Raising six million dollars is never easy.
But North Shore Rescue hopes a $75,000 donation made today by Marcon Homes could be the spark they need to reach an audacious goal of long-term stability.
“We’re very passionate about what we do, but our real challenge is funding,” says Mike Danks, team leader for North Shore Rescue.
“This is really going to kick off our Tim Jones Legacy Fund.”
That legacy fund, created after the sudden death of longtime NSR leader Tim Jones last year, is intended to be a long-term endowment. If they raise $6 million, they’ll be able to cover their $500,000 annual costs on the interest alone.
READ MORE: Tim Jones remembered on the 1st anniversary of his death
Currently, they receive around $180,000 yearly from different levels of government and cover the rest through donations, mostly from individuals. However, government funds have to be applied for yearly and aren’t guaranteed. Personal donations can fluctuate wildly.
It creates an environment where North Shore Rescue leaders have to prioritize fundraising over training more often than they would like. For an all-volunteer organization with no professional fundraiser on staff, it creates a fair amount of stress.
READ MORE: Beer created to honour Tim Jones sells out in less than a month
“We’re not a group of fundraisers, that’s not what we do. We’re here to educate the public and do the rescues,” says Danks.
“This is our chance to reach out to the community and ask for support.”
Marcon’s VP of Development Bud Eaton says the size of the donation made some symbolic sense – they’re about to build 75 homes in the Lynn Valley, so it works out to a thousand dollar donation per home. He says that since they’re selling buyers on the North Shore lifestyle, it’s corporate responsibility to help organizations that facilitate that lifestyle.
“We’re a small locally-owned development company. There’s a lot of big guys out there that are building a lot more homes than us that can come to a table and offer something,” says Eaton.
“They’re an integral part of this community.”
The Tim Jones Legacy Fund now sits at just over $500,000. Danks hopes that it’s just the start of a successful 2015 campaign, but he’s grateful for the donation regardless of what happens.
“This will make it a lot easier for us,” he says.
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