In a year of unforeseen challenges, Costco Wholesale Canada’s commitment to helping sick and injured children never wavered. We are deeply grateful for the extraordinary efforts you made in 2020 to continue delivering vital support to kids and families through Canada’s children’s hospital foundations. Thank you.
A Message of Gratitude from Mark
Canada’s children’s hospitals are deeply grateful for Costco Wholesale Canada’s steadfast partnership during this extraordinary year. Even as you managed the exceptional demands of 2020 in your own businesses, you found new ways to come through for kids.
With your support, children’s hospitals were able to adapt and innovate in 2020, responding to the year’s challenges and laying even stronger foundations for the future. Many rapidly adopted virtual platforms to ensure that young patients would have access to the care they needed. Pediatric teams navigated unprecedented operational complexities to continue delivering treatment and care. Hospital leaders reached beyond the walls of their institutions to help protect the health of their communities and of all Canadians.
As hospitals made these extraordinary efforts, Costco Wholesale Canada was by their side. You sought new ways to support children’s hospital foundations in your communities – engaging your employees, teams and members, and using fresh approaches to get others involved. Canada’s 12 children’s hospital foundations join me in thanking you for every part of your work with us this year. We have always been grateful for your support; this year, it meant more than ever.
Year in review
Some of Costco Wholesale Canada’s most popular and effective fundraising initiatives were delayed or even impossible in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But far from pausing your efforts for the year or scaling back, Costco adapted nimbly and came through strongly for kids.
The May Month of Miracles point-of-sale campaign was in development just as the emerging pandemic was causing uncertainty across the country. We were deeply grateful when Costco committed to following through on the campaign in the fall. All 102 warehouses changed their calendars to participate – while juggling many other operational challenges – and many stores achieved their best results ever. In all, Costco Wholesale Canada’s point-of-sale campaign raised nearly $5 million, a remarkable achievement given the year’s context.
The strength of Costco Wholesale Canada’s vendor relationships also came through this year. When the pandemic forced the cancellation of two popular golf tournaments Costco Wholesale Canada hosts in support of children’s hospitals, head office made a special online ask to vendors and partners – and drew even more contributions than in 2019, raising over $2.5 million. The results of this initiative were extended even farther by a generous program through which Costco Wholesale Canada matches 20% of participants’ contributions.
Above: At Cash ask video on screen at Costco
At the beginning of the year, Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) and Costco Wholesale Canada established a working group to enhance collaboration on fundraising activities in 2020. While initially designed to generate new ideas and troubleshoot minor challenges, the group turned out to be a valuable resource as we worked together to adapt to COVID-19’s shifting impacts on retail operations and fundraising possibilities.
This year public health concerns prevented many of the in-person engagements that help to inspire and motivate warehouse employees, such as hospital tours and visits with patients, families, and care teams. Nevertheless, through your widespread efforts children’s hospitals and the entire CMN community felt Costco Wholesale Canada’s presence more strongly than ever.
Financial overview
Costco Wholesale Canada has a long history of supporting children’s hospitals across Canada. Since first donating to Canada’s children’s hospital foundations in 1992, you have given over $124 million.
Result Summary
Total Contributions (2012 to 2020)
Total Contributions (2012 to 2020)
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Giving (include underwriting and in-kind) |
$6,837,505 | $7,722,301 | $8,736,880 | $9,209,726 | $9,240,779 | $10,639,100 | $10,435,719 | $10,172,633 | $9,092,738 |
| Percent Change | NA | 13% | 13% | 5% | 0% | 15% | -2% | -3% | -11% |
Recognition and engagement
Canada’s children’s hospital foundations sought opportunities to celebrate and promote Costco Wholesale Canada’s efforts to support the health of children and youth.
Estimated reach of television and radio broadcast:
1,400,000
Estimated reach of local and national public advertisements:
1,155,176
Total circulation of print recognition (including annual reports):
140,301
In addition to spreading the word through traditional channels, our team and partners posted and shared news about Costco Wholesale Canada’s efforts on social media.
Total number of
posts*:
31
*includes posts on CMN Canada social media only
Total number of engagements* (including likes, comments, shares, and interactions):
6,091
*includes engagements from CMN Canada and 12 member foundations social media
Total number of
impressions/reach*:
233,167
*includes impressions/reach from CMN Canada and 12 member foundations social media
Commitment coast to coast
Through Costco Wholesale Canada’s partnership with Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundations in support of the Children’s Miracle Network program, we are enabling impact across Canada, warehouse by warehouse. Every dollar teams raise locally stays local, inspiring neighbours and supporting patients and families nearby. This local impact – often benefiting employees’ own kids or other relatives – is part of what keeps Costco Wholesale Canada warehouses active and engaged, year after year.
Inspired by personal connections
Millions of Canadians, including many Costco Wholesale Canada employees, have personal and family reasons to support their local children’s hospital foundations.
Coming through for kids
While many aspects of life changed this year, children and youth continued to need treatment and care. Costco Wholesale Canada never wavered in its commitment to helping hospital teams meet that need.
Keeping it fun
In a year when everyone needed extra reasons to smile, Costco Wholesale Canada teams brought a spirit of energy and fun to their work on behalf of children’s hospitals.
New approaches in a year like no other
As communities across the country made changes to help stop the spread of COVID-19, Costco Wholesale Canada employees found creative ways to inspire members to donate.
Digging deep and setting records
Many Costco Wholesale Canada warehouses reached new heights in their support for sick and injured children in 2020.
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Thank you, Costco Wholesale Canada.
Children’s hospitals across Canada are grateful for your support and commitment – this year and every year.
Download a PDF version of our Partnership Report.
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