FRAMEWORK FOUNDATION
Free art? Well, not quite: you have to “spend”
a bit of time to get it. Andrew Lesk tells us about his
Timeraiser experience.
When I first heard, in early 2005, about the Framework
Foundation’s Timeraiser, I had on the backburner already
a schedule: that I was going to engage—finally, really,
for-sure-this-year!—in some meaningful volunteer work
that would exploit my talents (such as they are) in the
literary arts. All I had been doing was nurturing that backburner,
keeping the heat on low for as long as possible.
Then the Timeraiser came along and changed all that. The
annual gala combines a silent auction for art and volunteer/charitable
organizations (such as the Toronto Arts Council, where I
volunteer). The art, selected by Framework and paid for
and donated by corporations, is auctioned off; you bid time—up
to 250 hours over the course of the year—and, should
you win, volunteer for one of the organizations present
at the gala, in order to complete that pledge.
The Framework Foundation is aimed at encouraging Canadians
to think about meaningful ways of becoming involved in their
communities—and then act on that. While I will be
picking up my art at this year’s event, I will still
continue to volunteer for my community. The art, while great
to have, is, in the end, simply a bonus. The real value
I have found has come from helping out.
To help get you thinking about it, and informed, I spoke
to Framework recently:
What does the Framework Foundation do, in facilitating
the Timeraiser, that is different from other volunteer organizations?
Unlike other charitable art auctions who ask artists to
donate their work, Framework meaningfully invests in artist
careers by purchasing their art at fair market value.
Futhermore, The National Survey of Giving, Volunteering
and Participating (NSGVP) from Statistics Canada show that
volunteering among this demographic has dropped significantly
since 1997. In response, Framework targets 22-35 year olds
specifically to get engaged in a meaningful way in their
community. By “meaningful” we mean connecting
people to causes and causes to people.
Where did the idea for the Framework Foundation originate?
Were the foundation member’s volunteers in other organizations?
Framework Foundation evolved as a solution to a problem
that several university friends encountered when they tried
to start volunteering: they found too much choice out there
and were unsure where to begin in finding meaningful volunteer
opportunities. When they did find opportunities they noticed
a gap: voluntary agencies wish to engage 22-35 year olds
but are sometimes lacking the capacity to do so.
In 2001, the friends were at a charity fundraiser where
they noticed that the cause wasn’t being highlighted
as much as it could be. And, there was an art auction for
the charity that was far beyond their means. So, they created
a way to bring 22-35 year olds, the local art community
and nonprofit voluntary organizations together through a
celebratory event that is part art auction part night on
the town called a Timeraiser. More on that later…
Our co-founders are still very active within the organization:
Simon Foster is the Chair of the Board of Directors, Andrew
Klingel and Nick Maise are members of the Board of Directors
and Anil Patel is Framework Foundation’s Executive
Director.
Framework works closely with Impactination, Imagine
Canada, Ryerson, and York, and has connections to various
businesses. Framework emphasizes “learning by doing”
and “learning from others”? How do institutions
and businesses fit into this picture?
Businesses help Framework support artists by investing
in their careers: we fundraise with the help of corporations
to purchase artwork at fair market value. Business can also
encourage employees to “get in the picture”
by sponsoring Timeraiser tickets. The institutions you mentioned
are a great way for Framework to engage talented emerging
artists in the Timeraiser. And lastly, research institutes
such as Imagine Canada provide a source for best practices
on citizen involvement in the nonprofit and voluntary sector.
One of the centerpieces of Framework is the yearly
Timeraiser. I know I certainly enjoyed last year’s
event, and this year’s was great as well.! Please
tell us a bit more about it.
The event is a silent art auction with a twist. Instead
of bidding money, you bid your time to voluntary organizations.
Once you’ve completed your bid, you bring your artwork
home as reminder of your goodwill. For those who don’t
have a large enough budget of time (the maximum bid per
piece of art is 250 hours) to bid on a piece, each participant
pledges 20 volunteer hours at the door. Once you start volunteering
at an agency, you may want to volunteer even more than these
20 hours because you’re having such a great experience.
However, the Timeraiser is more than an event: it’s
a year long process of community building. The idea is to
introduce a participant aged 22-35 who has never volunteered
before to a meaningful volunteer opportunity and then get
hooked for life!
If you’d like to attend the Timeraiser as a participant
(someone who is eligible to bid on art) you need to register
for the event by purchasing your ticket online. Online,
you can browse the voluntary agencies who will be present
at the event including the volunteer positions they’re
looking for. You pick your top organizations online and
at the Timeraiser, you’ll be given a personalized
program reminding you of your choices. Then, you can connect
with these organizations in person and see if it is a good
fit between your skills and their needs. Once you confirm
which volunteer agencies you’re interested in volunteering
for, you go to the registration desk and let us know. Then,
you can start bidding on art!
After the Timeraiser, all participants will receive an
email outlining the voluntary agencies chosen along with
agency contact information. You’ll also receive a
welcome phone call from a Framework volunteer, who will
help you throughout the process of fulfilling your pledge.
If anyone is interested in volunteering behind the scenes
for Framework Foundation, visit our website at www.frameworkfoundation.ca/aboutus/ourvolunteers
for detailed opportunities.
Framework is clearly invigorating—and exciting.
What is the future of this project?
In order to deepen Framework’s programming and engage
more Canadians aged 22-35, our long term vision is to bring
the Timeraiser to every major urban community in Canada.
As part of achieving these goals, we have a Timeraiser scheduled
in June in Calgary, Alberta.
For more information please visit www.frameworkfoundation.ca
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