Thank you for your interest in ShopandShare.ca. If you have any questions after reviewing the information below, please contact Richelle Skrilec at [email protected], or 1-888-466-2499.
MISSION STATEMENT:
To build stronger communities and provide financial support to the causes that are near and dear to the heart of Canadian consumers, while empowering and encouraging individuals to make conscientious purchasing decisions.
SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:
1. What is ShopandShare.ca all about? 

ShopandShare.ca is a unique, online shopping experience that benefits customer and non-profit groups alike. It allows customers to financially support their favorite causes without having to donate out of their pocket, and it is a free and easy way for Canadian charities and non-profit organizations to raise money all year round.
When purchases are made through the website (www.shopandshare.ca), a portion of the purchase price is donated to whichever charity or non-profit the customer chooses. We have partnered with over 200 retailers & restaurants so supporters can buy what they want, when they want - without spending a penny more. Plus, all of the tracking and work is done by us, so there is no extra work or volunteer hours required from our Charity/Non-Profit Partners.
2. Why should people shop online at ShopandShare.ca? 

Shopping online through the ShopandShare.ca website not only saves our customers time, fuel, and frustration - it helps raise money for their favorite charities and non-profit organizations across Canada, too. There are no additional costs to shop through the website, plus, many of our Retail Partners regularily offer exclusive online money-saving promotions to our customers. People can choose to support multiple charities (one per purchase), which makes it very convenient for families who have children in different schools and activities and individuals who want to support more than one non-profit organization throughout the year.
3. Richelle, what prompted you to start a business/fundraising program like this? 

As a mother of two active school-aged children, I quickly became frustrated with traditional fundraisers. It seemed like we were always being asked to sell and/or purchase items that no one wanted or needed - just to support our local school, sports teams, etc. Plus, as a volunteer with numerous organizations, I spent substantial time and energy helping with some of the fundraisers, counting money, photocopying forms, compiling orders, etc. And, although I knew I was helping to make a difference in our community, I also knew that there had to be an easier way to raise money given the increasing popularity of online shopping. After a great deal of brainstorming and research, the ShopandShare.ca concept was born.
4. What kind of retailers have you partnered with so far? 

We have partnered with more than 400 popular retailers and travel sites so far, including Amazon, Sears, Chapters/Indigo, Expedia, Old Navy, Staples, Booking.com, etc. And, the list continues to grow each month as more and more retailers jump on the 'online sales' bandwagon. We are careful, however, to only partner with reputable and dependable retailers and travel sites that "play well" with Canadian shoppers. They must ship to Canada without charging an arm and a leg, accept returns, and offer excellent customer service to our ShopandShare.ca community.
5. Which charities and non-profit organizations do you work with? 

We currently have hundreds of Non-Profit Partners from across Canada participating in our program and we look forward to welcoming 1000s more. We have work with Non-Profit organizations from just about every non-profit sector including: Schools, Sports Clubs, Churches, Animal Shelters, Women's Shelters, Arts and Culture, Health & Support groups, Food Banks, Environmental groups, and more.
6. How can new charities and non-profits get involved? What does it cost to join? 

All Canadian Charities and Non-Profits in good standing are encouraged to sign up for their free 'Non-Profit' account so they can start earning easy donations all year round. There are no costs to join or quotas to meet. All we ask is that our Non-Profit Partners help spread the word to their supporters – generally the more people they tell, the more money they can make. We've even created an online Communication Toolbox to help. It's full of pre-formatted brochures, letters, pamphlets, etc. that can be sent to supporters, uploaded to websites, posted on walls, etc.
7. Many of the brands listed on the ShopandShare.ca website are green/environmentally friendly. Why is that? 

The ShopandShare.ca team is respectful of our planet and the people who live on it, so we feel that our website is the perfect venue to not only educate people about the impact their purchasing decisions can make, but to provide safe alternatives as well. We want to empower people to choose environmentally- and people-friendly products from ethical suppliers and encourage chemical-free lifestyles wherever possible.
We have also taken steps to reduce our own environmental impact by practising the 3 R's of waste management (Reduce Reuse Recyle), allowing our team members to telecommute (work from home & choose their own hours), using chemical-free cleaning products in our offices, and choosing ethical and local suppliers when possible.
8. What are your future plans for ShopandShare.ca? 

We have HUGE plans for ShopandShare.ca including adding more features to make our website as interactive as possible, working with individual retailers and non-profits to create synergistic and mutually-beneficial partnerships.
We also look forward to welcoming thousands of Canadian Charities and Non-Profits to our team over the next few years and writing a ton of donation cheques! Stay tuned as we roll out some new features and add new Retail Partners! The best is yet to come!!
EXAMPLES OF RECENT NEWSLETTERS:
SOME RECENT PRESS RELEASES:
EXAMPLES OF PREVIOUS MEDIA COVERAGE:
- Calgary Herald, Capital Ideas, Aug 2015 http://issuu.com/capitalideascalgary/docs/2015.08.13final/1?e=12081845/14761935
- Calgary Herald, Capital Ideas, Aug 2014 http://issuu.com/capitalideascalgary/docs/14.08.2014-capideas-final?e=0/8990285
- NAIT TechLife Magazine, Nov 2013 ShopandShare.ca turns online shoppers into philanthropists
- Jamorel Media Inc, Local Calgary Business Feature, Oct 2012 - http://jamorel.com/local-feature-business/
- Modern Socialite, Online Magazine, Aug 2012 - http://www.modernsocialite.com/2012/08/5587/
- Q107 Calgary, Terry & Patti's Playhouse, Dec 2009 - <<LISTEN NOW>>
- Calgary Herald, Open for Business, Oct 2009 - <<CLICK TO VIEW>>
IMAGES (to be used with written permission from ShopandShare.ca only):
- ShopandShare.ca logo (.jpg)

- Richelle Skrilec - Founder & CEO (.pdf)
