Children's Indoor Play Society
Why Do We Fundraise?
CHIPS is a completely non-government-funded, not-for-profit organization. That means everything we need in order to keep operating—rent, insurance, supplies, and more—we have to raise ourselves. Every person who opens a play day, organizes events, or sits on our board is a volunteer. None of the people who keep CHIPS running are paid; they give their time because they believe in the value of our community space.
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We do apply for grants, but most of those funds are tied to specific programs or the creation of new initiatives. While those opportunities are helpful, very few grants cover essential operating costs like rent to have our space or insurance for our climber and bouncer. Replacement of years-old, already-donated furniture such as tables and chairs is also not covered by most grants, leaving us to find other ways to meet those needs.
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Memberships and drop-in fees are another piece of our funding, but they don’t stretch far enough. In fact, they don’t even cover four months of our yearly rent—and while we are only open for ten months of the year because of volunteer availability, we still have to pay rent for all 12 months. That means we have 12 months of expenses but only 10 months of generative income. This is why birthday party rentals and fundraising events are so important: they help cover the shortfall that memberships and drop-ins simply cannot. These efforts are a huge part of our operating income and allow us to continue offering a safe, affordable, and welcoming play space for families in the community.
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We also volunteer for a large casino fundraiser every three years. While this provides an important financial boost, those funds are also quickly used up to cover basic operating expenses. On top of that, with a lack of volunteers, it’s becoming harder and harder to fill the positions needed to be able to run the casino effectively.
This is why CHIPS fundraises—and why we count on the support of our community to help us keep our doors open for families who rely on this space. We have also started creating Amazon wish lists to support purchasing the items we need to make our space interactive and fun!
Some Of Our Fundraisers:
Davidson Apples
Each fall, CHIPS runs our popular Davison Orchards apple fundraiser. Families can order premium BC apples—picked and packed by hand—delivered fresh from Vernon, B.C. Varieties like Davison Honeycrisp, Okanagan Blend, Ambrosia, and Gala are available in 15 lb. boxes, making it easy to stock up on healthy, locally grown fruit. Orders are placed in advance, with a set deadline and convenient community pickup date. This fundraiser not only provides families with high-quality apples but also helps CHIPS raise essential funds to keep our doors open and continue offering a fun, affordable, and safe space for children and families.
Fall and Spring Sales
Each year, CHIPS hosts two major sales events—one in the spring and one in the fall. These sales are a fantastic opportunity for families to declutter, shop for gently used children’s clothing, toys, and gear, and support our not-for-profit play society at the same time. Sellers can reserve their spot easily by e-transfer, and spaces always fill quickly! Both the spring and fall sales play an important role in raising funds that help CHIPS cover operating costs while also giving families in the community an affordable way to recycle and reuse.
Old Dutch Chips
One of our most popular past fundraisers has been “Chips for CHIPS,” where we sell delicious potato chips as a way to raise money for our play society. We normally run this campaign in the fall, with a big push in October so families can stock up for back-to-school lunches and Halloween treats. However, for the 2025/2026 season, several other local groups are also running chip fundraisers, so we decided to pause this one for the year. We look forward to bringing it back in the future when it can have the most impact for both CHIPS and our community supporters.