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foundation philanthropy – ceo's commentary
Posts Tagged ‘charitible giving’
Friday, May 27th, 2011
Like me, I am sure that everyone who attended the recent national conference of Canadian community foundations arrived home filled with new energy and commitment to our work and our communities. We heard inspiring speakers like Governor General David Johnston, Naomi Tutu and former U.S. President Bill Clinton. But for me, the most powerful words came from a children’s choir called Voices of Nature. The lyrics that have stayed with me is: “Why should one baby feel so hungry she cries? Salt water wells in my eyes.”
Without question, the initiative I am paying most attention to these days is Nourishing Potential—the endowment providing food to kids. Our Board has decided The Winnipeg Foundation should have a $5 million fund capable of generating $250,000 annually to augment food budgets for after-school programs. An Advisory Committee has been formed and the first grants will be announced soon. One of my primary responsibilities over the next five years is to identify donors who share our concern that too many Winnipeg kids are hungry.
On hearing those children ask “Why should one baby feel so hungry she cries?”, my thoughts also raced back to a recent personal experience. One day last fall, my wife was looking after one of our granddaughters who was just about two years old. We were late in getting her home for dinner and traffic was terrible. So, there we were: hardly moving along Osborne while our granddaughter cried loudly from her car seat because she was hungry. In reality, the experience didn’t last long, and it certainly wasn’t serious, but it was very painful. I can’t imagine the anxiety of parents and grandparents who face this situation on a regular basis and aren’t able to meet their child’s nutrition needs.
So, the children’s song has unquestionably renewed my focus on building our Nourishing Potential endowment. Thankfully, we have dedicated volunteers and committed staff in charities all across our city who are helping to address this situation. I also know that our Provincial government is taking concrete steps to augment support.
However, child hunger is a complex and multi-faceted issue. How can we demand more effective public policy if we don’t understand, or agree on, the solutions? How much can we reasonably expect of philanthropy? In a city as rich as Winnipeg, with plentiful food everywhere, why should any children feel so hungry they cry?
Tags: charitible giving, community foundation, Nutrition, Winnipeg
Posted in Charitable Giving, Nutrition, Partnerships | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
The Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) conference has just come to an end. We only meet at the national level every second year and so it is always a special time. There were about 650 delegates including guests from 24 other countries. Over 100 Canadian community foundations were represented and Vancouver did a fabulous job as host.
There were too many highlights to describe in this short blog. Perhaps to convey a sense of the standard of excellence, I can simply say that key note speakers included our new Governor General, Naomi Tutu and former U.S. President Bill Clinton. From start to finish, the sessions were outstanding.
I do want to specifically reference a panel featuring Monica Patten, CFC’s departing CEO, Tim Brodhead, longtime leader of the McConnell Foundation and Barry Gaberman, an American colleague with exceptional credentials in the philanthropic leadership. Tim set the stage by talking about shifting public attitudes as people look for less leadership from government and more from philanthropy. He also spoke about the changing way young people are connecting and the implications for creating an inclusive community where people have rights and responsibilities as citizens. Barry added an international perspective noting how on the one hand, business has enriched the philanthropic sector but on the other, how the complexity of a social challenge like teen pregnancy goes far beyond normal business solutions.
But in the end, the conversation was intended to draw out some of Monica’s reflections after 17 years at the helm of CFC and it did just that. She made a number of key points. First, she explained that the community foundation movement has clearly changed from a focus on endowment building to a focus on community building. She said that in earlier times, her colleagues would discuss the solution to any given problem by asking, “Who does what?” Now the question is much more about “How do we work together” and everyone understands the need for commitment to think longer term. While appreciating the contribution of high profile donors, she emphasized that answers lie in community.
As the conversation came to a close (and effectively, as Monica’s role as CEO came to a close), she was asked about her aspirations for community foundations in the future. She said: “To do justice – it is all about equity and we are sadly a long way from that. Just, equitable and inclusive communities – That’s what I hope for.”
What an inspirational way to make an exit!
Tags: charitible giving, community foundation
Posted in Charitable Giving, Partnerships, Philanthropy | No Comments »
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 »
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