What is Reader With a Cause?
This awards program in which, you the reader, get to nominate and support organizations that are making life better for kids, whether it’s in health, recreation, the environment, literacy, disabilities, child care, nutrition, sports – the list goes on and on.

Whether you are personally involved in the charity or have benefited from its efforts, your story could reap that cause a sizeable donation.

Today’s Parent will select one such Reader With a Cause to honour in each issue, starting in January 2009. This winner will be profiled in the magazine, and will receive a $2,000 donation (courtesy of KRG Children’s Charitable Foundation) for the registered charity she chooses. At the end of the year, three grand prize winners will be selected from the 12 winners profiled through that year. The grand prize winners will attend an event and receive an additional $8,000 donation to their charities.

What information should I include in my entry?
First, tell us your story: why you care about the cause you’ve chosen. Maybe one of your kids was diagnosed with autism, which prompted you to get active raising awareness and funds. Or perhaps your niece was born prematurely and you saw the amazing efforts and dedication of your local neo-natal unit. Maybe you see too many obese kids in your community, and you want to see school nutrition programs improved. Whatever the cause you care about, tell us why it matters to you.

Secondly, you need to select a registered charity that is working toward the goals you care about. Tell us about the work this organization does, and why you think Today’s Parent should support it. Including specific details is important: Can you give examples of children who have benefited? How long has the organization been in existence? How many people are involved? Are there any statistics that would help illustrate the organization’s impact?

How do I know if my chosen organization is a registered charity?
Canada Revenue Agency lists all charitable organizations registered in Canada. You can check at www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tax/charities/online_listings/menu-e.html to see if your organization is listed.

What if I want to support an organization that is not a registered charity?
Sorry, Reader With a Cause donations can only go to registered charitable organizations whose work benefits children. But don’t despair! Say your first choice would be to support your neighbourhood’s parent-and-tot drop-in centre, but you learn that it is not a registered charity; you can still support your cause by choosing another organization dedicated to improving child care, kids’ literacy, or post-partum support for new moms.

When do you select the winners?
We select one winner per issue. However, all the nominations that are not selected go back into the pool of entries to be considered for future.

How do you select the winners?
Each month, a panel of Today’s Parent editors will read all the entries and select a winner. We are looking for stories that move us, for causes that have a real impact on Canadian children, and for evidence of the reader’s personal connection and commitment to her cause. We may contact the reference listed on the entry form before make our decision.

Can I send newspaper articles and other supporting documents to illustrate the importance of my cause?
Yes. You can mail this material to us. Please note that it will not be returned. Make sure it is clearly marked with a cover sheet that reads:
Today’s Parent For Kids’ Sake Reader with a Cause Awards
Material to support nomination submitted online
Submitted by (name): ___________________

Mail it to:

Today’s Parent For Kids’ Sake Reader with a Cause Awards
One Mount Pleasant Rd., 8th floor
Toronto, ON
M4Y 2Y5