RIDEAU VALLEY, June 1, 2021 – What do the dusty exercise bike in your basement and the abandoned dress in your closet have in common? They can now both become cash donations to Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation!
The RVCF is thrilled to become the first environmental charity partnering with GiveShop, an Ottawa-based online community marketplace.
Like other buy-and-sell platforms, GiveShop users can post new and gently used items for sale on the app or website. But in an innovative twist, sale proceeds are donated directly to the seller’s charity of choice and the seller gets a charitable tax receipt for the full amount.
This is an exciting new donation option for RVCF supporters, and offers huge benefits for everyone involved:
- the seller clears out their space and gets a charitable tax receipt;
- the buyer gets a great deal;
- the item is spared from landfill;
- users support an innovative local business;
- and the Foundation receives much-needed funds to continue supporting critical environmental programs such as tree planting, water quality research and outdoor education.
“GiveShop expands donation options for our supporters while contributing to a more sustainable future,” said Diane Downey, RVCF’s executive director. “Partnering with this local start-up dovetails perfectly with what we are trying to accomplish in the Rideau Valley watershed.”
The Foundation is a registered environmental charity working to help protect and conserve the lands and waters of the Rideau Valley watershed in Eastern Ontario. The Foundation complements and supports the work of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority by raising funds and in-kind gifts for three major areas of conservation work: land care through tree planting, trail maintenance, and picnic tables, benches, boardwalks; river care through water quality monitoring, biodiversity monitoring, wetland inventories, invasive species removal and clean water projects; and conservation education through outdoor learning experiences, accessible programs and public events.
How to support RVCF on GiveShop:
1. Using www.GiveShop.ca or the GiveShop app, create an account and choose Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation as your preferred charity. Verify your account through your email.
2. To sell an item, click “Give” and choose RVCF as your charity. Post photos and a description and wait for buyers to bid or buy outright. Once an item has been sold, the funds are sent directly to the Foundation – you don’t handle the cash! You can then arrange a pick-up time with the buyer. Watch for your charitable receipt in your inbox.
3. To buy an item, visit the Foundation's marketplace page or click “Shop” and choose RVCF as your charity. Buy an item you love and enjoy it knowing it supports a more sustainable future for you and your community!
In light of COVID-19 public health guidance, we ask that all GiveShop users follow social distancing policies when meeting up to exchange items. Sellers should thoroughly sanitize items before pick-up and leave items by the door or follow a "curb-side" model when handing off the item to the buyer.
Happy shopping! For more information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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