Operation: Find Fossil Fuel Funders Toolkit

This toolkit is for parents and kids who want to be FOK detectives and engage their family, friends, and community in our mapping action, Operation: Find Fossil Fuel Funders. The goal is to uncover examples of how big banks are influencing communities across the country by sponsoring events and buying goodwill. This action is designed to be a hands-on, learning experience for parents to take on with their families and/or for groups to work on together. This package provides info about how to participate in the action, and scripts for emails and content you can share on social media.

About Operation: Find Fossil Fuel Funders 

You’ve probably noticed that Canada’s big banks — RBC, TD, BMO, CIBC and Scotiabank — are everywhere in our communities. They fund important community events and programs that we all rely on and appreciate. But at the same time, as some of the biggest funders of fossil fuels globally, they’re major drivers of climate change.

For Our Kids needs your help to map out how and where big banks show up in communities across the country. We’re asking families across the country to help gather evidence of big bank influence. We’re open to any sponsorships, but we’re particularly interested in kid and family events and programs. 

FOK will compile your submissions to map out bank influence across Canada. After that, we’ll provide resources for those who want to engage institutions about their sponsorship relationships with these big banks. Between us all, we hope to gather enough examples to attract some media attention and start a larger conversation about this.

For more information, or to get started, visit: forourkids.ca/bank_mapping 

On this page:

 

Spread the Word about Operation: Find Fossil Fuel Funders

Help recruit more For Our Kids detectives to become “sponsorship seekers.” The more submissions we receive, the more complete our map will be. We need your help to talk to your networks and communities about this action.

Email your FOK team, parent advisory council, share information with teachers, or organize a “treasure hunt” where multiple families can explore your city together and “gather evidence.”

Below are suggested scripts and posts that you can use to promote Operation: Find Fossil Fuel Funders. 

Email Template

Hi [NAME]/everyone,

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to share an interesting activity that's come up, something that's got me thinking and I think it might interest you, too. 

Here's the Scoop…

We all see the names of Canada’s five big banks — CIBC, Scotiabank, BMO, RBC, and TD —  sponsoring local events, on sports team uniforms, you name it. But did you know they’re some of the top fossil fuel funders in the world? They support our community events on the one hand, and significantly contribute to climate change on the other. 

So, What Can We Do?

For Our Kids is a parent-led network of volunteers, driven to take climate action for our kids, grandkids, and future generations. They’re calling on families in Canada to join Operation: Find Fossil Fuel Funders. We've got a chance to be ‘For Our Kids Detectives’. It's about observing and noting where we see these banks showing up in our community, particularly in places and events related to kids and families. 

How to Get Involved

  1. Spot the Sponsorship: Next time you're out with the kids, keep an eye out for these banks' logos or names – could be at the local arena, a festival, or on sports gear.
  2. Capture the Moment: If you see something, snap a photo or take a screenshot.
  3. Share Your Findings: Upload what you've found on their simple Google Form. It’s easy to use and only takes 5 minutes to fill out. 

Beyond being a fun exploration with the family, this is our way of understanding and starting a conversation about the bigger picture – the role of these financial giants in environmental issues. It’s about making informed choices and thinking about the kind of world we’re building for our kids.

I'm excited to see what we can uncover together and hope you'll consider joining this community detective work. We could even organize something with a group of families! This could be a great excuse for an outdoor adventure with the kids or even a little friendly competition – who can spot the most bank sponsorships?

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want to chat more about this. 

Warm regards,

[Your Name]

[Contact Information]

Social media posts

Find some suggested social media content below. You can also look out for posts on For Our Kids’ national Instagram and Facebook to amplify! 

Instagram

Image/Asset (Press hold or right click to SAVE)

Have you noticed how Canada's big banks — RBC, TD, BMO, CIBC, Scotiabank — are everywhere in our communities? They fund lots of cool events and programs we all love. But here’s the thing: they're also some of the top funders of fossil fuels worldwide, contributing to climate change and violating Indigenous rights.

@ForOurKidsCanada is curious about whether these banks use sponsorship to avoid criticism for these actions. They're calling on families to help them map out where and how they're doing this.

Let's uncover the truth together. Go to ForOurKids.ca/bank_mapping to get started 🕵️‍♀️

#findfossilfuelfunders #greenwashing #sustainability #climateaction #fun

Ever noticed how many of your local community programs and events are sponsored by Canada's big banks? 🏦 Their sponsorship makes sports, arts, and more possible, but banks also fund fossil fuels, impacting the climate and Indigenous rights. 

Here’s your mission should you choose to accept it: become a sponsorship seeker. You and your family can help @ForOurKidsCanada track these banks where you live. Join Operation: Find Fossil Fuel Funders - visit their website: ForOurKids.ca/bank_mapping

#findfossilfuelfunders #greenwashing #sustainability #climateaction #fun

 

Facebook

*Make sure to tag For Our Kids on Facebook

Image/Asset (Press hold or right click to SAVE)

Have you noticed how Canada's big banks — RBC, TD, BMO, CIBC, Scotiabank — are everywhere in our communities? They fund lots of cool events and programs we all love. But here’s the thing: they're also some of the top funders of fossil fuels worldwide, contributing to climate change and violating Indigenous rights.

For Our Kids Canada is curious about whether these banks use sponsorship to avoid criticism for these actions. We need your help to dig deeper and map out where and how they're doing this.

Let's uncover the truth together. Go to ForOurKids.ca/bank_mapping to join Operation: Fossil Fuel Funders 🕵️‍♀️

Ever noticed how many of your local community programs and events are sponsored by Canada's big banks? 🏦 Their sponsorship makes sports, arts, and more possible, but banks also fund fossil fuels, impacting the climate and Indigenous rights. 

Here’s your mission should you choose to accept it: become a sponsorship seeker. You and your family can help For Our Kids Canada track these banks where you live. Join Operation: Find Fossil Fuel Funders - visit ForOurKids.ca/bank_mapping to get started.

 

BONUS: Tips for Talking about Corporate Sponsorships with Kids

This action is something parents, teachers, and other leaders in kids’ lives can introduce as a way to explore corporate sponsorships and support kids to become For Our Kids detectives!

Starting Out

  • Basic Definition: Explain what a sponsorship is. A simple explanation might be: "When a company helps pay for something like a sports team or a school event in exchange for advertising their products."
  • Why Companies Sponsor: Discuss why companies might want to sponsor events or teams - for example, to get people to know about their products or to show that they support the community.
  • Pros and Cons: Discuss the specific advantages and potential drawbacks of these real-world examples. Talk about the positive aspects, such as funding for school resources, events, or sports teams that might not be possible otherwise. Also, introduce the idea that not all sponsorships are always good. For example, if a company sells unhealthy products, their sponsorship might conflict with messages about healthy living. Similarly, companies known for contributing significantly to pollution can use sponsorships to improve their public image without making substantial changes to their environmental practices.

Encouraging Critical Thinking

  • Ask Their Opinion: Encourage the child to think about and express their views on different sponsorships they have seen or experienced.
  • Understanding Advertising: Explain how sponsorship is a form of advertising and discuss how advertising aims to influence people's choices.
  • Understanding Bias: Talk about how companies might only show the good sides of their products and not mention the bad sides.
  • Discussing Ethics and Influence: Guide them to think about whether they believe it's okay for companies to sponsor certain events or products, and why.

Supporting Open Dialogue 

  • Encourage Questions: Let them know that it's okay to ask questions and express their thoughts about sponsorships.
  • Ongoing Discussion: Keep the conversation open for future discussions as they encounter more examples of corporate sponsorships.
  • Share your story! We’d love to hear how this conversation went. Let us know here or email [email protected]

Start Collecting Real World Examples!

Now you’re ready to take on Operation: Find Fossil Fuel Funders! Whether you explore the area where you live, or research sponsorships online, you’re ready to help us make our big bank map. You could even do this as a family outing one day and see which family member spots the most examples. Submit your evidence here.

If you end up taking this on as a family or a community group, For Our Kids would love to hear about it! Share your story here.

 

Email: