Absolutely. We did a membership survey within two weeks of this happening, and just in the London area we saw millions of dollars were lost in just two weeks.
There has been a very quick reduction in donations, in events and fundraising and it is impacting us in a big way. There's a real urgency to what we're asking for at this moment because we are stepping up in big ways, whether it's with women's shelters or food banks, and of course some of things you've supported out of the gate. As you've heard from some of my other colleagues here, there is arts and culture, sports and heritage as well. It's a broad sector, and we want all of us left standing as we come through this.
We have been seeing an increased demand for much of what we're doing, and we need to be paying attention to those who are seeing the decrease as well. They might not be having the big numbers they would normally have, but we're going to want them here afterwards because they are essential to a vibrant and healthy economy and community.
We contribute 8.1% to the gross domestic product. That is a huge economic driver in our country, $151 billion. Therefore, we request that this be looked at urgently because people are having to make these decisions about their organizations now.
Thank you.