Women's groups should raise funds collaboratively through workplace giving and distribute dollars to member organizations.

• Women's groups should explore the possibility of setting up a federation of member organizations for the purpose of raising and disbursing revenue to members through workplace giving and payroll deduction
• Women's groups should develop an educational strategy for national, provincial, and local groups related to workplace giving and be advised that developing a workplace giving strategy is a long-term commitment (3-5 years before revenue is generated)
• Women's groups should work closely with local members to demonstrate clearly the impact of donations on women's and girls' lives

Following from this recommendation comes the recognition that:

Gaining access to employees through workplace giving is more likely to be achieved if approached through a strategic alliance with other groups.

Canada has only two non-United Way established alternative federations set up to access workplace giving (Health partners national and provincial and The Environmental Fund of B.C.) in comparison to 180 in the United States. Health partners has limited success in accessing workplace giving. To date it has campaigns in partnership with the United Way in only two local jurisdictions after five years of operation. The Federal Government currently limits access to its payroll to only the United Way and Health partners through a joint agreement.

Recent contact with the Federal Treasury Board suggests that a request for access to workplace giving from women's groups might be viewed favorably. However, the risk of failure within the wider (including private sector) workplace is high if Canadian national equality-seeking women's groups attempt to access workplace giving in isolation.

A strategic alliance is defined as an agreement between two or more separate, independent (sometimes competing) organizations that work together to accomplish a specific objective or mutual interest or benefit. Such an alliance would result in the sharing of resources and efforts to meet stated objectives. A strategic alliance, involving a variety of groups with a broad range of issues and covering significant segments of the population (women, health, arts, minority groups, environment, children) will be a powerful lobby to government and therefore enhance opportunities for success.

Women's groups should form a strategic alliance with existing and emerging Canadian federations to increase access to workplace giving.

• Women's groups should form an immediate strategic alliance with existing Canadian federations on access strategies
• Women's groups should take a leadership role in the formation of strategic alliances with alternative groups, other organizations, and emerging federations (children's, environmental, minority groups, health, arts and others) to form a powerful force and lobbying effort to increase access to workplace giving

Chrow

Gibson

Omidvar