Imagine Canada recognizes FCL for its charitable giving for eighth consecutive year

January 27, 2025

FCL has again been recognized with a Caring Company designation from Imagine Canada’s PRISM Community Impact Company Network.

The designation is based on FCL giving in the 2023 fiscal year, which amounted to more than $8.7 million. This total includes investments of cash, time, in-kind gifts and program management costs, and is in addition to all the local giving that happens through Co-ops across Western Canada.

“Investing in the communities we serve across Western Canada is a fundamental part of who we are as an organization,” said Meghan Gervais, FCL Vice-President, Health, Safety and Compliance. “To receive the Caring Company certification for the eighth year in a row speaks to FCL’s continued commitment to giving back in meaningful ways on behalf of the CRS and our employees.”

Imagine Canada is a national charity advocacy organization that recognizes national leaders in community engagement and corporate giving. The Caring Company status is given to companies that donate an annual minimum of one per cent of their pre-tax profit to non-profit and charitable organizations.

How do we give back?

Donations from FCL make their way to communities across Western Canada through several programs and channels. Learn more about these programs and some of the recent highlights from each:

Co-op Community Spaces

From accessible playgrounds to community gardens (and everything in between), Co-op Community Spaces creates and enhances spaces that bring people together to meet, play and connect—and in 2024, we celebrated its 10th anniversary! Over the past decade, Community Spaces has invested $13.5 million in capital funding projects across Western Canada, including 14 new projects in 2024.

FCL Community Investment Fund

In 2024, FCL's employee-led giving committees directed funds to a variety of programs and organizations across Western Canada through FCL's Community Investment Fund. These donations supported causes that matter to our employees like Meals on Wheels in Calgary, YWCA in Edmonton, Make-A-Wish in Regina, Girls Rock Camp in Saskatoon and the Ronald McDonald House in Winnipeg.

FCL Community Builders

FCL team members embody the Co-op spirit, not just in the work they do, but also in the ways they give back to their communities. We’re proud to support the causes that our employees are passionate about through our Community Builders program. This program recognizes those who dedicate themselves to building their communities through volunteerism, by making a donation on their behalf to the charitable or non-profit organization that they volunteer for.

Co-op Helps

In times of need, FCL and local Co-ops are able to work together to support the communities they serve through Co-op Helps. This disaster relief and community response initiative provides local Co-ops with up to a $10,000 matching donation, if and when an immediate need for support arises in the community. 

Commodity Programs

FCL also invests in communities through its commodity programs like Fuel Good Day, Communities in Full Colour and the Community Building Program. In 2024, Fuel Good Day raised more than $700,000 for local charities, which is the largest amount to date!

In-Kind Donations

As food insecurity continues to affect more communities, FCL’s four distribution centres have continued to step up this year by donating food to local food banks and similar organizations. These donations that include perfectly safe and usable food that cannot be sold to local Co-ops due to approaching sell-by dates, packaging changes or other reasons, are crucial for these organizations to meet the rising demand in their communities.

United Way

Every year, FCL runs an employee fundraising campaign for the United Way, with dollars raised matched by FCL to double the impact of team member giving in their communities. Over the past two decades, FCL has contributed more than $3.2 million through United Way to various causes that help impact changes for individuals and groups.

Co-operative Development and Education Programs

As a co-operative, FCL is committed to supporting and sustaining the co-operative model for future generations. Funding support across a number of co-operative development and education programs, including Co-operatives First, Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, Co-op Education Program and more, strengthens the cooperative model across education and business.