All the help you need to volunteer your way

We're here to help make your Heart & Stroke Canvass experience rewarding. If you don't find the information you're looking for, please contact us.

FAQs Useful Links Social Tools

FAQs

We’ve tried to answer many common questions below, but if you need additional help, please get in touch.

  • Fundraising online means less admin costs meaning more dollars go towards research and more impact.
  • Donors get their tax receipt immediately.
  • Donate by credit card.
  • Online fundraising is simple and can be done from the comfort of your home, anytime.
  • It’s safe and secure!

Fundraising involves asking for donations and sharing lifesaving information with your neighbours, friends, family, co-workers.

You will be sharing women's heart and brain health statistics, as well as signs of heart attack and stroke.

We encourage you to set a personal fundraising goal of $400 or more.

You can collect money by reaching out to your networks with your personal fundraising page link and asking them to make a donation directly to your page. You can do this via email or social media. For suggested content and tips, click here.

Your Participant Centre is your gateway for fundraising online! Use your Participant Centre to:

  1. Share your story - Customize your personal page, using compelling pictures, text, even video!
  2. Make the first donation a self-donation - lead the way and kick off your fundraising!
  3. Shout it from roof tops - Share your page via email and social media. Make it known that you’re helping save lives!

Check out our Useful Links to learn more

We’ve made it easy for you! Check out our email and social media resources that have customizable messaging for you to email to your contacts and share on your social media platforms.

The easiest fix is to request a new password. Simply click on this link and follow the steps to request a password reset.

If fundraising in-person is better for you, we're here to support you! Please reach out to your local area office to request your fundraising kit .

  • Ensure that you are getting a receipt. If not, don’t donate.
  • Never donate at the door to someone who does not have professional looking identification.
  • All Heart & Stroke canvassers are knowledgeable in our mission.
  • If you have concerns, please contact Heart & Stroke’s general hotline at 1-888-473-4636.

Heart & Stroke is committed to privacy and Payment Card Industry Security Standards. For this reason, credit card donations are only accepted online through our secure site. Donors can donate directly on a canvasser’s personal fundraising page. Click here to search for a canvasser.

Online: when you donate online, you will receive your official tax receipt via email immediately. If you do not receive your tax receipt, please reach out to heartmonth@heartandstroke.ca to request a new one.

Offline: you will receive an official tax receipt via mail by February 28th the following year.

Heart & Stroke adheres to CRA guidelines and must account for all tax receipts that have been printed and distributed which is difficult to do when in the hands of thousands of volunteers. Interim tax receipts allow for strong tax receipt control, tracking, and reporting.

We’d be happy to hear from you! Please contact us via email at heartmonth@heartandstroke.ca.

Research will continue to benefit men AND women. This new focus on women’s heart and brain health research will ensure balanced, representative and equitable studies that shed light on the differences between men and women, so that both may be diagnosed and treated appropriately.

Please check out the Our Impact section to keep up to date and learn more about how your dollars are making an impact.

Useful Links

Social Tools

Did you know that raising funds online using email and social media could significantly boost your fundraising? Even if you’re not very active online, your network is powerful and ready to help.

Or if you are interested in starting a Facebook Fundraiser, please read these guidelines. Alternatively, you can post on Facebook using the text available when you click on the red Facebook button.

Email

Copy and paste the following email templates into your personal email and send to your contacts. Try including why you fundraise and include your personal fundraising page link.

Email 1: The urgency of fundraising

Subject Line: Please support my fundraising

Hi [Name]

Many of us have seen the devastation caused by heart disease and stroke. It’s something no family should endure. This cause has special importance to me [because + insert why you fundraise]. That’s why I’m working with Heart & Stroke Canvass to raise funds and deliver life-saving information.

First, I would encourage you to learn and share the signs of a heart attack and stroke, because it could save the life of someone you love. Second, please donate to my fundraiser. Why? Because in Canada, one person dies every 5 minutes from heart disease, stroke or vascular cognitive impairment. We must do something right now.

Your donation will help all people in Canada, but it’s especially important for women, who face even more dire statistics: · #1 cause of premature death in women in Canada is heart disease and stroke. · 53% of women who experience heart attack symptoms have them go unrecognized. · 2/3 of all heart disease and stroke clinical research focuses on men.

To close the research gap, Heart & Stroke has pledged to double the dollars invested in research for women. I need your help to save lives and create more moments with the people we love. Support my fundraiser below:

[Insert Fundraising Page URL]

Thank you!

Email 2: The effectiveness of fundraising

Subject Line: Help me save lives

Hi [Name]

I’m sharing lifesaving information and raising funds with Heart & Stroke Canvass to help close the research gap for women [because personal reason]. I’m asking for your help because this mission is critical. A life is lost to heart disease, stroke or vascular cognitive impairment every 5 minutes but we know Heart & Stroke is making real, tangible change. And we want more of it. The cause is especially urgent for women. They are under-researched, under-diagnosed and over-dying. Heart & Stroke is doubling their investment in research on women but we need your support. Help save the lives of the women we love. Help create more moments with the people we love. Help build a better future for people in Canada. Thank you for your support!

[Insert Fundraising Page URL]

Email 3: Thank you for donating

Subject Line: Thank you for your support

Hi [Name]

I want to sincerely thank you for supporting my Heart & Stroke Canvass. Your donation helps fund 750 researchers whose work will promote health, save lives, and enhance recovery. While this is beneficial to all people in Canada, there’s special urgency for women, who are under-researched, under-diagnosed and over-dying. With your help, we’re closing the research gap! I want to express my gratitude for helping me reach my fundraising goal. And while we’re discussing lifesaving work, get to know the signs of a heart attack and stroke — it could save a life. I can’t thank you enough!

Facebook

Copy and paste one of the sample posts into your Facebook feed. Try including why you fundraise, include your personal fundraising page link and consider including a photo commemorating fundraising milestone or a personal moment.

Facebook #1: Starting Out

Heart disease, stroke and related conditions take a life in Canada every five minutes. In fact, heart disease and stroke are the no. 1 cause of premature death for women in Canada. That’s why I’m raising money with Heart & Stroke, whose cause is so important to me [because personal reason, if applicable]. Together, we can help close the research gap to stop women from dying unnecessarily. Will you help me with a donation?

[Insert personal fundraising link]

Facebook #2: Goal Update

In case you missed it, I’m fundraising for Heart & Stroke! It’s a cause dear to me [because personal reason, if applicable]. I’ve achieved $XX of my $XX fundraising goal, and I’d be so grateful if you could help me with a donation. Today, heart disease and stroke is the no. 1 cause of premature death for women in Canada. Let’s change that!

Twitter

Copy and paste one of the sample tweets on your Twitter account. Include your personal fundraising page link and consider including a photo commemorating a fundraising milestone or a personal moment.

Twitter #1: Starting Out

I’m raising money with @HeartandStroke, because they’re doing awesome work and saving lives — by closing the research gap for women. Will you help me with a donation and create #MoreMoments? [insert your personal fundraising page link].

Twitter #2: Goal Update

Everyone! I’m so close to reaching my @HeartandStroke fundraising goal! I’ve raised $XX of my $XX target — will you help me hit my goal? Heart disease and stroke is the no. 1 cause of premature death for women in Canada. Let’s change that. [insert personal fundraising page link]

LinkedIn

Copy and paste any of the following sample posts into your LinkedIn account and share. Customize the post by including WHY you fundraise and sharing a photo of a personal moment!

LinkedIn #1: Starting Out

This month, I’m supporting Heart & Stroke [because personal reason, if applicable]. I was surprised to learn that in Canada, one person dies every 5 minutes from heart disease, stroke or vascular cognitive impairment. And that heart disease and stroke are the #1 cause of premature death in women in Canada. But we can help save lives. Please donate to my fundraiser to help fund the next research breakthrough. [insert personal fundraising page link].

LinkedIn #2: Goal Update

We’re almost there! I’ve raised $XX of my $XX goal for my Heart & Stroke fundraiser. Will you help me reach my goal? It’s money well spent: 97 cents of every dollar fund the best research in Canada — research that helps promote health, save lives, and enhance recovery.

Thank you!

Instagram

  1. Add your personal fundraising page link to your Instagram bio.
  2. Choose a photo of either a shot of you volunteering, meeting a donor, or a personal moment and write a personal caption that directs followers to the link in your bio.
  3. Share across platforms. Instagram gives you the option to also share your post to Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr at the same time.

Option 1:

I’m raising money with @HeartandStroke, because they’re doing awesome work and saving lives — and closing the research gap for women. Will you help me with a donation and create #MoreMoments? Donation link in my bio.

Option 2:

Everyone! I’m so close to reaching my @HeartandStroke fundraising goal! I’ve raised $XX of my $XX target — will you help me hit my goal? Heart disease and stroke is the no. 1 cause of premature death for women in Canada. Let’s change that. Donation link in my bio.