9 ways to help BVOR sponsor groups stay engaged and committed
Are you a member of a sponsorship group or a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) involved in the BVOR program? With the 2026 BVOR refugee sponsorship target met, no new profiles will be available until early 2027. While you wait, you may be wondering how to keep your group engaged and ready to sponsor. We’ve pulled together some ideas to help you keep your momentum going, stay connected as a group, and maintain your commitment to sponsoring a BVOR refugee.
Connect socially
Think potlucks, coffee chats, board games or trivia nights! Your group will be working closely together for many months after you match with a BVOR refugee. Now’s a great time for people to get to know each other better, build strong relationships and create good memories to draw on in the future.
Fill your group’s coffers
Even if you’ve already raised enough money to cover your sponsorship financial responsibilities, these few months can be an opportunity to raise a bit more to put towards an emergency fund or to top up your housing budget, for example.
Focus on easy fundraising events that don’t take a lot of advance planning and can be organized fairly quickly. A holiday bake sale, an online auction, or a 100-square grid fundraiser are all great options.
Make sure you meet IRCC’s requirements by explaining how you raised your funds and providing documentation to support it. Keep receipts from sales, copies of promotional materials and photos from your fundraising events as evidence.
Prepare, prepare and prepare some more
Build on the work you’ve already been doing to get your group ready to sponsor. Research local settlement, community and cultural supports, as well as the housing market. Discuss how you will work together. How will your group communicate? How will your group make decisions?
Review who in your group is responsible for which tasks. Are there any gaps that need to be filled? Do you need more people who are available to help on weekdays? Or maybe you need a few extra strong hands to move heavy furniture? Now’s the time to fill those gaps and make sure your group has the people and skills you’ll need when the refugees you sponsor arrive.
Volunteer together
Channel your group’s altruistic energy and put your teamwork to good use by coming together for a small, short-term volunteer project. This helps you get comfortable working together while contributing to a worthy cause.
With the holidays coming up, many local charities need extra hands and offer group volunteering opportunities, such as stocking shelves at a food bank or serving up meals at a soup kitchen. Contact a charity in your neighbourhood or a volunteer centre near you for ideas.
Assess and reflect
Before your group matches with a BVOR refugee and begins preparing for their arrival, now’s a good time to explore key issues and considerations in sponsorship, including managing expectations, power imbalances, bias and prejudice, and cultural adjustment.
Here are some discussion questions you can work through with your group members:
- What hopes do you have for the refugees you sponsor? Will these match the sponsored refugees’ hopes?
- How would you feel if your hopes for the sponsored refugees did not materialize?
- How would you feel if the sponsored refugees refused to attend language classes?
- What would you do if the refugees did not like the accommodation you arranged for them?
Here are more resources to help: Managing Expectations, Sponsorship Ethics, Intercultural Communication and Conflict Resolution
Keep your ‘why’ top of mind
Remind group members why they decided to step up and sponsor BVOR refugees. Share stories from sponsors about their experiences, learn about why refugees need resettlement, and stay connected to the bigger picture with news and stories from UNCHR.
These reminders can help renew your group’s sense of purpose and keep everyone on track to match with a BVOR refugee in 2027.
Get support and training from RSTP
We’re here to provide practical training and support that prepares you to welcome and support BVOR refugees. Make sure you’re subscribed to BVOR News, our bi-weekly email newsletter. It shares information on all our BVOR training sessions and events, community resources and (when available in January 2027) refugee profiles available for matching. You can also check out our training calendar for events suitable for BVOR sponsors.
If your group is interested in a private training session with the BVOR Worker, please email us at bvor@rstp.ca. We can organize a Zoom meeting just for your group to share information on the BVOR program, the matching and application process, and settlement planning, and to answer your questions.
Communicate regularly
Send consistent updates and opportunities to connect so group members feel included and stay invested in sponsoring. Even if you don’t have anything new to share, a brief email or phone call can help keep people connected and your group’s goals fresh in their minds. (And you can always share the sponsor stories or UNHCR updates mentioned earlier.)
If your group normally meets regularly, keep doing so. These meetings can be an important touchpoint for keeping people engaged – just enjoy the shorter meetings for a few months or add a social component to each meeting!
Rest up
Your group will be busy after you match with a BVOR refugee. 2027 will be here before you know it, so take some time now to rest and recharge!
Subscribe to BVOR News to stay informed, engaged and ready to take action when BVOR profiles are published in 2027!