• When you donate to Plan’s overall work, rather than to a specific program like Gifts of Hope, Child Sponsorship, or a development project like COSME, your gift can be used wherever children – especially girls – and and their families need help most.
• In a world dealing with 59 global conflicts, this kind of giving allows Plan to respond quickly when a crisis erupts, whether it’s a conflict, climate disaster, health emergency, or other sudden community need.
• As global aid funding declines, donations to Plan’s overall work help fill gaps, keep programs steady, and protect hard-won progress.
• These kinds of donations help Plan stay nimble by diversifying funding so we can adapt quickly when communities tell us what they need.

One moment, 12-year-old Ansam was shopping for groceries with her family; the next, she was fleeing the war in Sudan.

For 18-year-old Loko in Ethiopia, her turning point came when her family’s crops and livestock, their entire livelihood, finally withered away, leaving them without food, water, or income.

And for Sharon in Uganda, everything changed the day her aunt brought her home after two years in a forced marriage that had pulled her out of school at 14.

When everything changes, the right support matters

When a girl’s life is upended, her needs aren’t always the same as someone else’s. Sometimes it’s immediate protection from violence. Sometimes it’s food or water. Sometimes it’s a way back to school or a path to rebuild what has been lost.

That’s why the way you choose to support Plan matters, especially when your donation can be used wherever children need it most.

“Specific donations are wonderful when you want to make a concrete difference on a particular issue,” says Nadine Grant, vice president of program and business development at Plan International Canada. “But when you donate to an organization, it’s usually because you believe in their cause and want to support their work in the way it’s needed most.”

Why flexible support matters

Imagine being given money that can only be used to buy a new winter coat, which is important, especially if you live in Canada. But at home, your fridge is empty, your rent is due, and you have to pay the heating bill. The coat matters, but it’s not the crisis you’re facing. And because the money is restricted to a specific use, you can’t use it for what you need most.

Plan's Gifts of Hope program works in a similar way. If someone buys a Clean Water for Families gift, that donation will always support programs that specifically help communities access clean water, like building or repairing wells. It's an incredible gift. But if a girl suddenly needs protection from an early marriage, or if a family loses everything overnight, a more flexible donation allows us to redirect resources to help with that urgent need.

“There’s a misconception that donations to a charity’s overall work just cover administrative costs,” Grant explains. “But giving to an organization’s broader efforts actually reduces the cost of raising funds for specific projects, and it helps us be timelier and more efficient.”

When funds are given to Plan to use wherever they’re needed most, our teams can direct those resources to the greatest and most urgent needs, whether that’s safety for Ansam, food and water for Loko and her family, or school support for Sharon.

“It enables us to make pivots that are so important in the real world and in these times. You can’t predict everything,” adds Grant.

She’s seen it happen.

How flexibility helps in emergencies

When the Ebola virus broke out in 2014, our teams in countries like Sierra Leone pivoted from running agricultural projects to focusing on urgent take-home food distributions. This helped community members stay home and avoid exposing themselves to the virus while keeping their families fed. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to quickly shift funds to sudden health needs like personal protective equipment, helping girls and families stay safe.

This kind of flexible support is what allows Plan’s teams to act quickly when danger appears without warning, and to continue that support long after the headlines fade.

Most importantly, it ensures that girls like Ansam, Loko, and Sharon aren’t left waiting. Because the moment everything changes for a girl shouldn’t be the moment she’s left without support. It should be the moment someone steps in to help.

With flexible giving, that someone can be you.

Why non-profit organizations need flexible donations now more than ever

In a world dealing with 59 global conflicts, rampant climate crises, and rapid political shifts, unforeseen events are on the rise. Yet in recent years, only 43% of the global funding required for humanitarian assistance has been met, and now billions more dollars are being withdrawn around the world, putting lives in danger.

The shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) eliminated the largest source of global assistance, an immediate cut that cost lives. The Centre for Global Development estimates that a million deaths could be connected to those cuts.

The need not only for funding but for funding that can adapt to meet the moment has never been more urgent.

Bolstering charities to protect progress

“If [institutional] funds are pulled, flexible donations can help organizations stabilize until another solution is identified,” says Grant. “It can help us ensure that communities are least impacted.”

Over the last decade, Grant has seen promising shifts in countries across Asia, the Americas, and Africa, where Plan works; many have reduced incidents of diseases like malaria, banned harmful practices like child marriage, and strengthened local economies. But those hard-won gains must be protected. When programs are abruptly defunded, decades of progress can unravel, impacting countries and lives around the globe.

“All NGOs [non-governmental organizations] are ultimately committed to the communities they serve,” says Grant. “Flexible funds give charities like Plan Canada solutions to deliver on their mission while staying focused on the individuals they serve in every evolving situation.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What does it mean to donate to a charity’s overall work?

Donating to a charity’s overall work means your donation is not earmarked for a specific project or type of program activity. Instead, it gives organizations like Plan International Canada the flexibility to urgently direct funds where needs are greatest, whether that’s emergency response in crises, protection for children, girls’ education, or long-term development.

2. How do overall donations make charities more efficient?

When donations aren’t tied to specific campaigns, charities don’t have to create or promote dedicated fundraising materials for each initiative (such as custom proposals or ads). This means they can reduce costs and redirect time and resources toward delivering more impact.

3. How do overall donations help girls?

Donations to Plan International Canada’s overall work enable teams to respond to multiple crises and issues at the same time – wherever and however girls most need support. That could mean providing trauma counselling for girls fleeing war, running programs that prevent girls’ early and forced marriage, or delivering emergency food and water when climate shocks leave girls and their families without livelihoods or survival essentials.

4. Why do non-profits need donations to their overall work now more than ever?

With growing global conflicts, health emergencies, and climate crises, and with aid funding being slashed around the world, lives are increasingly at risk while charities face more uncertainty than ever. Overall donations help organizations fill funding gaps and stay resilient through turbulent periods, like when private or government grants are cut or fundraising is low.

5. Does donating to overall work mean communities are less involved in decision making?

Because this type of donation is adaptable, it actually means communities can have greater influence over work and become even more involved in decision making. Local partners and community members can flag emerging challenges in real time and work with Plan’s experts to help shape new and ongoing solutions based on their lived experience, not on predefined, fixed plans.

6. Is one type of donation better than another?

All donations matter and have real impact. Some donors feel a connection to a certain area of work and prefer to support a specific initiative, while others choose overall donations to maximize Plan’s flexibility and responsiveness to achieve its mission. Both play a role in advancing girls’ rights and equality, helping create better opportunities for children and families and a safer and more prosperous world for everyone.