Tennis Canada is proud to officially launch its ambitious new fundraising campaign, Return the Love, with the goal of raising $15 million over the next five years to further broaden opportunities for all Canadians to play tennis.
Created in collaboration with the creative agency Behaviour, the campaign marks the first step in creating a powerful philanthropic platform to engage tennis enthusiasts and support Tennis Canada’s long-term philanthropic efforts.
Highlighting many unique aspects of tennis, Return the Love will show how donors’ passion can be the sport’s first serve: their contributions help Canadians discover tennis, thrive in active environments and, for some, reach the highest levels. The campaign seeks to illustrate that each gift tells a story and each story returns to tennis the love it has received—a love that grows as it is nurtured.
READ: Yanik Deschênes owes a lot to tennis and that’s why he’s paying it forward
Gavin Ziv, Chief Executive Officer, Tennis Canada
“We are thrilled to launch our new philanthropic platform, which will support our work for years to come. Beyond acting as a national lever to engage Canadians in our sport, the campaign is a powerful reminder that nothing is possible without the commitment of our donors. Over the past five years, their support has helped us raise more than $10 million, with direct and tangible impacts on the courts. While our target is ambitious, we are confident that, by 2030, this campaign will be funding youth programs, community infrastructure and athlete development pathways across the country.”
Three core pillars
While the campaign touches on many stories and topics, it is built around three core pillars.
- Youth and accessibility: giving more Canadians of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to discover and play tennis through accessible and inclusive programs.
- Community: strengthening the social fabric of tennis through sustainable facilities and partnerships rooted in communities.
- Future champions: supporting the next generations and being alongside Canadian players as they pursue excellence, from local courts to the highest international levels.
Anne-Catherine Rioux, Director, Fund Development, Tennis Canada
“The pillars of this campaign tackle the most significant challenges our sport is facing. While our high-performance initiatives have delivered excellent results in recent years, as reflected in Canada’s strong international success, the work is far from finished. Every gift is important. In tennis, we only have a game when there’s a return and the same is true outside the court: where a return can be the first serve in the journey of a young person, community or future champion.”
The campaign’s initiatives, stories and content will be shared over the coming weeks on Tennis Canada’s platforms.
To support Canadian tennis today, click here.
