Boost receives funding from a number of sources including municipal and provincial governments. This revenue does not fully cover the costs of the services that Boost provides to children and youth who have been abused, and their families. Boost must raise approximately 40% of the required revenue each year. These funds are generated from a variety of sources including:
- Annual Butterfly Ball $275,000
- Go Purple for Prevention Campaign $10,000
- Donations $50,000
- Training and Materials $60,000
- Grants (time-limited and project) $225,000
Boost offers a range of programs and services. Some of these programs receive annualized government funding however, all of them require additional revenue from fundraising to meet the expenses. Boost works very hard to keep our administrative and fundraising costs low so that our funds can be used to provide as much service as possible to children, youth and familes. For more information on how our funds are spent please click here.
How Our Fundraised Dollars Were Spent in 2009
As a result of our most successful Butterfly Ball to date, Boost was able to significantly increase the number of staff that provide direct services to support children and youth who have suffered abuse or violence. We added 3 new contract staff to our Assessment & Treatment Program to reduce the length of time that children and youth are waiting for services. Since early fall, we have eliminated our wait list completely so no child has had to wait for support. We have also expanded our offices to create a suite of 4 new child-friendly rooms in which to meet with children and families. These rooms have been equipped with state-of-the-art recording equipment for training purposes, as well as therapeutic toys and games for children. Through donations, we were able to furnish the room with colourful sofas, chairs and pictures. We have also been able to provide valuable training for our treatment team and they have begun to include new techniques such as sand tray and pet therapy to offer more strength-based and child-friendly interventions.
Recently, we offered a 12 year old girl, who had experienced physical and sexual abuse, the chance to include a therapy dog in her sessions. She eagerly accepted and stated that she had “always wanted someone or something to hold that would not hurt (her)”.
The mother of an eight year old boy who was referred to Boost wrote-
“As a parent, I have found Boost to be a very integral part of our families’ healing and growth process. Right from the start, we all felt comforted not only by kind words of support but also by a feeling of not being alone. Making a decision about where to go or who to talk to is very difficult. Everyone needs to find their own comfort level and feel out what suits them best. Based on my families’ involvement with Boost, my honest opinion is that there is no place better than – or parallel to – Boost and what they offer.”
Boost has accomplished a great deal in 2009 and hopes to do even more in 2010.