It's 11 PM on a Tuesday. You're finally sitting down after a full day at your paid job, an evening board meeting, and now you're trying to figure out if that grant deadline is actually tomorrow or next week. Your inbox has 147 unread messages. Somewhere in there is a donor who deserves a proper thank you, a volunteer who asked a question three days ago, and a compliance form you're not entirely sure how to fill out.

Sound familiar?

This is National Philanthropy Day week (November 15-25) when we celebrate the people who make the charitable sector possible: the executive director who's also the IT department, the volunteer coordinator who writes grants on Sunday mornings and the board chair who just Googled "cybersecurity for charities" at midnight because you need to do something, but don't know where to start.

You're the ones keeping 77% of Canada's charities running on budgets under $500,000. You're the 59% who do this entirely as volunteers. You're responding to community needs in innovative, nimble ways because you know the people you serve by name, you see what's needed before anyone else does and you show up anyway.

The weight of figuring it out alone

"We spend so much energy just figuring things out," Maxine Grant from Rocena Kidney Foundation told us. "Hours researching vendors, comparing costs, trying to understand if we're making the right choices. That's time we should be spending with the people we serve."

This is the invisible tax on small charities: the hours spent searching for resources that might work in Canada, comparing tools you can't quite afford, wondering if you're making the right choice because there's no one to ask. You're Googling "best free CRM for Canadian nonprofits" for the third time this month because you can't remember which article actually had good information.

Meanwhile, Statistics Canada's 2023 Survey shows 46% of nonprofits say demand for their services has gone up but only 24% say their capacity to meet that demand has grown. You're running faster to stay in the same place, and the gap between what your community needs and what you can deliver keeps widening. It can be daunting and discouraging.

Not because you're not good enough. Because the reality is that you're doing the work of five people with the resources of one. I have been in this scary place so many times over the span of my career. I truly get it.

What "finally able to plan ahead" looks like

One week ago, Project Launchpad launched. Sixteen charities joined in seven days—not because we pitched them hard, but because they recognized something: the relief of not being alone anymore and being able to access vital help all in ONE place.

Neil Leslie from Serenity Renewal for Families shares, "PLP isn't trying to sell us services we can't afford. They've done the heavy lifting: researching, vetting, and negotiating with providers who actually understand the charitable sector. It's like having a knowledgeable friend who's already figured out the best path forward."

A knowledgeable, supportive and trustworthy friend. That's really what we're trying to be for smaller charities who just need to feel that they're not alone.

Built with you, not just for you

We're proud to say that Project Launchpad didn't emerge from a boardroom brainstorming session. We knew that wouldn’t work. It was shaped by founding member charities who've been with us from the start: attending focus group meetings, hearing our plans, and validating our assumptions about what small charities actually need versus what sounds good in theory. They helped us to build something that fits into real charity life and not the version typically imagined by outside professionals.

"We were pleased to contribute to the collaborative creation of Project Launchpad,” says Rebecca Russell from OrKidstra. “This initiative has the potential to help strengthen the entire charitable sector and make it easier for smaller charities to access essential tools that will help them create success."

Because we know the reality of smaller organizations, we've created two entry options: Launchpad Lite for those operating without a budget, and Lift-Off for those with a small budget ready to invest in sustainable growth.

We know that some organizations need to test the waters before investing, while others are eager to move beyond survival and start planning ahead. Wherever you are in that journey, both paths are valid, respected and welcome.

You don't have to figure it all out alone anymore

In honour of National Philanthropy Day (Nov. 15), we want to celebrate the heroes who keep showing up, who respond to community needs faster than anyone else, who stretch every dollar and every hour because the people you serve deserve nothing less. We absolutely appreciate you.

Sixteen charities took the first step this week. Not because Project Launchpad is the solution to all their problems, but because they're tired of carrying the weight alone.

If that sounds like you, we see you. We built this for you. And we'd be honored to walk alongside you.
www.projectlaunchpad.ca

Project Launchpad is a collaboration between Harmonia Philanthropy and Telos One, built WITH Canada's smaller charities by people who've lived this work for 25+ years.

Questions? info@projectlaunchpad.ca
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