Foundation Magazine September/October 2023

September/October 2023 | Vol. 4 | No. 21

• Lessons from International Law • Crossing the Digital Divide • Recognizing Wetlands Donors

PHOTOS BY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF STEVE LLOYD

INSIDE:

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The World Around Us

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Fighting for Human Rights The Lawfare Project (LP) is a leading organization dedicated to protecting the civil and human rights of Jewish people worldwide through legal action. Recently, LP achieved a major victory in the fight against antisemitism stemming from its lawsuit against the former Mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, which alleges that she undertook illegal discriminatory measures targeting Israel.

Following The Lawfare Project’s lawsuit, Colau was voted out of office and now, after evaluating the circumstances, the new mayor, Jaume Collboni, reversed her actions and restored relations with sister city Tel Aviv and with Israel, signaling that he was bringing an end to Colau’s discriminatory and illegal boycott.

In April, LP filed a lawsuit that challenged Colau’s February 8, 2023 suspension of relations with Israel and all its institutions, including the international agreement of cooperation and friendship signed with the city of Tel Aviv. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Barcelona Institute for Dialogue with Israel, a local charity. Colau justified the boycott of Israel based on alleged “systematic violation of human rights” and publicly stating that “Barcelona says no to apartheid.”

“The decision by Mayor Collboni to respect the rule of law and restore relations with Israel and cooperation with Tel Aviv corrects Colau’s complete abuse of power to engage in a bigoted and partisan campaign targeting the Jewish people,” said Brooke Goldstein, Founder and Executive Director of The Lawfare Project. “This shows the importance of using the legal system to fight to uphold our rights to be free of discrimination, including antisemitic campaigns that attack Israel by using false, racist allegations. I am proud of the work our team accomplished by securing this victory, and we remain vigilant in our fight to defend the rights of the Jewish community around the world.

Mayor Collboni should visit Israel to better appreciate the diversity and strength of the indigenous homeland of the Jewish people, and to once and for all put an end to the hatred that stems from ignorance about our democratic values.”

LP defends civil and human rights of the Jewish community across a range of cross-cutting areas. They have: ❯ Forced Kuwait Airways to terminate half of its U.S. operations and all inter-European flight routes due to its practice of discriminating against Israeli passport-holders. ❯ Succeeded in canceling a Hamas event scheduled to be held at an InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) hotel in Doha, Qatar by advising IHG on the criminal and civil liabilities that can attach for hosting a designated terrorist organization. ❯ Stopped corporations from implementing BDS practices by counseling them on the legal implications (and penalties) of discriminatory commercial conduct. ❯ Successfully demanded that U.S. Congress hold the United Nations accountable for promoting and inciting violent radicalization among Palestinian children in UNWRA refugee camps. foundationmag.ca

September/October 2023

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CONTENTS

September/October 2023 | Vol. 4 | No. 21 www.foundationmag.ca Twitter: @foundationmaga1 PRESIDENT / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Steve Lloyd - steve.lloyd@lloydmedia.ca DESIGN / PRODUCTION Jennifer O’Neill - jennifer@dmn.ca PHOTOGRAPHER Gary Tannyan CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mark Blumberg Mark Halpern Malcolm Burrows Stefanie Ince Mary Cahalane

Kathleen A. Provost Charles Sword

LLOYDMEDIA INC. HEAD OFFICE / SUBSCRIPTIONS / PRODUCTION:

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Foundation Magazine is published bimonthly by Lloydmedia Inc. Foundation Magazine may be obtained through paid subscription. Rates: Canada 1 year (6 issues $48) 2 years (12 issues $70) U.S. 1 year (6 issues $60) 2 years (12 issues $100) Foundation Magazine is an independently-produced publication not affiliated in any way with any association or organized group nor with any publication produced either in Canada or the United States. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome. However unused manuscripts will not be returned unless accompanied by sufficient postage. Occasionally Foundation Magazine provides its subscriber mailing list to other companies whose product or service may be of value to readers. If you do not want to receive information this way simply send your subscriber mailing label with this notice to: Lloydmedia Inc. 302-137 Main Street North Markham ON L3P 1Y2 Canada.

PHOTOS BY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF STEVE LLOYD

302-137 Main Street North Markham ON L3P 1Y2 Phone: 905.201.6600 Fax: 905.201.6601 Toll-free: 800.668.1838

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POSTMASTER: Please send all address changes and return all undeliverable copies to: Lloydmedia Inc. 302-137 Main Street North Markham ON L3P 1Y2 Canada

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September/October 2023

21 foundationmag.ca

CONTENTS

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

21 What Canadians Foundations Can Learn from European Research

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24 Lessons Around Internal Controls,

Governance and Political Activities

TECHNOLOGY

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32 Crossing the Digital Divide CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY

34 Donations Support Award-Winning Social 34

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3 THE LEAD IN 6 SEEN, HEARD & NOTED COLUMNIST

10 Gifts of Real Estate, With Restrictions Wealth Management - Malcolm Burrows

12 We Are Strong: A Professional Evolution Leadership - Kathleen Provost

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and Emotional Learning Curriculum for Tens of Thousands of Students

Western Canadian Energy partners with Classroom Champions, raising $3.6 million

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

36 The #1 Superpower That Will Make Sure You Stand Out

In a time of virtual everything, and Chat GPT, the superpower that you can hone that will ensure you are appreciated at work is very…human.

HISTORIC PLAQUES

37 The Many Supporters of the Wye Marsh Recognition for philanthropists whose donations contribute to keeping a wildlife refuge alive

RECOGNITION

15 Are You as Tired as I Am?

38 Five Lives: What We Do

16 Strategic Philanthropy:

Next Issue…

The Hand’s on Fundraiser – Mary Cahalane

Help Donors Drop the Baggage

The Accidental Philanthropist® - Mark Halpern

foundationmag.ca

The September/October Issue of Foundation Magazine: Philanthropy Day, the Power of AI, and 2024 Previews September/October 2023

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SEEN, HEARD & NOTED Kids Help Phone and the Vector Institute have formed an important partnership for enhanced human-centric innovations for youth e-mental health services from coast to coast to coast.

Canada’s only national, multilingual 24/7, free, e-mental health service for youth, Kids Help Phone (KHP), and the Vector Institute, a globallyrenowned artificial intelligence (AI) institute that empowers researchers to develop and adopt AI responsibly, are partnering to deepen and expand KHP’s evidence-based service delivery for young people across Canada. The partnership leverages AI to further develop service delivery at KHP by enhancing their e-mental health services to complement the skills and expertise of its dedicated frontline staff.

Together they plan to focus on reducing barriers to accessing e-mental health support through further development in triaging, navigating, and empowering young people to find what they need in our service system. Using Natural Language Processing (NLP), KHP will continue to adapt to the way young people speak, allowing frontline staff to offer more precise services to young people based on their words, phrases, and speech patterns, and route young people to available and appropriate service channels.

KHP has the largest anonymous and aggregated youth mental health dataset in Canada. Using the Vector Institute’s expertise in safe AI and keeping equity at the core of everything it does, KHP will also build testing frameworks that include manual validation from clinical staff to ensure its AI models are accurate, unbiased, fair and explainable.

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KHP uses data to enhance service delivery, build better programs and seeks to re-shape the e-mental health landscape for young people in Canada.

As a leader in innovation, KHP has been using AI to support frontline staff since 2018 with the introduction of AI-based triaging via text. This AI tool ensures highrisk texters reach our volunteer crisis responders in seconds.

The partnership with the Vector Institute will ensure that KHP stays on the leading edge of innovation and the ethical use of AI as we boldly grow and scale user-focused programs and datadriven digital services.

Kids Help Phone has and will always deliver service ‘human to human’ and, respecting the principles of safe AI, will use AI and machine learning to assist our clinicians with research and data analytics to build and scale existing programs.

“Our partnership with the Vector Institute is exciting because it enables us to continue using highly innovative approaches to address the youth mental health crisis. As a leader in technology-enabled e-mental health services for youth, Kids Help Phone is a 34-year-old start up that has always thoughtfully adapted to changing technology so it can continue to meet the needs of young people across Canada. Together KHP and the Vector Institute will fuel the necessary evolution of e-mental health service delivery in Canada,” said Katherine Hay, President & CEO, Kids Help Phone.

“Vector is privileged to be working with Kids Help Phone.

Their work with young people is so important. Leveraging AI to improve services to those in need of mental health care is a great example of how AI can benefit society,” said Tony

September/October 2023

Gaffney, President & CEO, the Vector Institute.

Kids Help Phone recently launched the Feel Out Loud movement with a goal of seismically shifting the entire youth mental health system in Canada through unparalleled data, research, partnership and advocacy. Feel Out Loud is the largest movement for youth mental health in Canada’s history — it will raise $300 million to unlock hope for young people to thrive in their worlds.

FAST FACTS ❯ Kids Help Phone has supported young people more than 15 million times since the onset of COVID-19 — this number increases every day. ❯ On average, 76 per cent of young people share something with Kids Help Phone they’ve never shared with anyone else. ❯ On average, 88 per cent of young people feel better after connecting with Kids Help Phone. ❯ Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7 national, e-mental health service offering free, confidential, multi-lingual support to young people.

As the country’s virtual care expert, we give millions of youth a safe, trusted space to Feel Out Loud over phone, through text, or in self-directed supports for any moment of crisis or need.

•••••••••••••••••••••••• The Canada Post Community Foundation announced today that 84 organizations will receive much-needed funding for community initiatives that strive to enhance the lives of children and youth.

Nearly $1.2 million in grants will be distributed to charities, schools and community groups across the country. Among them are this year’s $50,000-Signature Grant recipients: ❯ The Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity, based in Ottawa; ❯ The Robb Nash Project Inc., based in Winnipeg; and ❯ First Light St. John’s Friendship Centre Inc., based in St. John’s, will receive the Indigenous Truth and Reconciliation Signature Grant, which was launched last year.

Since 2012, the Foundation has granted nearly $13.5 million to more than 1,100 initiatives nationwide, including literacy and language programs; youth outreach services; projects that support Indigenous youth; gender and sexual diversity programs; arts and recreation projects; special education programs; childhood health programs; anti-bullying initiatives; mentoring programs and many others.

The Foundation raises money through customer donations in post offices, employee payroll deductions and sale of a special annual stamp. During the Foundation’s annual retail fundraising campaign, every dollar raised by incredible retail employees across the country goes directly to community projects, in the province or territory in which it was raised.

Stamp booklets are available for purchase at post offices and canadapost.ca/shop with funds benefitting community organizations. Established in 2012, the Foundation is a registered charity that operates at arm’s length from Canada Post.

•••••••••••••••••••••••• foundationmag.ca

SEEN, HEARD & NOTED Laurentian Bank has successfully wrapped up its third annual “Laurentian Bank in the Community” corporate giving campaign.

This grassroots donations program engages and empowers the Bank’s customer-facing employees working in its retail branches, Laurentian Bank Securities (LBS) branches, and Commercial Banking business centres to give back to its communities by identifying small, local charities and non-profit organizations to be recipients of corporate donations.

This year, the Bank is donating a total of $158,000 across 79 community-based charitable organizations. The funds will directly support these not-forprofit organizations in delivering on their important missions and providing critical services to their respective clientele, whose needs have been further exacerbated under the current macroeconomic context.

“Through our third annual ‘Laurentian Bank in the Community’ grassroots donations campaign, we are making a meaningful impact in the communities which we proudly serve by investing in local charities and non-profits. I am so proud of our employees’ unwavering commitment to changing banking for the better by helping our communities and customers thrive.”

At Laurentian Bank, we believe we can change banking for the better. By seeing beyond numbers. Founded in Montréal in 1846, Laurentian Bank helps families, businesses and communities thrive. Today, we have approximately 3,000 employees working together as one team, to provide a broad range of financial services and advice-based solutions for foundationmag.ca

customers across Canada and the United States.

•••••••••••••••••••••••• More than 300 law firm members descend on city to make a difference. In September MLT Aikins lawyers from across Western Canada will gather in Edmonton for the firm’s lawyer retreat. The retreat takes place annually in a different Canadian city — but this year, they’re kicking things off a little differently. On Friday, September 8, lawyers and staff members will be volunteering to support the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation as well as other worthy causes in a community outreach initiative designed to make a big impact.

The Stollery Children’s Hospital provides world-class pediatric care to families across Western Canada. It’s a cause that hits close to home for Megan Kheong, a

partner in the firm’s Edmonton office. Megan was born with a ventricular septal defect and a pulmonary stenosis. In 1988, twoyear-old Megan had life-saving open-heart surgery in Edmonton.

“It was before the Stollery existed, but it was the only place in Western Canada where we could go at that time, as I understand it from my mom,” says Megan. Her experience left her with a unique appreciation for the Stollery’s services to children and families — and the importance of giving back. “As we have seen recently, especially with the pandemic, health care is so incredibly important.

It relies heavily on assistance from volunteers and financial supporters, and I can’t think of a better organization to assist than a world-class facility in our own backyard that promotes the health and wellbeing of children.”

September/October 2023

Partnering with the Foundation is one way for the team at MLT Aikins to give back to the Stollery in a meaningful way.

The firm made a donation to the Foundation and, in collaboration with the Child Life department at the Hospital, has made arrangements for gifts to be given to kids staying at the Hospital. From 1-4 p.m. on September 8, tables will be set up throughout the Stollery where MLT Aikins volunteers will be stationed, helping the kids pick out their gifts, while connecting with Stollery families.

The firm has also made arrangements to provide a variety of treats and refreshments for the frontline workers. MLT Aikins volunteers will be in designated rooms, handing out food and connecting with the staff throughout the afternoon.

On the same day, MLT Aikins will also be supporting and volunteering with Edmonton’s Food Bank, which distributes 450,000 meals and snacks each month, and the Mustard Seed, a non-profit organization that has been caring for individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty since 1984.

The community outreach initiative aligns with several of the firm’s core values — like actively supporting the communities in which MLT Aikins lawyers and staff members live and work.

“We saw an opportunity to take advantage of the horsepower of having 300plus team members in one city,” says Aaron Runge, MLT Aikins managing partner. “The communities we serve are important to us, and this is one tangible way we can live out that core value. We’re very much looking forward to seeing the outcome and how it plays into our retreat.”

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SEEN, HEARD & NOTED

•••••••••••••••••••••••• FlipGive Scales, Launches Embedded Cashback Rewards Shopping Platform.

The cashback rewards and endto-end fundraising solution for youth sports teams announced a successful $5 million CAD financing round. Capital raised in the round will be applied to further grow the FlipGive direct-to-consumer app across North America, and to scale FlipGive’s new white label embedded cashback rewards shopping platform.

FlipGive Rewards, a white label embedded cashback rewards shopping platform unlocks a new source of revenue for sportstech, schooltech, and causetech companies, leveraging FlipGive’s proven model for turning everyday shopping into reliable, recurring donations via cashback rewards.

The Round was co-led by Thrive Venture Fund at BDC Capital and Framework Venture Partners.

FlipGive simplifies youth sports fundraising. With over 800 brand partners, a percentage of every dollar shoppers spend via FlipGive goes directly to the team as a cashback reward. This modern take on fundraising lowers costs for youth sports so kids can play more and spend less on the sports they love.

FlipGive is a certified Beneficial Corporation (B-Corp) deeply 8

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committed to accessibility in youth sports. To date, FlipGive has given back over $50M by helping sports families across North America turn everyday shopping into effortless fundraising.

“Youth sports have never been more expensive than they are today, especially as families feel the pressures of doubledigit inflation. 44 percent of parents say they struggle to fund their kids’ sports and activities,” said Amy Halpenny, CEO of FlipGive. “FlipGive offers a solution to offset the rising cost of play; a fast, free, and easy way to fund a youth sports season by earning cashback from everyday shopping.

Launched in August, the FlipGive Rewards platform enables companies in sportstech, schooltech, and causetech verticals to seamlessly embed a white label fundraisingvia-cash-back model into their offering. The FlipGive Rewards platform expands the impact of FlipGive’s proven model in youth sports fundraising and opens exciting new opportunities in the $500B charitable and school fundraising space.

“Leagues, teams, schools, and charities need new ways to extend fundraising beyond traditional donations. FlipGive Rewards will help sportstech, schooltech, and causetech companies to leverage not

September/October 2023

just a new idea for fundraising but a new wallet entirely,” said Halpenny. “Everybody shops.

With FlipGive, everyday shopping delivers reliable, recurring online donations year-round via cashback rewards that are donated to the supported cause.”

“We’re excited to support FlipGive as it grows and accelerates the development of its embedded cashback rewards platform, now delivering recurring cashback-as-donations to address one of the biggest pain points in charitable fundraising sector, ‘’ said Michelle Scarborough, Managing Partner, Thrive Venture Fund at BDC Capital. ‘’From the beginning, FlipGive has transformed how

users to lower cost of play with cashback rewards from everyday shopping online and in-store with 800+ brands.

“Sports leagues, clubs, teams, and associations look to TeamLinkt to solve their administration challenges so they can invest their time and resources into growth. Working with FlipGive to power an embedded cashback rewards shopping solution expands TeamLinkt’s ability to serve the needs of our over 1.5M users.

One of the biggest challenges teams face is rising costs.

TeamLinkt Rewards, powered

by FlipGive, gives our users a seamless way to use everyday shopping to help fund their

sports teams fundraise and has demonstrated positive impact on thousands of families in North America — all while making it easier for everybody to give back.’’

Timing of the round coincides with the launch of the first white label FlipGive Rewards partner, TeamLinkt. TeamLinkt is one of North America’s fastest-growing sports management and team apps. Powered by FlipGive, TeamLinkt Rewards makes it easy for TeamLinkt’s over 1.5M

season,” said TeamLinkt CEO and Co-Founder, Jay Maharaj.

•••••••••••••••••••••••• The RONA Foundation oversees the philanthropic activities of the home improvement retailer RONA inc. and has launched a brand-new campaign called Home Sweet Home. In an unprecedented context of housing and shelter crisis, the initiative aims to support the most vulnerable populations by foundationmag.ca

SEEN, HEARD & NOTED raising donations to revitalize living environments or make access to housing easier. The fundraising will run during September in most of the network’s stores and online.

The RONA Foundation, which oversees the philanthropic activities of RONA inc., one of Canada’s leading home improvement retailers operating the Lowe’s, RONA+, RONA, and Réno-Dépôt banners, is pleased to launch a brand-new campaign called Home Sweet Home. In an unprecedented context of housing and shelter crisis, the initiative aims to support the most vulnerable populations by raising donations to revitalize living environments or make access to housing easier.

The fundraising will run from September 1 to 30 in most of the network’s stores and online.

The campaign will reach nearly 180 Canadian charities that help victims of domestic violence and their children, low-income families, and people with special needs or mental health issues.

On this photo, employees from the RONA+ in Waterloo, Ontario.

“Having a safe, comfortable place to live should be possible for all Canadians. At the RONA Foundation, we listen to the needs of our communities and want to help victims of domestic violence and their children, lowincome families, and people with special needs or mental health issues,” explains Josée Lafitte, Director of the RONA Foundation.

Employees are more than ever committed because they choose their local organization.

Customers and partners across the country will then be invited to make donations to support the selected local cause. The campaign will take place in all our corporate stores in the RONA network, as well as in foundationmag.ca

four distribution centres, and nearly 30 participating affiliated stores. Online donations are also possible at lowes.ca, rona.ca, and renodepot.com.

•••••••••••••••••••••••• Forests Ontario and its partners planted approximately 2.5 million trees across the province this season as part of its 50 Million Tree Program. This brings the program’s total to almost 40 million trees planted, creating more than 18,400 hectares of new forest on nearly 8,000 project sites.

“As we continue to see the effects of climate change — including unprecedented wildfires across Canada and around the world — it is imperative that we do everything we can to combat it. This includes the creation of healthy, new forests as well as managing and improving the diversity and health of existing forests,” says Jess Kaknevicius, Chief Executive Officer of Forests Ontario. “We are proud of our accomplishments this year and

know full well they wouldn’t have been possible without our incredible planting partners and the generous support of individual donors, corporate partners, and both provincial and federal levels of government.”

Forest Ontario’s 50 Million Tree Program significantly reduces the costs of tree planting, making increasing forest cover in our communities easier and more affordable while ensuring the right trees are planted in the right place for the right reason.

“At Forests Ontario, we like to say that we don’t just plant trees, we grow healthy, diverse forests,” says Elizabeth Celanowicz, Chief Operating Officer of Forests Ontario. “We can say that because we have a comprehensive network of planting partners with the expertise to manage every aspect of tree planting, from seed collection and growing seedlings to tree planting and maintenance, ensuring our new forests are healthy and thriving.”

“Growing a healthy forest is a team effort and it takes time. We have worked hard September/October 2023

to build strong relationships with partners who understand the transformative power of forests — to combat climate change, to clean our air and water, to support biodiversity, and to provide economic and recreational opportunities in our communities. We look forward to working with our partners, landowners, supporters, and all levels of government to plant even more trees in the coming years,” says Kaknevicius.

Landowners who would like to take part in the 50 Million Tree Program need enough space to plant a minimum of 500 trees, which is typically at least half an acre of open land or 1,000 metres for a windrow or riparian buffer planting. Forests Ontario is the province’s leading charity dedicated to the creation, preservation, and maintenance of forest and grassland habitats.

Our ambitious, large-scale tree planting initiatives, extensive educational programs, and decades of community outreach result in millions of trees being planted each year.

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COLUMNIST

WEALTH MANAGEMENT MALCOLM BURROWS

Gifts of Real Estate, With Restrictions

BY MALCOLM BURROWS

Malcolm Burrows 10

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September/October 2023

GARY TANNYAN

E

arly in my charitable planning career my employer was offered a donation of islands on Georgian Bay. Surrounding the 100-yearold family cottage were sheds, cabins and boat houses. The donors had a vision: it would be a children’s camp It was a stunning property. Valuable, despite the sagging, mouse-infested buildings. But this gift by will was contingent and restricted. It would be a children’s camp, or nothing at all. The gift never happened.

Looking back, I feel the donors’ palpable regret and disappointment. They were in the late 70s. They loved foundationmag.ca

COLUMNIST those islands. It was unbearable to see the cottage sold, torn down, desecrated.

The charity, however, had no need of the islands or a camp. It had no funds to develop or operate the facility. We suggested, tentatively, that it could be sold and the funds used for the charity’s core mission. Regrettably, the donors thought we were rude and greedy.

Real Estate Restricted to Use Since that first experience, I have met a number of well-intention donors with similar dreams. What dreams? A Victorian rooming house, well, mansion, for a humane homeless shelter. An artist’s cottage for a writer’s retreat. A country estate for a university campus. A farm for an animal sanctuary. A heritage house for a museum.

These donors were all deeply invested in their vision and property. As a result, they have a hard time understanding the practical issues for the receiving charity.

Sometimes the charity already exists, and, of course, has other programs. Sometimes a new charity had to be created to carry out the purposes. Either way, the operational challenges were significant.

All property donations require a contingency plan. During the planning process, it’s best to address the monetary value of the property and the core mission of the charity. This discussion is essential, and just the start.

Due Diligence Questions Here’s some practical questions for donors, gift planners, lawyers and charities to consider: ❯ What is best charity to hold the property and carry out the intended purpose? ❯ How will ongoing programs be funded? ❯ What are the zoning issues? ❯ Are there capital improvement costs? ❯ How much are taxes, insurance, programs, and maintenance? ❯ What happens after the first 20 years? Who will run the programs?

Will there be a need? ❯ Is there any plan to make additional donations, in addition to the real foundationmag.ca

estate?

Is there a gift agreement? If so, does it include a variation of purpose clause so the property can be sold? ❯ If the property is sold, how will the funds be used? ❯

Good charitable estate planning involving real estate starts with frank discussion.

It’s important to recognize the cost and responsibility associated with big dreams and special properties.

And About Those Gifts from RIFFs I get regular inquiries about donating funds from registered retirement income funds or RRIFs. The value of RRIFs has grown through careful saving and market gains, and these funds may represent surplus wealth. Some RRIF holders resent the requirement to take steadily increasing annual withdrawals from their RRIF. Add a dash of altruism and the idea of donating RRIF property arises.

The Basics There are a couple of factors to remember when considering donating RRIF assets.

First, any withdrawal is taxed as income.

So there is no advantage to donate appreciated public securities from within a RRIF. The taxation rate is not the 50 percent lower capital gains rate. If there is no capital gain and it will not be eliminated if securities are donated in kind.

Second, plan trustees are obliged to withhold 30 percent of any withdrawal for tax purposes. The withholding tax creates cash-flow problems for the wouldbe donor. For example, a desire to donate $100,000 is frustrated by having only $70,000 available. There is, however, a tax liability on the full $100,000 withdrawal.

Offset Donation Plan From a tax perspective, it is a bad idea to make direct gifts from RRIFs during life. These gifts are tax inefficient and the withholding tax causes cash-flow issues.

Still, it may make sense for a committed donor to use an offset plan to achieve charitable goals.

One approach is to donate appreciated publicly-list securities held outside the

RRIF and withdraw an equal amount from the RRIF. The tax credit from the donation will offset the tax liability triggered by the RRIF withdrawal.

This donation is more tax effective due to nil capital gains from a gift of public securities. It also allows the donor to reinvest funds from the RRIF in a lower tax environment that provides higher control over cash-flow. It does not eliminate the withholding tax, so it is best to make the RRIF withdrawal in December to reduce the period when the donor is out of pocket.

AMT Proposed Changes On January 1, 2024 it is expected that Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) will be applicable to donations from individuals for the first time. This is worrying news for donors and the charities that rely on major donations.

The proposal is to increase the base AMT rate from 15 percent to 20.5 percent. For individuals with net income in excess of $173,000 tax savings from donations would be reduced under the proposal. Donation tax credits may be reduce by 50 percent. Rather than nil capital gains for donation of the public securities, a 30 percent inclusion rate would apply. This rate is a roll-back to 1997 levels. Moreover, it represents a profound change in the tax policy of the last 30 years.

Donors who have a large RRIF and taxable securities may want to explore the benefits of making a large gift of public securities in 2023, before the new AMT rules come into effect. This will allow them to receive the tax benefits described above.

The AMT proposals apply to individual not corporate donors. Fortunately, AMT would not apply to donations in the year of death. In other words, estate donations will not be affected.

MALCOLM BURROWS is a philanthropic advisor with 30 years of experience. He is head, philanthropic advisory services at Scotia Wealth Management and founder of Aqueduct Foundation.. Views are his own. malcolm.burrows@scotiawealth.com. He writes this column exclusively for each issue of Foundation Magazine.

September/October 2023

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COLUMNIST

LEADERSHIP KATHLEEN PROVOST

We Are

Strong: A Professional Evolution

BY KATHLEEN A. PROVOST, CFRE, MAdEd

A Kathleen A. Provost 12

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September/October 2023

s a professional fundraiser, I am observing a considerable shift in the charitable sector which is impacting how I do my work. We all have to adjust, react and adapt to numerous factors that are shaping the philanthropic world. My question today is: how can I survive these profound changes and what does tomorrow look like?

Well, I cannot pretend to know the future, none of us do. However, it is becoming apparent that philanthropy and all it encompasses is taking a radical turn and influencing how we fundraise.

Donors intents are changing. Grants purposes have different meanings. As professional fundraisers receiving philanthropic funds, we find ourselves struggling to adapt and engage in new meaningful ways. In light of these changes, our sector is needing to re-invent itself. For example, the government is foundationmag.ca

COLUMNIST reviewing the disbursement quota rules.

Charities need to address a downward trend in volunteerism, as well as staff fatigue. All of these challenges are forcing fundraisers to re-write the rules of engagement for philanthropic relationships.

A transforming sector Author, career consultant, speaker, and non-profit worker, Yvonne Rodney recently publish an article in The Philanthropist Journal entitled; “The future of non-profit work and workers post-pandemic”, in which she states: “In the face of unprecedented demand for services, financial vulnerabilities, and a human resources crisis, the sector is at a crossroads, in which we must reexamine the key issues relevant to the future of non-profit work and workers.”

Rodney referenced a 2022 survey conducted with one thousand five hundred NGOs by Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN) which clearly showed a significant increase in the demand for services (demand increased to 63 percent in 2021 compared to 47 percent in 2020).

While we are experiencing an increase in the services required, charities are also experiencing an increase in demands for wage parity, flexibility, and more stability for employees. These conditions must now be addressed. Employee attitudes about what constitutes meaningful work and what they are prepared to tolerate has changed. Today, we need to focus on what makes an employee happy: such as work/life balance, quality of work, better working conditions, and more fulfilling lives. We all agree that life is short, and time is precious, but somehow, people have become more conscious of this today.

This current mind frame is seen in large labour movements, at the origin of the “great resignation,” the “big quit,” or the “great reshuffle” which illustrate the masses of workers who are now rewriting employment conditions. Emily Jensen from Imagine Canada also talks of a challenging fiscal environment in which we face rising inflation and high prices.

Former Bank of Canada and Bank of foundationmag.ca

England governor, Mark Carney, talks of an imminent recession which is parallel with demand for decent wages, decent working conditions, income supports, and access to basic public programs and services.

With all these economic pressures, people working in the charitable sector, particularly those in equity-deserving groups are faced today with an uncertain future. As we consider investing in our overstretched workforce, we must now add tight labour markets, increasing operating costs, and donation declines.

This may very well be a theme in 2023 — hence, what can we do about it?

A role for the government In 2022, the federal government increased the disbursement quota (DQ) for charitable organizations, which adds another layer to the transformation of the sector. According to Imagine Canada, the higher DQ could release some $200 million in new spending; however, there are also concerns that higher DQ may hurt smaller foundations who face more challenges to meet these quota.

Increasing quota disbursements is only one part of the government’s influence in our sector.

I support those lobbying for the need to put in place a regulatory body for our sector. With more than 170,000 charitable and non-profit organizations in Canada, we need to create a one “pointof-contact” for all Canadians within the federal government. We need — a “home” like a coordinating body to strengthen the relationship between government and the sector, and to educate policymakers.

Yet, Carleton University Political Scientist Susan Phillips warns us that “a home in government” could be a “double-edged sword and not helpful if we don’t have a strong voice on the other side”.

A role for funders Inspired by indigenous cultures, a trust-based approach could provide a new way of creating partnerships and communities, to harness our resources, and to support complex local challenges while maximizing impact.

Funders should be inspired by values of gifting, sharing, and caring that is deeply ingrained across Indigenous cultures. These generation-old traditions of reciprocity, mutual responsibility, and respect are informing the ways of modern philanthropy. As a result, this approach can provide charities with more core funding, and more flexibility in how the money can be used.

Marina Nuri, associate director of the WES Mariam Assefa Fund’s Canada, also introduced “shifting power” as a concept for funders. Which looks not only at “what” we fund but “how” we fund. In her 2023 article entitled “Radical grantmaking: Shifting decision-making – and power – to communities”, Nuri refers to immigrant and refugee communities as example to situate and question how decisions are made. Nuri references the increased urgency to focus on racial justice and decolonization following George Floyd’s murder and discoveries of mass graves at residential schools in Canada. She challenges how we make decisions relying heavily on our own research with recommendations from our networks. Nuri, is proposing that we use an equitable and representative process to align funding priority areas and decision-making process.

A role for charities Statistics Canada’s recent data show that more than 65 percent of non-profit organizations serving households and individuals are experiencing a shortage of volunteers. Though labour shortages remain a staffing issue, a huge part of the sector relies heavily on volunteers to deliver their programs and services. The continued declines in volunteerism has had a compounded effect in the sector’s challenges. Finding new volunteers and retaining volunteers are both negatively impacting the charitable sector’s paid workforce. Staff find themselves having to work more hours to take on work normally done by volunteers.

On one hand, we are experiencing an increase demand for services, and on the

September/October 2023

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COLUMNIST THE HAND’S ON FUNDRAISER - MARY CAHALANE

Are You as Tired as I Am? Mary Cahalane

BY MARY CAHALANE

I

’m tired.

I’m not sure if it’s a response to the last few years, or if I’m just busier than usual. But lately, I’ve just been finding myself wanting to crawl under the covers and hide for a while. (With a good book, of course.)

I realized, too, that my fatigue is affecting my ability to work at my best.

It’s not a physical thing — it’s my brain, my creativity, that needs a rest.

I’m guessing you understand what I mean. Because work in our world of nonprofits and fundraising takes a lot of attention and caring. And it hasn’t gotten any easier, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic.

We confuse busy with effective European out-of-offices: “I’m away camping for the summer. Email again in September” American out-of-offices: “I have left the office for two hours to undergo kidney surgery but you can reach me on my cell anytime” Tweet from @samuel_pollen You might have seen this on Twitter.

It’s funny/not funny, especially if you’re an American. I see my European and Canadian friends taking real vacations… and being away when they’re away.

Somehow, that kind of break has come to mean you’re “weak” or don’t care enough here. Bah. The truth is, working nonstop hurts.

It hurts you, but it also hurts how well you do your work. So if you’re chasing fundraising goals, the best thing you can foundationmag.ca

do might be to stop. Step away from the worry and the work.

Science says tired and creativity don’t work.

Scientists discovered that taking breaks and resting actually boost our creativity.

When we give our minds time to rest, we give our brains time to make new connections and come up with new ideas.

Have you ever worked on a puzzle, staring at it, willing the answers to come to you. Then given up and walked away, only to return a few hours later and find the answers are right there?

That’s what we need to be our best.

Sleep and your brain Scientists are still not sure exactly how sleeping recharges our brains. But there are some really interesting ideas.

One scientist posits that during REM sleep, various parts of your neocortex are activated. At the same time, a chemical (acetylcholine) floods your brain, disrupting connections between your hippocampus and neocortex and making them more flexible. That means connections between neurons are more easily formed, strengthened, or weakened.

Cool idea, isn’t it? All those brain cells, getting stuff done while you rest!

Even a nap might be enough. Another study found that “…people are more creative after waking from the earliest stage of sleep, especially when they are guided to dream about a particular topic.”

So, how do you fit rest into your busy schedule?

This is the hard part, isn’t it? I think the answer is not trying to “fit it in” but prioritizing it. If you manage other people, make room for them to do this.

And if you have to persuade your boss, refer to the science.

When you value rest, you create a

better, more supportive environment.

You need to feel your best to do your best. It matters.

I’ve found sometimes it only takes a few hours away. The key is being “away”.

For me, that means being alone. (I’m an introvert, so that’s how my batteries recharge. If you’re an extrovert, you might want time with friends – but no work talk!)

I might take a long drive. The driving part keeps the squirrels in my brain busy enough to leave me alone with my thoughts. And if I drive toward my favorite pizza place? Well… bonus.

Or I hide out in a quiet part of the house with a book and some music. Or take a walk. Whatever works for you, the key is to do it!

How will rest improve your fundraising?

With a refreshed mind and boosted creativity, you’ll be amazed at what you’re able to do! When we’re dragging, everything takes longer. We make more mistakes. We even say things we wish we hadn’t said.

None of that is good for your work or for you.

Whatever your area of work, you need your whole self to do it well. Creativity isn’t so much about mastering an art form as it is about the unexpected connections you can make.

And caring for other people soon becomes impossible unless you also care for yourself. (Ask any new parent!) This isn’t an indulgence, it’s a necessity.

Your work is important. To you, to your mission. But you need to be your best to do your best. So the best thing you could do today might be to just… stop.

For a while, at least.

MARY CAHALANE is principal at Hands-On Fundraising where she focuses on improving fundraising results through great communication and a donor-centered mindset.

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COLUMNIST

THE ACCIDENTAL PHILANTHROPIST® MARK HALPERN

Strategic Philanthropy: Help Donors Drop the Baggage

BY MARK HALPERN, CFP, TEP, MFA-P

I

recently met with a successful family in the process of developing a succession plan to transition wealth to the second and third generations. Three potential scenarios were presented to them: 1. Do an estate freeze and use cash on hand to pay tax bill on death 2. Use life insurance to fund taxes 3. Donate frozen private company shares on death and use life insurance to fund a generous donation to turn taxes in to charity.

Mark Halpern, CFP, TEP, MFA-P 16

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The numbers were crystal clear: no life insurance resulted in significant estate erosion. Life insurance resulted in $12 million more for family at less cost.

Donating shares resulted in large family foundation with $33 million and more money for the family versus doing nothing. Despite that, the family decided to stay the course and use cash to pay taxes. And try as we might, they missed out on an opportunity to expand their legacy by creating a transformational gift to a family foundation.

“Why?”, you may wonder. foundationmag.ca

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For many, life insurance comes with baggage This ultra high net worth family isn’t the only one to resist using life insurance strategically to achieve their goals. I’ve thought a lot about what holds such people back and believe that in most cases it’s because they’re carrying baggage.

Many people view life insurance as a “grudge purchase,” only needed while they’re building wealth and need to pay off their family home mortgage, replace income to support day-to-day expenses and provide for kids’ education funding.

They often put life insurance in the same category as home insurance and car insurance — necessary but resented expenses.

Others had a negative experience with an advisor or a different type of insurance that was not guaranteed, or know someone who made a travel, property or auto claim that an insurance company denied. They may not realize life insurance is much more clear-cut than other types of insurance. It’s hard to argue with a death certificate and built in guarantees.

Whatever the reason, it’s important for affluent families to drop the baggage they are carrying and consider the 6 reasons why HNW/UHNW use life insurance: 1. Estate Tax Funding 2. Estate Equalization/Blended Families 3. Shareholder Agreement Funding

4. Key Person Coverage 5. Tax-Exempt Asset Diversification using Corporate Owned Insurance and the CDA (Capital Dividend Account) 6. Philanthropy This list differs from the “grudge purchase baggage”. life insurance can be a powerful way to optimize or preserve family wealth at a low cost with high tax-efficiency to become a multiplier of wealth and philanthropy.

Think of it as switching out your putter for a driver to amplify the effect of your golf swing and make your ball go the distance.

Illustrating the multiplier effect Let’s use the Cooper family (name changed) as an example. They live in Ontario and have already executed an estate freeze, which froze the value of the parents’ preferred shares in their business at $62,400,000. Half that amount will be taxed as a capital gain on death. At a tax rate of 53.5 percentage, this will result in a tax bill of $16,692,000.

There are three ways to handle the tax liability: 1. They can pay the tax bill in cash saved up for this purpose – a significant sum to tie up for an uncertain number of years. This is

Scenario 1

Scenario 2

the “no planning” scenario. Heirs will receive $45,708,000.

2. They can buy just enough life insurance to cover the tax bill.

For illustration purposes, a joint last-to-die level-premium universal life policy with a death benefit of $16,692,000 will cost them $509,974 annually. Assuming the second spouse dies 21 years from now, at age 90, the cost of insurance will amount to $10,709,454. With this option, their estate will pay the same amount of tax to the government, but the cost to the family is about $6 million less.

And — the icing on the cake — they’ll create a $12,665,521 capital dividend account (CDA) credit that the next generation can use to withdraw cash from the company tax-free. That’s a $6 million tax savings for the next generation by using the insurance CDA credit (assuming a 47.74 percentage tax rate), heirs will receive $57,737,074.

3. Most people know about donating non-registered appreciated public securities like stock, ETF’s, mutual funds and seg funds and paying no capital gains tax when donated in-kind. But fewer people know that you can donate private company shares too. This family

Scenario 3

No planning

Life insurance pays tax bill

Shares are donated, eliminating the tax bill, and life insurance proceeds are used to buy them back

Total value of preferred shares

$62,400,000

$62,400,000

$62,400,000

Paid in taxes

$16,692,000

$16,692,000

$0

$0

$0

$33,384,000

$45,708,000

$57,737,074

$53,084,486

Donated to charity Left to family foundationmag.ca

September/October 2023

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COLUMNIST

Affluent families can benefit tremendously by remaining open-minded about how life insurance can enhance their legacy

can donate their private company shares on death to charity and use life insurance of $33 million as a donation to charity and redeem the shares for the family, turning the tax that was going to be paid to the government into charity. This still leaves their heirs better off than the first scenario. In getting twice the amount of insurance needed with a $33,384,00 death benefit, the premium cost would be $1,019,948 annually. Assuming again that the second spouse dies in 21 years, the cost of insurance will total $21,415,682. However, the result will be a $33,384,000 donation to charity and redemption of the private share back to the family-the charity would prefer money to shares and the family would like to keep the shares in the family. The icing on the cake is the resulting CDA credit of $25,345,974.

Including the tax savings resulting from the CDA credit (assuming a 47.74 percentage tax rate), heirs will receive $53,084,486.

It’s important to note that scenario 2 requires postmortem planning, such as a pipeline transaction used to extract life insurance proceeds from the corporation.

Bear in mind that people who are comfortable with leverage (such as real estate investors) can add an Immediate foundationmag.ca

Financing Arrangement (IFA) to scenario 3 and complete the acquisition of the life insurance on a cash flow neutral basis and over a shorter period of time. In other words, they get all of the life insurance they need without tying up their money paying premiums.

Family, charity or tax department?

This case clearly illustrates that when we die, our money will go to some combination of family, charity, and the tax department. Appropriate planning can direct more towards family and/ or charity — and even, as in scenario 3, take the tax department out of the equation.

The life insurance in these scenarios — a joint last-to-die level-premium universal life policy–guarantees a level cost of insurance, with no market risk and no interest rate risk. The only risk is longevity — that one or both insureds will live longer than the planning assumes. In that case, the annual cost of insurance will continue until the second spouse dies. However, as the example illustrates, there’s a huge net benefit in both scenario 2 and 3. In all other cases, the family is better off than if they did no planning.

This planning can also be structured with a fully guaranteed 10, 15 or 20 pay structure or by using permanent whole life insurance.

This type of planning can easily be scaled up or down, so it applies to high net

worth and ultra high net worth families alike. Moving the baggage aside is critical to take an objective look at the numbers — because they speak for themselves.

Affluent families can benefit tremendously by remaining openminded about how life insurance can enhance their legacy. Meanwhile, their teams of professional advisors–lawyers, accountants, investment advisors and insurance advisors — can present life insurance in a new and more strategic light, and partner with experts to implement customized strategies that meet each family’s specific goals. Working together, we can ensure that our clients don’t miss valuable opportunities to use a versatile multiplier too —life insurance — to achieve wealth transfer and philanthropic objectives.

Reach out anytime to discuss these types of strategies. We love chatting about this because it can be transformational for charities, as well as affluent families, and we’re on a mission to amplify philanthropy in Canada. Let’s do good and do well at the same time.

MARK HALPERN is a well-known CFP, TEP, MFA-P (Certified Financial Planner, Trust & Estate Practitioner, Master Financial Advisor – Philanthropy). He was honoured to speak in the Disruptors Category at Moses Znaimer’s most recent ideacity conference. His talk generated high interest and comments. Watch “The New Philanthropy” at bit.ly/MarkHalpernTalk. Learn more at www.WEALTHinsurance.com.

He writes this column exclusively for each issue of Foundation Magazine.

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Special Report

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What Canadians Foundations Can Learn from European Research

T

he European Research Network on Philanthropy (ERNOP) held its 11th conference in Zagreb, Croatia, earlier this summer, with a conference theme focused on philanthropy and crises: Roles and functioning of philanthropy in times of societal upheavals.

Philanthropic Foundations Canada staff members Laetitia Gill and Michele Fugiel Gartner attended to facilitate sessions and present their research. Philanthropy is a global phenomenon, yet its manifestations are nuanced by culture and context.

While the conference focused on Central and Eastern Europe, its high-level themes are important for Canadian foundations and practitioners. We share three key themes below: foundationmag.ca

Cultivating Safe Spaces Within poly-crises or perma-crises, the state of living through one crisis after another, it has never been a more important time to bridge the knowledge and relationship gaps between academics and practitioners. ERNOP has recently focused efforts toward these ends through its Research Notes, a two-page synthesis of academic research that practitioner experts synthesize.

Similarly, the pre-conference day, ERNOP Safe Spaces, brought September/October 2023

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together academic and practitioner facilitators to develop a paper and host a conversation on five urgent philanthropy themes: diversity, leadership and governance, community, impact, and advocacy. The discussions generated unique cultural, contextual, and identity insights. In addition, the Journal of Philanthropy and Marketing will publish these papers and respondents’ commentaries to continue the dialogue, capture the jointlycreated knowledge, and bridge perspectives.

Safe Spaces provided practitioners with a peer-learning space to exchange on topics essential to the functioning of philanthropic organizations but which often create friction and frustration. Practitioners were provided with academic reflections on the issues to understand better the processes and possibilities to overcome these frictions, stay on top of the most recent research, and connect their daily practice and strategic thinking with research evidence. For academics, it provided an opportunity to engage in in-depth conversations on important issues for philanthropic professionals and to integrate feedback into their work. Under Chatham House’s rules, the discussions provided a platform to share knowledge and raise new avenues for innovative research and collaborations. For instance, in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion safe space, participants contemplated the role of philanthropy in promoting diversity, internally and externally. Should it be a priority for philanthropic organizations, and if so, why and how? Do foundations, staff and board members carry a special responsibility for promoting diversity to create more inclusive and equal societies?

Growing infrastructure supports the ability to collaborate and respond How does civil society ensure it can weather crises? Each plenary session asked this question, offering theoretical and contextual views from Europe. There was a shared sense that developing philanthropic infrastructure, even bureaucracy, is essential for ensuring that organizations are resilient enough to handle crises. In one case, the back-to-back crises of COVID-19, natural disasters, and war in Ukraine came one year after each other.

Crystallizing this idea, Michael Meyer, Institute for NonprofitManagement at WU Vienna, suggested that “structure eats strategy for breakfast”, and, in praise of bureaucracy, that it is only if you have rules that you can loosen them when needed. The resilience of the nonprofit sector in several Eastern European countries was predicated on previous decades’ ability to invest in civil society support. While organizations were required to adjust their approaches in times of crisis, they could do so because systems, such as communication, funding, and management, were already in place.

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Academic research to understand field phenomena In navigating societal upheaval and crises, the philanthropic sector moves quickly. Sometimes, it does so too quickly that it cannot fully process and evidence the approaches it suggests and adopts. Terms such as strategic philanthropy, philanthrocapitalism, and engaged giving take years to understand, implement, and study. Academic research on the other hand, moves at a different pace. Some critics say it is too slow, but its conceptual capacity can provide breadth and depth of clarification that practitioners’ daily life does not allow.

Research can support knowledge of emerging concepts and current events. At ERNOP, emerging research was shared on ideas such as “systems change”, looking back to original research on “systems” and “leverage” to understand the obstacles to adopting this approach for philanthropic funders. If systems change is about a leverage point, why are 1-3 year grants incompatible?

Has the field interwoven unrestricted funding norms into system change approaches? Must that always be the case?

In another example, researchers sought to understand the impacts of the Russian war in Ukraine on the nonprofit sector and volunteers. Written by Ukrainians and University of Geneva researchers, the article surveyed participants to identify the most pressing issues for Ukrainian volunteers and nonprofit organizations under martial law. The research highlights the importance of supporting the nonprofit sector and facilitating philanthropic giving in times of war. It identifies the effects of martial law on volunteers and national nonprofit organizations in Ukraine.

Research can also address the operational understanding of philanthropic organizations. One piece of research explored foundation investment strategies in the UK, Sweden, and Russia. Using public information, the researchers seek to define the prevailing norms of investment strategies. When markets are positive, do endowments spend more? Do they save for a rainy day when markets are negative? Are they hoarding assets — such as spending the same during negative times, but not spending more in the positive — thus, a net positive amount for their foundations? Does a disbursement quota impact these decisions?

Finally, while accountability is an evergreen topic within the philanthropic sector, there remains ambiguity over who drives the discourse, who makes the decisions, and how it is implemented. As such, the approaches to philanthropic accountability vary by individual and institution. New empirical research looked at high net worth individuals’ approaches to understanding accountability in their donations, demonstrating the awareness of accountability for charities but less for themselves. In an institutional philanthropic setting, the role of the CEO also impacts how accountability is understood foundationmag.ca

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and implemented, yet research on foundation roles remains understudied. Individuals and institutions have various norms for understanding accountability, which leads to the variation we see in the field.

Best paper The best paper of the 2023 ERNOP Conference was awarded to Malgorzata Smulowitz (IMD), Peter Vogel (IMD) and Alfredo de Massis (IMD) for their article entitled, “What leads to impactful family philanthropy? Family incubation as a missing link”. Through in-depth case studies of ten enterprising families, the authors share a theoretical framework explaining how enterprising families successfully navigate their philanthropic activities. The paper identified a process model of family philanthropy, introducing a new construct of family incubation. Overall, the article contributes to the literature on contemporary philanthropy, family business research and entrepreneurship, crystallizing the pivotal role of family incubation in impactful family philanthropy and shed light on the dynamic evolution of family philanthropy.

Final thoughts Theory and concepts determine how we understand the world. Gathering to hear new research and its development demonstrates knowledge creation as a creative endeavour.

Philanthropy is a field which demands its researchers to move beyond the ivory tower and involve themselves on the ground to understand what is truly occurring. In times of crises, this positionality is more important than ever. Conferences such as ERNOP are part of the essential infrastructure, making the philanthropic field more resilient as research links across cultures, contexts, and positionalities. It provides a space to agree and disagree and, most importantly, to ask questions. Philanthropy has multiple manifestations and is driven by a variety of values. If one takes a plural approach to philanthropy, research is key to understanding values which underpin activities, evaluating the justness of those values, and contemplating the combination of values which create today’s philanthropic sector.

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“This included an anonymous online employee survey done

by NEOC, which gathered more and higher quality responses than the in-house surveys we did in the past.”

— UNICEF Canada

“NEOC allows small organizations like ours to participate.”

—Alberta Retired Teachers Association Learn more about the Canadian Nonprofit Employer of Choice Award neoc.ca/overview

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Lessons Around Internal Controls, Governance and Political Activities T

BY MARK BLUMBERG

he UK has far better transparency when it comes to charities than we have in Canada. It is interesting to read a report by the Charity Commission on England and Wales into a charity — Care4Calais.

As we know, in the UK, there is a lot of divisiveness over Brexit, immigration, etc. Care4Calais – a charity assisting refugees, not surprisingly, got a lot of attention and scrutiny.

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“We are not politicians; we are ordinary people like you who believe that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.”

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Here is what Care4Calais says on its website they do: Care4Calais is a volunteer run charity delivering essential aid and support to refugees living in the UK, Northern France and Belgium. We believe in a fair and tolerant British society and advocate for a welcoming and inclusive attitude towards refugees.

Operating year round, our focus is to provide warm clothing, bedding, food and medical assistance to people in desperate need. We also provide social support and interaction, including language lessons and sports and music workshops.

We are not politicians; we are ordinary people like you who believe that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity. We are on the ground with the refugees every single day and are respectful of their common humanity and responsive to their needs.

We use our on-the-ground presence and relationship with the refugee community to provide the much-needed help that other organizations are not able to.

The headline from the Charity Commission was “Regulator’s inquiry into Care4Calais finds serious historic misconduct and/or mismanagement — GOV.UK”. Sounds very serious. In fact, there were definitely some problems, namely conflicts of interest, poor internal controls and inadequate response to complaints.

Unfortunately in 2023 tolerance, dignity, refugees — even librarians just

September/October 2023

wanting to provide books — are lightning rods for trolls and their supporters.

But on what most would have thought to be the most contentious issue — namely, political activities by the charity relating to its work — the Charity Commission said they acted appropriately.

Campaigning and political activity As part of its inquiry, the Charity Commission reviewed the trustees’ decision to issue judicial review proceedings to challenge the UK government’s Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda.

It found the decision was properly made, adequately documented, and was within the range of reasonable decisions open to the trustees of this charity. The activity itself served to further the charity’s objects, and the inquiry determined it was in line with the Commission’s guidance on political campaigning.

This is good news for UK charities — when a government acts inappropriately (my words, not that of the Charity Commission) and it could have an impact on the work of a charity — a charity should speak up and challenge the government.

The Chair of the Charity Commission noted: I am very aware that this charity’s work has generated attention and controversy. We will not shy away from examining concerns raised about any charity and will take strong action where necessary. However, as a fair, balanced and independent regulator we will not be influenced by political debates, nor should we stop charities from furthering their purposes in line with the law set down by Parliament.

It is for the Commission to assess whether trustees are meeting their responsibilities — and that is what we have done.

The Charity Commission was looking at: As a result, the Commission opened a statutory inquiry under section 46 of the Act into the charity on 12 August 2020 (‘the inquiry’) to examine: 1. The implementation, maintenance and effectiveness of the charity’s financial controls. foundationmag.ca

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE 2. The implementation, maintenance and effectiveness of the charity’s safeguarding and complaints policies and procedures.

3. The trustees’ responses to the Commission’s previous requests for information and the regulatory advice and guidance provided.

4. Whether there has been mismanagement and/or misconduct in the administration of the charity by the trustees.

5. The extent of the impact of any of the factors at 1 to 4 above on the charity’s property, including its reputation.

The failure to keep adequate records of trustee appointments and resignations and to ensure that trustees were appointed properly, in line with the GD, is misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of the charity by the previous trustee board.

The failure to ensure that the minimum number of trustees were appointed was a risk to the charity’s operations/business and is also misconduct and/ or mismanagement in the administration of the charity.

As an aside, after an extensive investigation, it does not appear that any funds were misappropriated.

Lack of appropriate governance structures In respect of the charity’s governance and decisionmaking, the IM report concluded that there had not been any robust challenge of Trustee A in her position as CEO, that the charity placed an unhealthy reliance on her, and that it focused on operational matters to the detriment of strategic governance.

Trustee meeting minutes prior to the appointment of the IM were poor and focused mostly on operational matters.

Most minutes reviewed by the inquiry were short and consisted only of a couple of action and bullet points. They also fail to demonstrate that the trustees had any collective consideration or control of the charity’s financial position and contained few elements of strategic review or planning. Overall, they reflected the limited attention matters of good governance and compliance were given at the charity prior to the IM’s appointment.

There was also no regular schedule of meetings and they were called on an ad hoc basis, often with only a few days’ notice, which further demonstrates the absence of any planned approach to governance and decision-making.

The IM report also noted that further action to bring the charity’s governance and management in line with best practice and legal requirements was

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Some of the governance concerns included: In line with Clause (3)(a) of the GD the quorum for making valid decisions is two trustees or one third of the total number of charity trustees, whichever is greater.

The inquiry has seen trustee meeting minutes that demonstrate that the quorum was not always met. Additionally, the trustees could not have been validly taking decisions as the overall minimum number of validly appointed trustees had dropped below three.

The situation was further complicated by the family relationship between Trustee A and Trustee B and the limited evidence available to demonstrate that conflicts of interest and/or loyalty were being appropriately managed. There was additionally an ongoing dispute between the trustees of the previous trustee board and despite the efforts of the inquiry and a mediator, the previous trustee board was unable and/or unwilling to resolve the dispute and appoint the minimum number of trustees to validly operate the charity.

In any case, as the charity did not have the minimum number of trustees to operate, there are significant doubts and questions about the validity of any decision taken in relation to the charity throughout 2020 and 2021.

“The failure to ensure that the minimum number of trustees were appointed was a risk to the charity’s operations/ business.”

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INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

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The 2022 action plan directed the charity to carry out an open and fair recruitment process to hire a full-time paid CEO to head up and direct the charity’s operational activities. The campaign was successful, and a new CEO joined the charity on 10 April 2023.

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also necessary in relation to complaints handling, obligations as an employer, financial controls, safeguarding, and GDPR/ Data Protection matters.

In the charity’s early years, the delivery of its activities relied heavily on volunteers and this pattern continued even as the charity and its activities expanded. However, as the organization grew, insufficient priority and attention was given to hiring permanent staff to manage and organise volunteers and to adapt the charity’s structure.

Trustee A founded the charity and acted as a trustee and CEO (unpaid) and continued to remain directly involved in the management of volunteers and the delivery of the charity’s activities even as the charity significantly expanded.

Her dual role would have required careful balancing to ensure she could fulfil both her roles appropriately and in the best interests of the charity. However, as the size of the charity grew, the situation led to an inappropriate blurring of the lines between the two roles and created a lack of accountability of Trustee A to the trustee body. This was exacerbated by the fact that the minimum number of trustees were not appointed, the family relationship between Trustee A and Trustee B, and the absence of a job description for the CEO function or any form of clear delegated authority between the board of trustees and the CEO. The inquiry found that, the lack of properly defined roles for the CEO coupled with insufficient oversight and scrutiny by the trustee board led to Trustee A dominating the charity and going unchallenged for some time.

These governance issues and associated risks were also brought to the attention of the charity by previous trustees and complainants, before the IM appointment however, no action was taken by them to rectify the situation.

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To ensure a more balanced distribution of decision-making power within the charity, the IM recommend, that Trustee A ceased acting in her dual role as trustee and CEO and that the charity recruits a full-time paid independent CEO to head up and direct the operational side of the charity. This, their report notes, would “allow proper separation between the trustees and the operational side of C4C enabling the trustees to focus on their strategic governance role whilst holding the CEO to account in relation to operational matters” and reduce the charity’s overreliance on Trustee A. The absence of appropriate governance structures and proper collective decisionmaking as well as the poor record keeping in relation to trustee decisions is mismanagement and/or misconduct in the administration of the charity. The fact that the previous trustee board was made aware of the lack of collective decisionmaking and unequal distribution of power and did not take any steps to address them is also misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of the charity.

The 2022 action plan directed the charity to carry out an open and fair recruitment process to hire a full-time paid CEO to head up and direct the charity’s operational activities. The campaign was successful, and a new CEO joined the charity on 10 April 2023.

When reviewing the charity’s compliance with the 2022 action plan, the inquiry found that the new trustee board met regularly after the IM was discharged in 2021 and had implemented the 2022 action plan. This resulted in significant improvements in the charity’s overall governance and more balanced decisionmaking processes. Meeting minutes since the IM appointment, which were reviewed by the inquiry, are comprehensive and reflect the improvement in relation to governance and compliance matters.

With the new and independent CEO, further improvements are expected to ensure proper and meaningful separation between the charity’s operations and the governance function.

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INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE What can Canadian charities learn from this Lack of transparency, as we have in Canada, means that the CRA cannot actually deliver a report like this, and therefore, the public is just left to wonder when there are allegations like these whether they are true or not. Here is a recent submission on transparency in Canada that we made to the Finance Committee of the House of Commons on improving transparency in the non-profit and charitable sector: Blumbergs’ Pre-Budget Submission for the 2024 Canadian Federal Budget Poor internal controls can result in a multitude of problems. Many charities need to improve their internal controls.

This is especially problematic with rapidly growing charities. What works when you are a $20,000 per year charity in a small village probably is not going to work when you are a $2 million per year charity

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operating internationally.

Contentious charities. CRA divides the charity sector into 252 different areas. Some types of charity work can be contentious ie. some people legitimately or illegitimately have an intense interest and dislike for your work. Not every charity is picking up trash on the side of a highway or saving sea turtles. If you are a contentious charity, not that you should be, but you should realize that likely the scrutiny that you will be under will be greater than another similarly sized charity. As I have discussed in this note on political activities — you should, therefore, have better systems and better governance than another similarly sized charity.

Allegations can hurt and undermine your work. If there are allegations against your charity, some true and some not true, it can create many problems for a charity. Try to deal effectively with complaints. Have good governance and

internal controls. It is actually easier to run a charity properly than to try and pick up the pieces later of a poorly run charity.

For some individuals, their reputations may not be easily rectified.

You can find more detailed report from the Charity Commission on our website.

Also, there is a PDF of the more detailed report Charity Commission of England and Wales Inquiry into Care4Calais August 2023.

MARK BLUMBERG is a lawyer at the law firm Blumbergs Professional Corporation (Blumbergs) in Toronto and works almost exclusively advising non-profits and registered charities on their work in Canada and abroad. Mark has written numerous articles, is a frequent speaker on legal issues involving charity and not-for-profit law and is the editor of www.CanadianCharityLaw.ca – a Canadian website dedicated to news about the Canadian charitable sector as well as legal and ethical issues for Canadian charities operating in Canada or overseas. He also has established the websites www.CharityData.ca, the largest portal of data on the Canadian charity sector, and www.SmartGiving.ca, a website encouraging informed charitable giving.

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CANADIAN

AI INSUPERCONFERENCE PHILANTHROPY The future of your organization and its reputation and effectiveness may be at stake. The power of AI in philanthropy is substantial and transformative, offering numerous opportunities to enhance the effectiveness and impact of charitable organizations and individuals engaged in philanthropic endeavors. Here are several ways in which AI is making a significant difference in the field of philanthropy: 1.

Data-driven decision-making: AI can analyze vast amounts of data from various sources to provide valuable insights and trends. This helps philanthropic organizations identify areas of need, allocate resources more efficiently, and make informed decisions about where their support can have the greatest impact.

2. Targeted giving: AI algorithms can match donors with causes and organizations that align with their values and preferences. This personalized approach increases donor engagement and ensures that contributions are directed to causes that matter most to them.

3. Predictive analytics: AI can predict social issues and crises before they escalate, allowing philanthropists and organizations to proactively address emerging challenges. For example, AI can analyze social media data to detect signs of unrest or humanitarian crises, enabling timely responses.

4. Fundraising optimization: AI-powered tools can help philanthropic organizations optimize their fundraising efforts. By analyzing donor behavior and preferences, AI can recommend fundraising strategies that are more likely to succeed, such as personalized outreach, donation matching, or crowdfunding campaigns.

5. Impact assessment: AI can assist in measuring the impact of philanthropic initiatives more accurately. It can track the progress of projects, collect data on outcomes, and assess the effectiveness of interventions, providing donors with transparent and evidence-based reports on where their contributions are making a difference.

6. Nonprofit operations improvement: AI can streamline the administrative and operational aspects of nonprofit organizations. Chatbots and virtual assistants can handle routine inquiries, donor communications, and administrative tasks, allowing human staff to focus on more strategic and value-added activities.

7. Efficient resource allocation: AI-driven algorithms can help philanthropic organizations allocate their resources more efficiently. This includes optimizing grant distribution, determining which programs are most cost-effective, and identifying areas with the greatest potential for positive change.

8. Disaster response and relief: AI can aid in disaster preparedness and response efforts by analyzing real-time data from sensors, satellites, and social media to provide timely information about affected areas and populations. It can also assist in coordinating relief efforts and resource allocation during and after disasters.

9. Healthcare and research: AI is accelerating advancements in medical research and healthcare, which have direct implications for philanthropy in these areas. AI-driven drug discovery, disease diagnosis, and personalized medicine can improve health outcomes and reduce suffering.

10. Education and accessibility: AI-powered educational tools can provide personalized learning experiences, making education more accessible and effective, especially in underserved communities. Philanthropic organizations can support the development and deployment of such technologies to improve educational outcomes worldwide.

In summary, the power of AI in philanthropy lies in its ability to enhance decision-making, personalize donor engagement, optimize operations, and increase the impact of charitable initiatives. As AI continues to advance, its potential to drive positive change and address complex social issues in innovative ways will only grow, making it a valuable tool for philanthropic efforts across the globe.

NOVEMBER 6th 2023 OBA Conference Centre, Toronto 20 Toronto Street (King & Yonge)

Speakers Include

Katherine Hay, President & CEO, Kids Help Phone Leslie McCarley, Vice President Advancement, CIFAR; Trustee at Art Gallery of Ontario George Irish, AI Strategist & AI Developer, Fundraising with AI Brent Chaters, Managing Director Marketing Transformation – Accenture Canada Jennifer Robins, Dir., Bus. Dev. & Not-forProfit and Education Lead, Environics Analytics John Weigelt, National Technology Officer, Microsoft Canada Usman Janvekar, MMA, M.MIE, BDI, Digital, Data & AI Transformation, Sanofi Nabila Tisha, CFRE – Senior Vice President, Sales & Operations at Globalfaces Elena Yunusov, AI Marketing and Strategy Leader | x-RBC / Borealis AI Head of Marketing Monique Crichlow, Exe. Director at Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society Altaz Hemani, VP, Information & Technology, Plan International Canada Paloma Raggo, Associate Professor, Director, Charity Insights Canada Project, Carleton U Jason Shim, Chief Technology Officer, Volunteer Canada Amy Korosi, Senior Vice President, Data & Business Intelligence at Globalfaces Matthew Charters, CEO, CharityCan

Breakfast Sponsor

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To register visit foundationmag.ca/ai-in-philanthropy-superconference-2023/ To learn more or become a speaker or sponsor, please email Steve Lloyd, Publisher & Editor in Chief, Foundation Magazine at steve.lloyd@lloydmedia.ca or call me at 416-919-7076. www.foundationmag.ca

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COLUMNIST

We Are Strong: demand for services. This dismantle barriers and re-write the rules A Professional Evolution increased results in a growing tension between of engagement in our sector. As economic CONTINUED FROM page 13

other hand, there is a lack of volunteers.

This equates to a reduction of programs and services offered. As a result, numerous communities find themselves in need of support they cannot access. Megan Conway of Volunteer Canada proposes a number of actions to create a positive momentum in volunteer engagement.

Our sector cannot ignore this significant mindset shift and must factor this new reality into re-engagement plans when considering volunteerism. We need to look at who are our volunteers, and why they are not returning. As suggested by Abdul Nakua, executive member of the Muslim Association of Canada, we must change the volunteer nomenclature to “community care,” “community mobilization,” and “community engagement”.

A “big rethink” is happening in Canada.

Hybrid work is here to stay. Products, technology, and tools that allow for easy and effective service delivery in a hybrid work environment must be acquired and training provided to staff and clients.

Statistics Canada’s 2022 data shows that the non-profit sector — in Ontario, for example, and arguably across Canada — took the biggest job-loss hit in recent years. With these findings, we necessarily must reconsider our work ethics. To quote Pamela Uppal, Ontario Nonprofit Network: “No, to long commutes or being contained within corporate walls.

No, to expensive cities and unattainable housing. No, to long hours, unrealistic employer expectations and inflexibility.

Yes, to quality time with family, friends, or self. Yes, to working from home or on a boat or in a different country. Yes, to flexibility, trust, and mental health.”

trying to alleviate the immediate problems society is facing — cost of living, housing, healthcare, and others — whilst trying to address massive longterm crises like climate change.

We are at the dawn of a new era. It’s not only the massive changes that everyone is grappling with right now, but also the rate of change. There’s so much to learn, no matter how long you’ve been doing this work. We must dedicate the effort and time in learning new ways and changing our perspective to stay engaged.

We can survive this new era in philanthropy.

We are strong.

We can empower members in our communities, with shared values and goals to find innovative approaches to

pressures continue to strain all of us, let us turn words into action and tackle a broad spectrum of issues within the charitable sector. We are indeed facing a crossroads. Today, we must inspire people to continue, to forge forward and foster communities of care and keep our communities vibrant KATHLEEN A. PROVOST, CFRE is currently the Vice President, Philanthropy and Communications at United for Literacy (previously Frontier College), a national organization with over 120 years of frontline experience in Canada, offering free tutoring and mentoring to adult, youth, and children who need literacy and numeracy support.

Kathleen has over 25 years of experience in the charitable sector. She has been a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) since 2007 and a long-time member and volunteer for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). She writes this column exclusively for each issue of Foundation Magazine.

FOUNDATIONAL HUMOUR

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©JONNY HAWKINS

My final thoughts We are all facing tightening family budgets, increased costs, fewer avenues for generating revenue, as well as September/October 2023

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TECHNOLOGY

Digital Divide

BY CHARLES SWORD

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e’ve been hearing about the digital divide — the gap between those who have access to the Internet, computers, and skills and those who don’t — since the early 1990s when computer access became integral to getting work done. Today, though, organizations of all kinds are experiencing a new and, in some ways, even more imposing threat: the data divide.

The data divide is loosely defined as the gap between those who can effectively collect, store, mine, and leverage immense volumes of data and those who cannot. The data divide, however, goes deeper than that. It also encompasses the growing disparity between the expanding use of data to create commercial value by data “haves” — primarily for-profit organizations (especially big businesses) — and the comparatively weak use of data to solve social and environmental challenges by the data “have nots,” found primarily in the philanthropic sector.

No one doubts the importance of data in today’s economy.

According to the latest estimates by Exploding Topics, 328.77 billion gigabytes of data are being created every day, with video responsible for nearly 54 percent of all global data traffic.

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Almost 250 million emails are sent every minute. And even more startling: 90 percent of the world’s data was generated in just the past two years.

Clearly, data is the heart and soul of commerce today. In 2021 alone, just three industry sectors — banking, manufacturing, and professional services — were responsible for spending more than $215 billion on big data and analytics. Canadian businesses invest more than $40 billion annually in gathering, processing, and utilizing data, while the value of Canadian data assets is now estimated to exceed $200 billion.

This, however, is where the data divide becomes apparent.

According to estimates by IBM, two-thirds of all nonprofits lack the expertise to use data analytics in their work. A recent study by the Nonprofit Hub and EveryAction, meanwhile, shows that only 5 percent of nonprofits use data to support every decision made, while nearly half of the nonprofit executives surveyed either don’t know or weren’t sure how their respective organizations were collecting data.

The reasons data isn’t being harnessed by nonprofits and foundations range from inaccessible data to a lack of technical talent to insufficient technology resources. Regardless of the foundationmag.ca

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Crossing the

TECHNOLOGY cause, operating without essential data has the potential to negatively impact everything from delivery of necessary services to advance charitable and humanitarian causes to the ability to demonstrate to funding sources how the work being done is having an impact.

In short, the organizations that are best positioned to make a difference are typically the least able to pay for the technology, training, and capacity building initiatives needed to help them address the wide range of societal issues.

All too often, the operations run by these nonprofits must rely on outdated systems with limited, purpose-built technology and resources that are incapable of collecting, analyzing, and utilizing data to measure outcomes and effectively convey the impact they are having.

For-profits, for their part, are increasingly demonstrating a commitment to driving positive societal change. A recent report by Accenture, for example, found that three in five for-profit organizations are using AI and more than half are employing data analytics to reduce emissions.

But while many corporations are stepping up to take on various causes, doing so will almost inevitably be a secondary objective to turning a profit.

While that emphasis on revenue is unlikely to change in the corporate world, it may point to a different way in which nonprofits can avail themselves of the advantages data technology

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provides. By taking a page from the way in which for-profit businesses use data to build capacity and drive impact, the foundations supporting nonprofits can avail themselves of the tools, talent, and financial resources needed to build data-driven ecosystems designed to accelerate learning, measurement, and evaluation, and ultimately drive impact.

The businesses, on the other hand, can realize increased opportunities to link such partnerships with their existing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment initiatives.

To get a better idea of how such a collaboration might work, let’s examine the recent example provided by a nonprofit which was experiencing profound fundraising challenges in the wake of the pandemic and ongoing concerns about a recession. Like so many other nonprofits, this organization was dealing with major gaps in its impact data which affected its ability to fundraise effectively. Even the data that had been collected was not always clean. Without reliable data, the nonprofit was left without a viable strategy for managing and measuring the impact of its various programs. This left it at a loss for how to convey its story effectively to prospective funders and foundations, with fundraising goals the inevitable victim.

Through a capacity-building grant from a foundation, however, the nonprofit was able to improve its technology and become more intentional about data collection

and analyses. This allowed it to identify and capture key metrics which provided essential demographic information for its fundraising efforts. It also deployed ongoing data collection methodologies and dashboard updates to provide realtime reporting on the impact of its programs on key target audiences. Perhaps most importantly, the organization was able to use its data to more effectively convey the story of the impact its efforts were having, which ultimately helped it to improve its fundraising initiatives and continue providing quality programs.

Bottom line, the world can be a better place if nonprofits and other organizations that are mission-driven can also become more data-driven. To get there, though, both non-profit and for-profit organizations need to have a willingness to change their standard organizational structures and the way in which they think about technology.

CHARLES SWORD is the Chief Revenue Officer at UpMetrics, a leading impact measurement and management software company that’s revolutionizing the way mission-driven organizations harness data to drive positive social outcomes. With a wealth of experience in business development and strategic planning, Charles is responsible for all aspects of market development for the company and is passionate about helping the world’s leading foundations, nonprofits and impact investors to drive accelerated social and environmental change. Mr. Sword has held leadership positions for multiple marketleading technology organizations including Blueprint, CAST, and iRise among others, and continues to hone his understanding of market dynamics and innovative strategies to unlock new opportunities and drive growth at UpMetrics.

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CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY

Donations Support Award-Winning Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum for Tens of Thousands of Students Western Canadian Energy partners with Classroom Champions, raising $3.6 million

BY STAFF

T

he international charity, Classroom Champions, based in Calgary, Alta, that focuses on social and emotional learning (SEL) accomplished a fundraising achievement of $3.6M raised by a group of Western Canadian energy companies. The group aptly named, the “Energizing Communities Collective,” led by CFO at Spartan Delta Corp., Geri Greenall, and Classroom Champions founder and Olympic gold medalist Steve Mesler, includes donations from 23 organizations.

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From otherwise competing energy companies, this synergetic approach brings the award-winning SEL curriculum and athlete mentorship program featuring the likes of 2x Olympian in skeleton and mentor, Mirela Rahneva, and Paralympic gold medalist in track and field and mentor, Nate Riech, into hundreds of communities and schools across Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C. This inspiring student experience also includes customized programming created in partnership with Indigenous foundationmag.ca

CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY

communities, Knowledge Keepers, youth and role models.

“What the energy industry has done for their communities through The Collective is simply unprecedented. Tens of thousands of kids across our provinces, including those on First Nations Reserves, and on Métis Settlements, will have the chance to learn with Canada’s best for years to come,” said Steve Mesler, Olympic gold medalist, co-founder and CEO of Classroom Champions. “We are a chosen partner of hundreds of communities and schools to proactively support the mental health and academic outcomes for kids.

Thanks to The Collective, we are humbled to continue to be a trusted resource to help kids, support teachers, and engage families.”

The Collective’s funding will help give equal access to programming for schools to participate, making communities more safe, inclusive and connected. Through ongoing measurement, research shows that teachers implementing the program have seen an 84 per cent increase in student engagement; that 68 per cent of teachers reported improved student grades and that 58 per cent of teachers reported improved student attendance.

Research also shows that when students learn healthy habits and skills as children, they develop into emotionally intelligent and empathetic leaders as adults. Data demonstrates that when students carry these traits, they have lower rates of depression and anxiety, lower dropout rates, and higher grades.

“I have a history of volunteering with organizations that support children who have experienced trauma,” said Geri Greenall. “When I first learned of Classroom Champions, I realized their work is a preventative approach to providing a well-rounded educational experience especially for students in rural settings who otherwise might not be exposed to dynamic social environments or experiences. I am a proud participant in the energy industry and I continue to be even more proud of the level of support The Collective has shown. Together, we stand tall to our responsibility in foundationmag.ca

advancing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action ensuring a positive future for the areas in which we’re collectively operating.”

“Pembina is excited to support this important initiative to include Indigenous values, knowledge from Elders, and traditional stories into customized learning for students across many of the communities where we live and operate,” said Ian Balfour, Vice President, NGL Services at Pembina Pipeline, a gold sponsor. “We are honoured to partner with Classroom Champions in support of empowering children to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.”

Classroom Champions recognized leaders from every company in The Collective with a medallion presentation at the fifth annual Champion Chats luncheon event held in Calgary earlier this summer. “It was special to recognize this group, and share custom made Blackfoot beadwork medallions by Lucille Wright from Siksika Nation honouring the tradition and culture of our partner communities,” said Steve Mesler.

Dr. Quintina Bearchief-Adolpho MS

PhD, mental health clinical services lead, Siksika Health, who leads groundbreaking work on The Nation supporting youth/ mental health issues spoke on stage with Steve Mesler at Champion Chats.

“We’ve seen this program on The Nation developing brave and courageous students where we know that their mentor may be the only person at the moment there for them.”

With it being back-to-school season for Classroom Champions, celebrating this funding boost to garner awareness is essential to the success of their program and its impact. They are running special outreach to the five main targeted areas to connect interested schools and educators with evidence-based programming at no cost due to The Collective’s sponsorship.

Click here to refer a teacher or classroom, or to learn more.

The Collective has a goal of ensuring every single community this industry operates in is provided with Classroom Champions programs at no cost for the next three years. “My goal is to get every energy company in Calgary to be part of this,” said Geri Greenall.

Offering professional prospect research, training, and fundraising strategy.

Editor and contributor to “Prospect Research in Canada”, Canada’s first book on prospect research.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The #1 Superpower That Will Make Sure You Stand Out ISTOCK/ FEODORA CHIOSEA

In a time of virtual everything, and Chat GPT, the superpower that you can hone that will ensure you are appreciated at work is very…human.

BY STEFANIE INCE

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lients come to me for coaching for a variety of reasons. Often its to gain clarity on next steps, sometimes its to level up their leadership and/or get support as they transition into a new or more senior role, occasionally its about positioning themselves for the job they want or help with setting themselves apart as a candidate.

In all of these coaching conversations, we eventually arrive at the same place.

I encourage them to be brave enough to see the truth and confident enough to speak it out loud.

I was helping to prepare a client for a big interview recently, and he asked; “what do I tell them about the gaps in my resume?” I said: Tell the truth. Yes, in the best possible light, and yes in a way that is going to best position you for this job, but still…the truth. When a recruiter asks you about the areas that are ‘growth opportunities’ for you, when a colleague asks your opinion about a project, when you’re offered a job that is technically a promotion, but its not the one you want. The best course of action in all of those instances is to let yourself be honest. It will be ugly, uncomfortable, and sometimes it will make you awkward, but its going to work out better for everyone in the long run.

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The truth is the truth By letting yourself be seen as you are, a lot of the nervousness and anxiety that comes from pretending to be the person you think people want to see is reduced.

Simply put it makes every subsequent conversation easier. Your conversations are more authentic, and when people decide to say ‘yes’ to you, they are actually saying ‘yes’ to YOU. The truth is the hardest part. The reason most people are hesitant to tell the truth, I think, it is that they worry that they aren’t going be what they think people want them to be. If you can overcome this fear (or not, but do it anyway), you’re arriving as you are, and trusting that it will either work for you or not work for you, and that’s okay. I often compare this to dating. At the beginning of a new relationship, if you pretend you love rock climbing, or camping when you don’t - you are stuck rock climbing and camping! If you’re honest from the start, you may not have as many options, but you’ll have the options that are the best options for you.

Truth telling may sound easy in theory, but its really quite difficult, especially if you’re not used to it. Here are some tips to help make truth-telling a little easier: When you have an instinct to not tell the whole truth, get curious about it.

Often (for me), my instincts about not being completely honest, comes from a

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desire to please others, or avoid conflict and unnecessary drama. Whatever the reason, if I feel driven to not be completely honest, that says something - there is something in that instinct that has a lot of value. Try to challenge yourself to notice every time you want to not be completely honest with yourself or with others. And then, despite the discomfort, go ahead and truth-tell anyway.

Practice makes perfect. Telling the truth well, in a way that will not trigger defensiveness, takes practice. I recently had a really difficult conversation with a colleague, and I was worried about how it would turn out. I stayed focused on my objective and tried very hard to keep emotion out of it. The more I tell the truth, the better the result. I can feel myself getting more comfortable with it, and that seems to resonate with others.

The most important part of this skill is first being able to actually see the truth. whatever it is, however inconvenient. I encourage you to try it out and see how it goes. And of course, if you need help, book a complimentary coaching session to learn more about your truth today.

STEFANIE INCE is the principal of March Management, a certified leadership coach in Toronto, providing personalized, online coaching for clients for whatever part of their journey. She founded March with a vision to provide strategic coaching services that will empowers people to live their best, most authentic lives at home and work.

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HISTORIC PLAQUES Historic Plaques Which Honour Philanthropy

The Many Supporters of the Wye Marsh Recognition for philanthropists whose donations contribute to keeping a wildlife refuge alive

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PHOTOS BY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF STEVE LLOYD

Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre is a not-for-profit, charitable organization spanning 3,000 acres of National Wildlife Area and Provincially Significant Wetlands and woodlands in Tay, Ontario in the Heart of Georgian Bay. These wetlands are home to a number of diverse species, including listed species such as Blanding’s Turtles and Trumpeter Swans. Visitors, groups, and students take part in exciting seasonal based programming from canoeing through the cattail channels to snowshoeing the forest trails. Wye Marsh’s Outdoor Educators facilitate programs for students of all ages both on and offsite.

The Captive Wildlife Care department at Wye Marsh hosts 12 birds of prey, 6 turtles, and 2 snakes who cannot be released into the wild and require specialized care. Species monitoring, developing pollinator friendly spaces, and invasive species control are among the stewardship initiatives undertaken by Wye Marsh staff and volunteers. Wye Marsh also hosts major events seasonally, as well as workshops monthly to encourage learning and excitement about the natural world around us. It is through all of this that Wye Marsh strives to insight a wonderment of the environment in each visitor and foster environmental stewardship.

The partners of the Marsh include, Canadian Wildlife Services – Environment Canada, Ontario Ministry of Mines, Northern Development, Natural Resources and Forestry, Township of Tay, Wye Marsh Association of Woodcarvers, Wildflower Gardeners, and Midland-Penentang Field Naturalists.

People are also invited to adopt (by supporting funds) one of the many permanent residents of the Wye Marsh, a program which ensures our continued success in fulfilling the mission statement to be a centre of excellence for wetlands research, interpretation and education based on the principles of stewardship and the importance of environmental awareness.

Wye Marsh’s educational ambassadors include reptiles and birds of prey who are no longer able to survive in the wild and need our care. The Wye Marsh Adoption Program provides care and enrichment for these animals.

Individual donors, corporate and business donors, and visitors are among the most impactful sources of funding and it’s out on the Marsh itself, just before walkers step out onto the large and expansive boardwalk, that a special place of wooden plaques adorn the path of these wetlands.

The Wye Marsh is located at 16160 Highway 12 East, in Midland, ON.

September/October 2023

FOUNDATION Magazine

37

Five Lives: What We Do

ISTOCK/ KATFLARE

RECOGNITION

Each issue Foundation Magazine provides a mini-profile of five people whose work and commitment make Canada a more liveable country. We thank them for their service.

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Alicia Smith is the Executive Director of Dyslexia Canada. After an extensive national search in 2022, the Board of Directors selected Alicia to take on this important role and lead Dyslexia Canada as it continues to champion its mandate to ensure that every child in Canada with dyslexia has access to fair and equitable education. Alicia is a collaborative, strategic and passionate advocate for dyslexia, most recently serving as the International Dyslexia Association – Ontario Branch’s President. In this role, Alicia led IDA Ontario in a great period of growth. With the support of our board members and volunteers, Alicia helped to create the Literacy Alliance, worked closely with the Ministry of Education, provided guidance to the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Right to Read Inquiry, released ‘Lifting the Curtain on EQAO Scores’, and organized a multitude of webinars and workshops, including the Literacy Leaders Series, among many others.

Artak Babayan is VP Volunteers for the Project Management Institute’s North Saskatchewan Chapter. The local is part of the leading project management professional association in northern Saskatchewan. Artak has a history of supporting the Project Management community and volunteering for the PMI North Saskatchewan chapter since 2018. His experience includes delivering challenging projects in new product development, networks and infrastructure implementation projects.

As a hands-on professional who enjoys challenges, Artak manages projects by utilizing knowledge and expertise in IT and IT products, software application development and project management, contracts fulfillment, and execution management in IT or Telecom. Experienced in networks and infrastructure roll-out project execution.

Ruth Squires is Manager Telethon & Gift Planning at Janeway Children’s Hospital Foundation in Newfoundland.

Every year, Ruth is at NTV preparing for the annual Janeway Children’s Miracle Network Telethon. It will is broadcast to raise money to help the Janeway obtain new technology to improve health care. “When we have the Telethon every year it gives the foundation an opportunity to thank our donors” Squires says. “We have donors all year around raising money for the children of Newfoundland and Labrador. Right after the telethon some of our donors will call up and say, ‘OK, I want to start another community project.’” Squires said Newfoundlanders and Labradorians’ telethon donations for equipment, programs and research reflect their commitment to health care, because children should live to their best potential and grow up to be the people they were meant to be.

The Niagara Impact Awards recognize community members who have made a positive impact on life in Niagara.

Residents are encouraged to nominate individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations who have gone above and beyond to help make living in Niagara a little better for others during the past year. This year’s Youth Award Winner is Katie-Ann Wolfenberg. The sixteen-year-old Niagara Falls resident received multiple nominations for her fundraising initiatives that helped serve as a model and inspiration in our community to inspire other young people to volunteer and contribute to society in meaningful ways. Among her many endeavours, Katie-Ann collaborated with local businesses to purchase a commercial BBQ, which she then used to host Community BBQs to help feed those less fortunate. Through her volunteer work with the GROW Community Food Literacy Centre, Katie-Ann later donated the BBQ to them for future community gatherings.

Theresa L.M. Man of Carters Professional Corporation was the most recent recipient of the Ontario Bar Association’s Charity and Not-for-Profit Section’s AMS/John Hodgson Award of Excellence in Charity and Not-forProfit Law. This award recognizes exceptional contribution and/or achievement by members of OBA development of the law, which is integral to the governance and accountability in the voluntary sector; enhancement of the practice of law in the charity arena; and leadership and service in the charitable sector. She is also co-author of Corporate and Practice Manual for Charitable and Not-for-Profit Corporations published by Thomson Reuters. She has also written on charity and taxation issues for various publications, including The Lawyer’s Daily, The Philanthropist, CSAE Trillium FORUM, and Charity & NFP Law Bulletin. Man advises on charity and non-profit matters, including incorporation, reorganization, amalgamation, asset merger, restructuring, corporate governance, multiple corporate structures, affiliation and association agreements, dissolution, gift planning, facility and property use, fundraising, non-profit organization operations and tax status.

FOUNDATION Magazine

September/October 2023

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