The Stephen Lewis Foundation's Dare Campaign engages Canadians to raise funds for the inspiring transformation in sub-Saharan Africa, where community-based organizations are working to turn the tide of the AIDS pandemic.

Canadians are honouring the Africans who rise to meet the challenges of the AIDS pandemic with extraordinary acts of courage, ingenuity, determination and the strength of their communities.

Through powerful acts of solidarity, Canadians are doing the extraordinary to help turn the tide of AIDS in Africa. 

Thanks for your offer!

First register your Dare by clicking on Do a Dare and setting up your fundraising page and then give us a call at 1-888-203-9990 x252 or email us at dare@stephenlewisfoundation.org. We can chat with you and see what kinds of volunteer jobs fit best.

Stephen Lewis is...

Stephen Lewis is the former United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. He and his daughter Ilana started the Foundation in 2003, and he is currently the Chair of the Board and Co-Director of AIDS-Free World, an advocacy organization in the United States. Stephen Lewis' work with the United Nations spanned more than two decades. From 1995 to 1999, he was Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF at the organization's global headquarters in New York. From 1984 through 1988, Stephen Lewis was Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations. He is the author of the best-selling book, Race Against Time, and holds 30 honorary degrees from Canadian universities. He is a Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest honour for lifetime achievement.

The Stephen Lewis Foundation

The Stephen Lewis Foundation supports community-based organizations that are turning the tide of HIV and AIDS in Africa by providing care and support to women, grandmothers, orphans and people living with HIV and AIDS. Since 2003, the Foundation has supported more than 300 grassroots projects in 15 sub-Saharan African countries. Visit www.stephenlewisfoundation.org to learn more.

The funds we raise go directly to where they are most needed:

The funds we raise go directly to where they are most needed: into the hands of communities that work in the countries hardest hit by the AIDS pandemic in Africa. These organizations reach hundreds of thousands of women, children, grandmothers and people living with HIV and AIDS. They are pioneering inventive responses to the pandemic, saving lives and restoring hope to their countries. To read more about our unique approach, visit www.stephenlewisfoundation.org.

All of the funds raised during the Dare Campaign will go to where the money is needed most

We fund grassroots projects in 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, all of which are pioneering incredibly inventive approaches to turn the tide of AIDS in Africa. All funds raised through a Dare to Dine dinner will support grandmothers in Africa.

Absolutely!

There are lots of great Dares to take on as a group… doing a dance-a-thon, organizing a basketball tournament, or setting up a games night. To register your group Dare, you can do one of two things:

Set up an individual fundraising page for the whole group, under the main organizer's name, by clicking Do a Dare and selecting "Set up a Dare page". You can then send out the URL link to everyone who's participating in the Dare, to share with their family and friends so they can all donate via this one page.

Set up a team page, and each participant can join your team and set up their own fundraising page.  Click on Do a Dare and select "Create a Team". That way each person on the team can upload their own photo, set their own goal, and do their own fundraising to help reach your team goal. You can always give a prize to the person who raises the most!

If you have any questions about doing a group Dare, just give us a call at 1-888-203-9990 x252 or email us at dare@stephenlewisfoundation.org

Canadians can register their Dare, fundraise to reach their goal, and then do their Dare any time! You can do it with your friends, at your school or workplace, or over a period of time. Lots of people do their Dares in the fall, on World AIDS Day (December 1), or as part of their New Year’s resolution!

First, choose a Dare

Make it something that challenges you, something you've always wanted to do but for which you've never had enough time, courage, or motivation. Think about what your friends and family would donate to see you do! Click on Do A Dare and then follow the simple steps to set up your personal page. You can upload your own photo and edit the text to describe your Dare in your own words. Be as personal and creative as you want.

How much money do you want to raise?

Decide how much money you want to raise and set your fundraising goal. Quick tip - dare to aim high! We'll be there to help you with loads of tips and support in your fundraising. Use our online tools to tell your friends and family about your Dare using email, Facebook, and even Twitter! Get on the phone, put up posters at work, and distribute postcards (you'll find them in the Fundraising Tools section, or you can call us and we'll send you some!). Ask your friends, family and colleagues to dare you with their largest-possible donation. If you need help with fundraising ideas, or anything else, just give us a call at 1-888-203-9990 x252 or email us at dare@stephenlewisfoundation.org

Absolutely!

Absolutely!  If you have a great Dare idea, and want to invite your friends to get involved, let them know by sending an email, posting it on their Facebook page, or inviting them to join your Dare team.

Yes, they can!

Lots of kids have taken on Dares, from holding dance-a-thons to learning how to stop biting their nails. Help them think of something challenging to do, and set a fundraising target they can achieve. If they want to be independent and need some help, just have them give us a call at 1-888-203-9990 x252 or email us at dare@stephenlewisfoundation.org

No problem

If you are collecting cheques, cash or credit card donations personally, please make sure your donors fill out a Donor Form so we can send them a tax receipt for $20 or more. Call us at 1-888-203-9990 x252 and we'll send you the forms, or access them online in the Fundraising Tools section!

Yes, this is possible

After you've set up your personal fundraising page, click on the link at the top called "Enter Offline Pledges", and follow the instructions! Don't forget to mail us the cheques too, with a cover letter telling us who you are and what your Dare is so we can add the totals to your fundraising page!

We want you to choose a Dare that is safe and legal

Before you create your personal fundraising page, you must agree to the Terms and Conditions, the first of which says: In using this website for the Event, you must not make inappropriate or dangerous dares.

You are more than welcome to use the Dare logo in your publicity

You are more than welcome to use the Dare logo in your publicity; we just ask you to please use the logos available in the Fundraising Tools section. You can also call us at 1-888-203-9990 x252 or send us an email at dare@stephenlewisfoundation.org

We hope to have thousands of events going on as part of the Dare Campaign, and would love to be at all of them. Please call us at 1-888-203-9990 x252 or email us at dare@stephenlewisfoundation.org and we'll see if anyone might be available in your area.

We have some great materials available on the Fundraising Tools section of our website to publicize and explain the Dare Campaign. If you'd like printed materials or have additional questions, please call us at 1-888-203-9990 x252 or email us at dare@stephenlewisfoundation.org and we can chat about what you're doing and what you'd find most useful.

You've done your best!

You've done your best, and every dollar helps turn the tide of AIDS in Africa. But if you have questions about how to fundraise, please give us a shout at 1-888-203-9990 x252. We're here to help you with loads of tips and support.

Use our great online tools

Use our great online tools to tell your friends and family about your Dare. Send out the link to your Dare page using email, get on the phone, and put up posters and distribute postcards (call us first, we'll send you some!). You can even use Facebook and Twitter! Word-of-mouth works too, so tell all your friends and family about what you're doing and why, and dare them to spread the word.

Your fundraising total will go up

In order for your fundraising total to go up on your fundraising page, we have to receive the cheques or cash in the mail first. We will then mail your donor a tax receipt.

There are three ways you can find your URL:

Click on 'Participant Login' at the top of this page. Once you've logged in, click on 'Edit Personalize URL'. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to find the URL, then copy and paste it into your email!

Click on 'Participant Login' at the top of this page. Once you've logged in, click on 'E-mail Centre'. Your URL will show up in many of the email templates!

Email us at dare@stephenlewisfoundation.org, with your first and last name, and we will email you the link.

Follow these easy steps:

Click on 'Participant Login' at the top of this page.

Once you're logged in, click on 'Address Book'.

Click on 'Import Contacts' and follow the instructions to import your contacts from your personal email contact book.

Once you've uploaded your email contacts, click on 'E-mail Centre' to choose which email template you'd like to use. Even though you have to upload your whole list of contacts into the Address Book, you can select here who you'd like to email.

Start sending!

The Stephen Lewis Foundation is a registered charity

Our charitable registration number is 89635 4008 RR0001. Anyone who donates $20 or more to your Dare online will receive an automatic Canadian tax receipt by email. If you're collecting cheques, cash or credit card donations, please make sure your donors fill out a Donor Form and we'll send them a tax receipt for $20 or more. Call us at 1-888-203-9990 x252 and we'll send you the forms, or access them online in the Fundraising Tools section. Have more questions about tax receipts? Check out the Fundraising Tools section for more answers to your burning tax questions.

For security reasons

For security reasons, it is standard to require a time limit when making a credit card payment. Please have your credit card ready before making a donation, or try again if it has timed out.

To donate to a team dare

The best way to donate to a Team Dare is to search for the Team name by following these easy steps:

Click on "Sponsor a Friend"

Enter the First Name, Last Name, or Team Name into the search fields.

A list of Participant Names, along with their Team names, will show up.

Click on the Team you would like to sponsor.

Make a donation on their Team Dare page.