Co-operative supporters climbed mountains, shaved their heads, and pulled out their chequebooks to help raise funds for the Co-operative Development Foundation’s first year of Build a Better World campaign.

“We are delighted with the way that co-operatives, credit unions, and individual donors have responded to the campaign,” said board chair Michael Barrett. “We can credit part of this to the International Year of Co-operatives, but I think we also tapped into a powerful desire among people in the co-operative movement to share our good fortune with people who are struggling in poverty around the world.”

The goal for the campaign is $12 million over four years.

So far, members have raised $4 million from 1,300 individuals, 400 of which contributed for the first time, as well as from co-operatives, credit unions and associations.

More than $17,000 was raised by three CCA staff who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in East Africa. Another raised $12,385 from a public hair cut. Federated Co-operatives Limited raised more than $10,000 at its fall conferences, and another $10,000 through a director giving program. And there are many other examples.

Money raised through the Build a Better World campaign is used to support the international development work of the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) — CDF’s international development partner.

“The campaign is off to an excellent start,” Barrett said, “but there is a lot of hard work ahead if we are to meet our goal.