After a difficult year with increased demand on their services the National Advertising
Benevolence Society (NABS) – a support system set up for Canadian professionals working in marketing, media and communications – is putting out a call for more donations.
Throughout this year, NABS managing director Rosetta Heckhausen says the charity has seen a greater demand for its financial services and its counseling. Heckhausen says the organization is seeing “almost a surge in demand” for financial aid, with a roughly 20 to 25% increase in demand on a monthly basis this year.
The demand, Heckhausen suspects, is due to the higher cost of living and general affordability crisis that the country is seeing, with people experiencing higher rent, mortgage rates and food prices, she says.
“I think people are really challenged financially, making ends meet. So they come to NABS, and we support them as we can,” Heckhausen says.
NABS fundraising total has hit its lowest mark since 2018, the charity says, as it’s behind on it’s annual fundraising goal of $250,000. The charity is looking for more funds to support the services it offers to the industry.
The organization is also facing higher demand this year for the personal and career counseling that the service offers, Heckhausen says. Often, people working within the industry come to NABS for support around managing stress. The increase that the charity is seeing in this demand is likely connected to financial problems that people are facing, Heckhausen says, as well as concerns about job security.
Many of these financial concerns are also making for a tough year for businesses, which Heckhausen attributes to the reason why the charity has received less money than anticipated in donations this year.
“It’s like a perfect storm where the demand has increased because of the challenges we see in our market with financial and job insecurity,” Heckhausen says. “Then on the flipside of that, where we would depend on donations, some of our past donors are just finding it difficult because of their own business challenges.”
The challenges come as NABS celebrates its 40th year, having been created in 1983 to act as a safety net for professionals working in the industry. The charity offers support for personal, career and family challenges where other services available to the general population may be difficult for marketing and communications professionals to access.
“I think people in our industry appreciate that they have a NABS to come to when they need help, and that’s why we’ve lasted 40 years,” Heckhausen says. “The need’s been there, but the support has also been there to ensure we can provide the help people need.
“You just have to turn the news on or go online, and you see all kinds of charities out and asking for donations. It’s not unusual, it’s the reality of our economics right now,” Heckhausen adds.
“The biggest issue is because NABS services are so confidential, you don’t realize that you may be helping somebody you’re working with. You don’t realize you might be helping a colleague, a peer. So it’s not just the companies that we depend on to donate, but it’s on a personal level.”
More information about how to donate to NABS can be found on the organization’s website.
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