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foundation philanthropy – ceo's commentary
Archive for the ‘Philanthropy’ Category
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
The year 2010 proved to be an unexpectedly positive time for The Winnipeg Foundation. At the beginning of the year, everything seemed so unpredictable that I suppose we had a natural apprehension about how things would turn out. But in the end, we distributed a record-breaking $21 million in grants to 696 different charitable agencies. Donors established 150 new funds with generous contributions that amounted to almost $20 million. Even our investment returns hit a five-year high at 7.22%.
We all recognize that we live in very volatile times. The world around us often seems unstable and I think most Manitobans feel greatly blessed to live in our province. Canada has done well on the world stage and Manitoba’s numbers lead the nation on many counts. Although we often don’t picture ourselves in such a favourable light, we live in what may be the best place in the world.
Despite our wealth and good fortune, we do face significant challenges. A recent book entitled The Spirit Level, which is well worth reading, argues “the problems in rich countries are not caused by society not being rich enough but by the scale of material differences between people being too big.” The primary responsibility for addressing this growing imbalance must rest with public policy. But philanthropy will always be called upon to do its part.
While Manitobans remain the most generous people in the country, during the past few years we have lost some ground. Fewer of us are claiming a charitable gift on our income tax forms and, as a whole, we are donating a little less of our income to charity. This is a national trend but it is not one we have to follow.
For decades, generous people have supported The Winnipeg Foundation in the belief that we will effectively pursue our mission – “a Winnipeg where community life flourishes.” In today’s context, this underlines the importance of our work in two areas. First, our energy and resources must have meaningful impact on the well-being of Winnipeg residents – particularly those least advantaged. As an example, our new Nourishing Potential initiative will provide food to kids at after-school and summer programs as well as drop-in centres. And second, we must be more active in nurturing the philanthropic climate in our province. Programs like Will Week, Endow Manitoba or the upcoming 90-Hour Giving Challenge are all intended to grow the philanthropic pie.
As we mark our 90 years of service to the people of Winnipeg, I am reminded that we are in the “trust” business. We have been entrusted with countless gifts and it is our responsibility to protect the promise. For Good. Forever.
Tags: charitible giving, community foundation, giving in troubled times, Winnipeg
Posted in Charitable Giving, Philanthropy | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, November 9th, 2010
Most of us will have a difficult time pronouncing the words “Pimachiowin Aki” but hopefully, in time, we will readily recognize the name of this Aboriginal-led organization. On November 8, 2010, Pimachiowin Aki launched their multi-year effort to build a $20 million endowment in partnership with The Winnipeg Foundation. Their message is effectively built around the theme: “The land that gives life.” Scientists call the boreal forest “the lungs of the earth” so it is not hard to understand that this project protects land that gives life to us all. We are told that even Ojibwe Elders who have not travelled far from their homes have said for generations that this land is important to the world.
As part of my remarks at the launch event, I told the story of how Mr. Alloway, who established our organization, had a vision of a community foundation. With a $100,000 gift in 1921, he established The Winnipeg Foundation with the proviso that only the income earned from the capital could be used for community grants. In 1922, the Foundation paid its first $6,000 to charitable agencies.
I went on to explain that, for three years, no one else supported Mr. Alloway’s vision. Then, in 1924, we received our second gift: three gold coins worth $15 in a plain white envelope simply marked “the widow’s mite.”
I have often asked myself which gift was more important. Was it Alloway’s investment of $100,000 or the second gift of $15 which validated his vision of a community foundation?
In my view, the creation of the Pimachiowin Aki Fund is akin to the origins of The Winnipeg Foundation. The Aboriginal People have given us a vision and the Province of Manitoba has provided a remarkable first commitment of $10 million. Now it is up to the community to validate the vision by participating in the building of this new endowment. It is not the size of the gift but the giving that matters.
Hopefully, people from all walks of life will support the leadership of five First Nations. Pimachiowin Aki is all about “For Good. Forever.” We are proud to be their partner.
 Healing Camp 2009 - Photo credit Hidehiro Otake  Sophia Rabliauskas, Eric Robinson and Rick Frost To see more photos of Pimachiowin Aki and the event, check out the photo album on our Facebook page.
Tags: charitible giving, community foundation, Environment
Posted in Charitable Giving, Environment, Partnerships, Philanthropy | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 12th, 2010
The great joy of working at The Winnipeg Foundation is that you are completely surrounded by positive influences. Manitobans are the most generous of Canadians and our donors want to see their gifts make a meaningful difference. The organizations that receive our grants are passionate in the pursuit of their missions—all aimed at improving our collective quality of life. Our Board is comprised of dedicated volunteers and my staff colleagues bring enthusiasm and commitment to their jobs every day. It is easy to understand why our outlook is always hopeful. There are so many inspiring stories to tell that we must seem at times to be naïve boosters as opposed to public servants with our feet soundly grounded in the significant challenges facing our city.
Undoubtedly there are those who stand back and conclude that, over the decades and despite changing leadership philosophies and strategies, Winnipeg is a city in decline. Many remember the vibrancy of Portage Avenue in days gone by. Others tell of how corporate head office level decision-making seeped away to other places or how countless accomplished Canadians were educated in Manitoba but left to pursue their careers elsewhere. And without question, our emergency rooms and school rooms are overwhelmed to the point that medical staff and teachers struggle to deliver on their core mandates. Public amenities, facilities and programs need investment. Charities of all stripes are working hard to fill gaps, especially in helping newcomers and other less-advantaged people find success in our community.
We don’t need to debate the longer-term trends based in the past because our challenge is to improve the future. We focus on the things we can influence. This is the expectation of the donors who have so generously built our capacity and the dream of every agency we serve. The work of a community foundation is connecting people who care with causes that matter. On October 1st, The Winnipeg Foundation entered its 90th year and we remain steadfastly committed to our vision of “a Winnipeg where community life flourishes.”
Tags: charitible giving, community foundation
Posted in Charitable Giving, Philanthropy | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
The trials of being social media savvy
Two years ago I started to write this monthly blog and I now have an archive covering 25 topics. Most relate to the Foundation in one way or another but every once in a while I vent about some bothersome issue like city parking tickets. This month is more like a confession.
My satisfaction with simply writing a blog was disrupted last February. I was on vacation in Florida and decided to spend a couple of days at a social media seminar for community foundations which was sponsored by the Knight Foundation. The venue was packed with perhaps 250 American colleagues and I’m sure The Winnipeg Foundation was the entire international contingent. We attended workshops and heard panel discussions. We were also challenged by plenary speakers, all of whom were on a mission to wake up the audience to new communication realities. Facebook isn’t just for kids. Half the users are older than 35 and if they aren’t our donors today, they will be soon.
So, we started a Foundation Facebook page. In the first month, 350 visitors used this route to find our web site. Clearly, we needed to put more resources in this area and I needed to get more up to speed.
I started accepting invitations to join LinkedIn networks, but — in my experience at least — after someone invites you to get connected, nothing much happens. I asked our staff to examine creating a group and perhaps that will soon emerge. In the meantime, I turned my attention to Twitter.
It’s pretty easy to open a Twitter account. I first thought my name would be RickatTWF and that was acceptable—no duplicates. Before pushing the confirm button, I thought of my colleague Rick Lussier and how people might get my Twitter identity mixed with his. I thought I’d better add an “F” after the Rick to keep everyone straight. I also decided to “follow” a couple of my staff so I could get to know how the system works.
I proceeded to tweet. First, I commented on the controversy about the new CUBE in Old Market Square. Then I noted three Manitoba students won Loran awards this year. That’s great news that should be shared!
The next day I felt very uneasy. First, I’m not sure I like the idea of “following” my staff. Then I noticed that my identity was RickFatTWF. Yikes! In my job it is plenty hard enough to keep your weight down without ridiculing yourself. I needed to delete this account.
But I’m giving it a second try. If you want to follow my short commentaries on Good Causes, look me up on Twitter at RichardLFrost.
You can also join the Foundation’s Facebook page, sign up for RSS feeds and much more, by clicking below.
  
Tags: community foundation
Posted in Partnerships, Philanthropy | 1 Comment »
Monday, July 5th, 2010
While it is certainly true that we have our challenges, by and large Canadians experience a remarkable quality of life. Much of what we enjoy is a legacy from the past. From public infrastructure to a culture of tolerance, previous generations have built a society that is the envy of the world. We know our good fortune is largely bound up in our surroundings. That’s why it is so gratifying when people remember their community as part of philanthropic planning.
William Alloway captured this sentiment in the following words when he made the first gift to create The Winnipeg Foundation in 1921. He wrote:
“Since I first set foot in Winnipeg 51 years ago, Winnipeg has been my home and has done more for me than it may ever be in my power to repay. I owe everything to this community and feel it should receive some benefit from what I have been able to accumulate.”
Just recently, we received a similar message, by way of a bequest, from Kenneth Stoddart who lived in England. His will provides “a small gift to recognize my father’s debt to Winnipeg and Western Canada.” Upon further research, we learned that his father, who died in 1961, had once been an active member of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange.
Both Mr. Alloway and Mr. Stoddart understood that leaving a legacy for the future is a wonderful way to acknowledge the past. Recognizing that all of us owe a great deal to previous generations and the community in which we live, the Foundation is working in partnership with our colleague Manitoba community foundations on a campaign called “Endow Manitoba.” Our goal through this public information initiative is to raise awareness throughout the Province that legacy gifts are important to the future well being of our communities. The project will be launched this fall.
Mr. Alloway, Mr. Stoddart and hundreds of others chose to support future generations in our community through a bequest to The Winnipeg Foundation. Donors who are planning future gifts to the Foundation are invited to join our Legacy Circle. For information, please click here.
Tags: charitible giving, community foundation, Legacy Circle
Posted in Charitable Giving, Legacy Circle, Philanthropy | No Comments »
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