resources to do our work. Demand is in-
creasing, and government and other fund-
ing is going down. As a result, the fundrais-
ing environment is becoming increasingly
more competitive,” Coleridge said. “Given
the extensive impact of youth mentoring,
it needs to be resourced by governments,
more corporate sponsors and individual
donors in the same manner as our formal
health and social services.”
Each year, BBBSC celebrates the efforts
of their agencies, staff, volunteers and do-
nors through the National Awards program.
The awards recognize the contributions of
a vast array of people, companies and the
community at both the local and national
levels. “We’re just so proud to recognize
member agencies and supporters for their
work across Canada,” Coleridge said.
Those are the contributions that ultimate-
ly impact the tens of thousands of young
Canadians who see their lives changed
through the support of BBBS in Canada. It
can be as simple as lending a sympathetic
ear, spending time playing a board game or
equipping a young child with the soft skills
and confidence to achieve more. It means
having a champion and not being judged,
and being connected to a world that offers
greater opportunity than it did before dis-
covering Big Brothers Big Sisters.
FEBRUARY 2017
H
business elite canada
9
