UNICEF is closing its regional offices in Winnipeg, Vancouver and Halifax, partly because of the growth in online fundraising.
Sharon Avery, chief development officer for the United Nations agency that oversees the welfare of children, said the move is part of an overall operational change.
UNICEF has seen an increase in donations made online recently, Avery said. This is part of the reason for closing the regional offices, which focus mainly on fundraising.
"As the sector evolves, we are looking at engaging with Canadians in new ways and focusing on best practices, so we need to be less connected to bricks and mortar," Avery said.
'We need to be less connected to bricks and mortar.'— Sharon Avery, UNICEF
Three full-time positions in each office will be cut as a result of the closures. The Winnipeg office closes Jan. 29, the other two in the spring, Avery said.
The organization's offices in Toronto, Calgary and Quebec will remain open.
John Humble, a spokesman at the Halifax office, said employees learned two weeks ago that the office will close April 15.
Humble said staff's understanding of the closure is that it's "a way to retrench" and "tighten the reins" in order to get more money into the field for children. Employees are being offered counselling, including tips on finding new work, he said.
Avery said she hopes the decision doesn't deter people from continuing to support UNICEF online.
"We want people to continue to engage with UNICEF Canada," she said. "We expect that our relationship will be strong with them and they can visit unicef.ca to continue to be part of what we do."
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