Your Friendly Neighbourhood Fundraisers

By Jenny Bertrand Reading time: 6 minutes

Every day, in any type of weather, our door-to-door fundraisers introduce people across Canada to our cause. Knock knock, find out who’s there!

Lorem Ipsum

Lindsay Q: How did your family’s experience shape you into who are you today? Saara A: If my ancestors had not been as brave as they were, if they hadn't championed the women in their family, especially the way that they did, I know I could easily be a girl and, struggling in India right now or, fighting for my education in Afghanistan. And so, I know what that reality could be. And I think when you have that realization at a young age, it really pushes you to pursue certain endeavours that, don't just revolve around your own hopes and dreams, but the dreams of girls everywhere.

Q: You worked with Angelina Jolie. Did she speak to you about supporting meaningful causes, or are there any other people in Hollywood you’ve learned from or looked up to? A: I’ve definitely worked with a lot of magnificent women in the industry, Angelina being one of them. Definitely at that point in my life, when we were premiering The Breadwinner and when we were on the press tour, I was seeing her more often. Conversations of her work and her drive to pursue these things and lending her platform to a cause greater than herself, these were definitely things that, as an impressionable, 13-year-old girl, I definitely just like soaked up like a sponge, and I was like, “Wow, it is possible to balance both.”

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Asmaa Osman Ali, 20, knocks on about 30 a day as a door-to-door fundraiser in Toronto for Plan International Canada. In the past year, she’s had about 7,500 conversations about the work we do around the world to advance children’s rights and equality for girls. At the door, Ali and her colleagues are often the first faces many new donors see representing our organization, and they are an important connection between our supporters and our mission. “It’s not easy,” says Ali. “But it feels amazing when someone says yes.”

Activism and Angelina Jolie

Seeing and meeting other women in powerful positions has also helped Chaudry carve her own path in humanitarian work. One of these women is Angelina Jolie, who was the executive producer of Chaudry’s breakout film, The Breadwinner. The award-winning film was about an 11-year-old girl living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, where Chaudry’s mother’s family is originally from. “At that point in my life, when we were premiering The Breadwinner and when we were on the press tour, I saw [Angelina] more often and had conversations about her work and her drive to pursue [humanitarian work],” says Chaudry.

Jolie was a shining example for Chaudry of how she could use her fame to help shed light on inequities around the world and causes she cared about. “[I learned] you can have two lives; they can work in tandem, in harmony,” Chaudry tells Glassco. “You can create fictional stories in Hollywood that also create meaning and impact in the real world. And I thought that was the most magnificent thing ever.”

Stacy Owino on why female leadership is so important

Her mother, her best friend

South Africa. Like many immigrants, Chaudry’s grandparents made the difficult decision to leave their home so that their two daughters could access an education. “If my ancestors had not been as brave as they were, if they hadn’t championed the women in their family,” Chaudry says, she could’ve easily have grown up somewhere else in the world, without the privileges she has now. “I think when you have that realization at a young age, it really pushes you to pursue certain endeavours that don’t just revolve around your own hopes and dreams but the dreams of girls everywhere.”

Chaudry’s mother recently revealed to her that one of Saara’s first agents had pulled her aside to give her this warning: Although her daughter was talented, her identity as a BIPOC woman with her skin colour and hair texture would “hinder” her career. “And that was true. He wasn’t wrong,” Chaudry tells Glassco.

Making space for BIPOC voices

Stacy Owino on why female leadership is so important

“There were several times … I would come so close to booking a project, whether it was a TV show or a movie, and would be told, ‘She’s so talented, but I just don’t think she’s right for this one.’” She found out after auditions that the mostly white executives would rather go with a Caucasian girl, or raised concerns about why Chaudry talked so much about her identity. Fortunately, those attitudes are shifting after the #Me Too and Representation Matters movements.

“We see now women and women of colour, people of colour, having their stories being championed and their voices being heard – and their voices mattering for once,” she says. “Their stories are being told authentically, and they’re telling their stories themselves, writing their stories themselves, producing them themselves, directing them themselves. They are the lead in their own story, the hero of their stories.” Chaudry has had to work harder and push fuarther due to the barriers she and other BIPOC women face. “My identity has been and will always be my superpower,” Chaudry explains to Glassco. “It’s what makes me, me.”

Stacy Owino on why female leadership is so important

Chaudry is currently a student at Harvard University, waiting until next year to choose her major. She says it’s sometimes strange to think that she’s a role model to young people, but she’s up to the task of setting a good example to her 72,000 followers on Instagram. “No act toward bettering your community,, or advocating for a cause that you’re passionate about, or that means something to you and others, is too small,” she says. She says the onus isn’t only on young people, though: Everyone has a role in elevating youth voices. This is a cause that Plan International Canada strongly believes in.

“It’s not just about allowing children and young people to have a seat at the table. But it’s allowing that seat to also have a microphone placed in front of it and ensuring that the adult allies who also sit around the table alongside them are actively listening to the concerns that youth have and the issues that they want to address and the issues that matter to them,” she says. “Because at the end of the day, we’re the ones who are inheriting the world.” Chaudry is currently a UNICEF Canada Ambassador and is the host of the organization’s For Every Child podcast. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Helping others find their voice

Stacy Owino on why female leadership is so important

Even if you have five followers. Five engaged listeners are more important and more impactful than, 100,000 people who are just kind of tapping through stories and aren’t necessarily taking action.”

Q & A

Q: I love how you said that, you know, even if you only have five friends on social media, you can have an influence. You can have an influence on one person's life. A: You don't need to have some grand, elaborate plan or 100,000 followers or the biggest budget or the biggest campaign or some big flashy event. Having a fundraiser at school, doing a bake sale, having a lemonade stand, being a part of a protest, big or small, joining a little coalition, being a part of a youth group, joining organizations like Plan International Canada – it's things like this

Q: I'm just wondering, do you have any advice for how to mobilize and inspire youth on some of these issues? A: The one thing I always say is that no act towards bettering your community, or advocating for a cause that you're passionate about, or that means something to you and means something to other people, is too small.

Q: What are your thoughts on representation in Hollywood? A: My identity has been and will always be my superpower, because it’s what makes me,, me. It plays a huge part in my story and my own experience and what I have to offer and what I bring to the table. And so, I think it's really beautiful that collectively, there's kind of this appreciation now for culture and diversity and authenticity and for everyone's voice to be heard and everyone's story to get a chance to be on screen or in literature, whatever it may be. So, it's really beautiful to see that things are changing, but we still have a lot more work to do.

that allow you to have a start and give you a temporary home that you can then, you know, water and feed and allow it to grow into something bigger that you never expected.

Q: What are your thoughts on representation in Hollywood? A: My identity has been and will always be my superpower, because it’s what makes me, me. It plays a huge part in my story and my own experience and what I have to offer and what I bring to the table. And so, I think it's really beautiful that collectively, there's kind of this appreciation now for culture and diversity and authenticity and for everyone's voice to be heard and everyone's story to get a chance to be on screen or in literature, whatever it may be. So, it's really beautiful to see that things are changing, but we still have a lot more work to do.

I saw her lending her platform to a cause greater than herself – and as an impressionable 13-year-old, I soaked that up like a sponge. I was like, ‘Wow, it is possible to balance both.’”

“

She is my greatest role model and the greatest role model I’ll ever have. No one will ever take her place.”

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The woman who has had the biggest effect on her life and career, however, is her mother. “My mom is the blueprint for me,” she says. Chaudry’s mother came to Canada at age 12 with her sister and parents, after growing up in apartheid

Ali couldn’t wait to tell us about a mother and daughter who opened their door and their hearts to the cause. “They were very curious about what we do and where we work,” she says, adding that she loves when people ask questions, because she’s ready for them: “I do my research.” Then, Ali flipped the script and asked questions to get to know them better, finding out that the mother owns a skin-care business. Sensing a connection, she explained to them how Plan supports families, especially young women, with loans, savings groups and financial literacy training so they can build their own incomes and independence. “The mom loved that. She opened up to me about her struggles in Colombia to start a business and raise her daughter where schools and the society aren’t as inclusive,” she said. Having done her research, Ali showed the woman a video about Ingrid, who founded a small fashion business in Colombia with Plan International’s support. “She wanted to help girls the way she wished she had been. She signed up, and I felt so proud to have worked on such an honourable cause and met such kind-hearted individuals,” says Ali.

Her most memorable interaction

Aiden Tucker-Wood, 21

Time fundraising for Plan

16 months through fundraising partner, TNI

“You can send letters and pictures back and forth with the child you sponsor. I remember the first letter I received!”

Favourite Plan fact to tell people

“It’s gratifying to have a personal connection with the people you’re helping. Once I got the chance to fundraise on their behalf, I strongly believed in the good work I was doing. Even before fundraising and donating to Plan, I heard many people loved supporting it.”

What inspires you?

“Take time to learn about the good work the organization does. It’s easy to put your all into the cause once you know how much they do to make the world a better place.”

Advice

5 years through fundraising partner, TNI The Network Inc.

Time fundraising for Plan

“Ninety per cent of our staff are local to the countries where they work.”

Favourite Plan fact to tell people

“I was working during a snowstorm in 2019. It was a tough day, and no one wanted to talk to me. Finally, I met a woman who was shovelling, and she asked me what I was doing. I told her I was out to help children, and she said, ‘In this weather? That’s amazing! Can I please help?’ I told her we were looking for long-term supporters, and she had no problem with that. She told me she comes from Brazil and knows the difference sponsorship makes for those children. That was the night I sponsored my first child as well.”

Most memorable interaction

“Going door to door isn’t the easiest job, but it could be the most rewarding.”

Advice

Sara Ataelmanan, 30

Other fundraising superstars

A fundraiser’s job is tough. Doors closing in your face and repeated rejection can take their toll. “You have to be resilient,” says Ali. “If someone isn’t interested, I respect that and go to the next door.” She reminds herself that behind every door is a chance to find someone who wants to help. “Many girls don’t have the opportunity to speak up. I try my best to be their advocate at the door,” she says.

Supporting children’s rights is its own reward

Plan International Canada is grateful to the hundreds of fundraisers who work through sleet and heat, snow and countless “nos” to share our message with people from coast to coast. Because of you, more determined optimists can support the issues they care about, form bonds with children worldwide and support progress until we are all equal. Learn more about our door-to-door fundraising program

• Plan has used door-to-door fundraisers for more than 15 years.

Sponsor today

Support a child from a country that’s special to you.

See where

Did you know we work in 75 countries?

When was the last time you knocked on someone’s door?

“I tell people we operate in more than 75 countries. People are excited to sponsor a child where they used to live,” says Ali. She explains to supporters that they can send messages to the child they sponsor and feel connected to someone in a place that’s important to them. “Showing our videos also helps people relate to our global work," she adds.

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Inspired to help us fundraise?

• Our team has about 3,000 in-person conversations daily – that’s 1 million a year!

• We knock on doors in every province and territory. Canvassing teams take road trips to remote areas like the Northwest Territories, because everyone has the potential to join our movement for children’s rights.

• Door-to-door fundraising is one of the most successful ways of getting more supporters – and bringing in thousands of donations annually.

True or false? Fundraisers work on commission.

True

False

Going door to door over the years, I’ve met people who have seen Plan’s work first-hand in their countries, even some who were sponsored as children...

Sara Ataelmanan has been a fundraiser for more than five years.

Aiden Tucker-Wood is in his second year of fundraising with us.

My director tells me, ‘Do it for the cause, not for the applause.'

Asmaa Osman Ali

Fundraising Fun Facts

Quiz

Try again.

Correct: This is a common misconception.

Correct: Lorem Ipsum copy

Try Again

Correct: Lorem Ipsum copy

False

True

True or false? Fundraisers work on commission.

And it’s easy to see why when you talk with her. “You have to be yourself and be in the moment with the person at the door,” she says. She’s well-informed and friendly, and most importantly, she’s passionate about creating a just and equal world because of her past experiences. Ali was born in Canada but grew up in Turkiye and Iraq. “I didn’t notice when I was little, but now, when I look back, I realize how education there isn’t the same as it is here,” she explains. “So women don’t have the same opportunities. I love that Plan International strives for justice for all girls and helps them go to school.” Ali returned to Canada a year ago and joined our canvassing team. They campaign for our Child Sponsorship program and our Plan For Children Fund, which supports children and their rights in times of crisis.

One of our best fundraisers

You have to be yourself and be in the moment with the person at the door.

Asmaa Osman Ali, who has worked as a door-to-door fundraiser with Plan International Canada for a year.

Jessica has fundraised in Toronto with TNI for 8 months.

Hamilton, Ont.

Toronto, Ont.

Correct: They make their last call at 8:45 p.m. and canvass until 9 p.m. That’s the law.

8:45 p.m.

8:30 p.m.

What time do fundraisers stop knocking on doors?

9:00 p.m.

9:15 p.m.

Correct: Fundraisers collect only credit card and direct debit payment information, through a secure, touchless sign-up process over the phone while at the door. That way, fundraisers don’t walk around with cash or financial data – protecting them and our supporters.

Try again.

False

True

True or false? Fundraisers do not accept cash donations.

Try again.

Our life-changing work for families is only possible because of fundraisers and staff like this one supporting a mother and son in Lebanon.

Ingrid, a biologist by training, started a small fashion business in Colombia after attending workshops run by Plan International.