Tim Hortons Children’s Foundation

Inspiration

A longtime do-gooder brand, much of Tim Hortons’ reputation has been built on its involvement in relevant, local initiatives, which includes The Timbits Minor Sports Program (sponsorship of house league programs for kids four to eight) and Community Clean-Ups. But the Children’s Foundation, which funds camp excursions for thousands of under-privileged children each year, is one of its larger initiatives.

Jodi Bond, the QSR’s corporate communications officer, says the inspiration came from co-founder Ron Joyce’s ‘love of children and desire to give back to the community.’

The first camp opened in 1975 in Parry Sound, Ont. Today there are six camps dotted across North America: two in Ontario and single locations in Nova Scotia, Alberta, Quebec and Kentucky.

Execution

Each year, each of the over 2,900 Tim Hortons franchises, with the help of local schools and youth agencies, identifies and sends two underprivileged children between the ages of nine and 12 to either a 10-day summer camp adventure or seven-day winter camp. ‘These are kids that wouldn’t otherwise be able experience something like this,’ says Bond.

Since 1986, all the proceeds from all coffee sales on Camp Day are donated to the Foundation. Last year, $6.4 million was raised.

Marketing efforts

· The Foundation has year-round in-store POP presence

· Surrounding Camp Day, there is a full-fledged campaign with TV, OOH, print, radio, POP and PR

Results

This year, Camp Day, which fell on June 7, raised $7.2 million dollars, which will allow 11,000 kids to attend camp. Since the Foundation started, over 83,000 kids have had the camp experience. A lucky few are invited to participate in a five-year leadership program and then become eligible for bursaries towards their post-secondary education.