campaigns, the Rona Foundation seeks to help victims of domestic violence and their children, low-income families and all people living with mental health problems. The Foundation could, for example, support a women’s center that is building a new house, a park with an inclusive playground adapted for young people with reduced mobility, or even the construction or renovation of accommodation in a residential center intended for a vulnerable population. “Having a safe roof over your head is a basic need. Yet too many people do not have access to it. We want to help change that,” says M.^me Lafitte.

The happy arrival of Bâtir avec coeur

In a desire to create a new initiative aligned with its mission, the Rona Foundation has set up Bâtir avec coeur, a pan-Canadian campaign with an unequivocal name. “Building is really at the heart of what we do, it is a central element of our raison d’être”, notes the director.

As part of this campaign, the Rona Foundation will financially support organizations in carrying out projects aimed at revitalizing the living environments of people targeted by its mission. For the first year, $500,000 will be donated to eight eligible non-profit organizations, one per province where Rona is present. Organizations wishing to participate in this campaign must be registered with the Canada Revenue Agency as charities. They are invited to submit their project by June 9, 2023.

“We are really looking forward to receiving the first application for the Bâtir avec coeur program”, continues the director, who is not new to the philanthropic field since she worked for twenty years in of non-profit organizations. “Since I was a child, I have always been shown the importance of giving back. I received this education from getting involved, and it’s only natural for me to do it today with Rona,” she confides.

Mobilized employees

Since joining Rona, she has had the pleasure of discovering the power of in-store fundraising campaigns, which she believes represent an invaluable lever for the Foundation.

“All of our employees across our network of some 450 stores are mobilized around these activities and the potential to help is huge. It’s a strength to be able to count on our people,” she says.

“They are our ambassadors. It is the cashiers and cashiers – the in-store teams – who are the keystone of the project. They are the ones who ask customers if they want to make a donation for such and such an organization,” she underlines, recalling in passing that they are undoubtedly the most important link in the chain of donation campaigns.

Organizations wishing to apply for the Bâtir avec coeur program can do so at the following address: bitly.ws/Eh8w

This content was produced by the Special Publications team of the Duty, relating to marketing. The drafting of Duty did not take part.

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