February 2025 Newsletter

Since our last edition...

• Jean-Marc Mangin published a blog entitled “La philanthropie demeure essentielle à la résilience de la société civile” (Philanthropy remains essential to the resilience of civil society) in response to an opinion piece in La Presse; “Les fondations privées de charité : les contribuables en sortent-ils gagnants ?” (Private charitable foundations: do taxpayers come out ahead?)   

• Michele Fugiel Gartner recorded a PhiLab Podcast entitled “Embracing the Space Between” which discusses views from her article entitled “Weaving the space between: navigating identities and institutions as a third-sector pracademic.”

• The flurry of Executive orders, statements and actions from the new Trump administration has dominated our headlines, including the very real threat of tariffs to Canadian sovereignty. PFC is closely monitoring the actions that are impacting American foundations and charities both in the US and globally, notably those targeting immigrants, transgender rights, international aid, DEI and civil rights. In Canada, we are experiencing a massive wake-up call to enhance East-West trade, diversify our markets and unleash a new innovation agenda. The philanthropic sector will need to make sense of this era of radical uncertainty and consider the implications for programming and investment.
  
  In the coming weeks and months, PFC will share relevant stories and resources and help convene conversations for our members to better understand a fast-moving context and explore potential coordinated responses. If you have insights you wish to share, let us know.

PFC Updates & Insights

PFC Compensation Survey –
Deadline Extended to February 14  

Thank you for participating 

Thank you to all survey respondents – the interest in this initiative is high! We are keen to increase the response rate from previous reports to ensure we generate an even more robust dataset that reflects the realities of compensation and benefits in Canada’s philanthropic sector. This survey provides critical insights to support philanthropic foundations and their staff, helping organizations make informed decisions and advocate for sector-wide best practices.  
 
Let’s strengthen the knowledge base for Canadian philanthropy  

Your input is invaluable. If your organization received a survey link from The Portage Group, we strongly encourage you – or the right person in your organization - to participate. 

To maximize engagement, we have extended the deadline to Friday, February 14, 2025. For any questions or clarifications, reach out to our Research Lead, Michele Fugiel Gartner. 

Upcoming PFC Programming

Good Governance for Family Philanthropy 
Information Session (Online) 

Wednesday, February 26, 2025  
2:00 – 2:30 PM ET  
Facilitators: Dr. Sharilyn Hale, C.Dir, Principal at Watermark Philanthropic Counsel and André Vashist, PFC’s Director of Learning & Collaboration  

This new 6-week program will offer an opportunity for governance exploration, learning and development for those involved in family philanthropy, regardless of what vehicle they give through (be it foundation, DAF, or business).  

Through a combination of governance theory, critical considerations, case studies, and practical tools, participants will gain greater knowledge of governance principles, approaches to apply them in their unique contexts, and tools to diagnose and solve common family philanthropy governance challenges. 

To learn more and to register, click here.

Healthy Aging Affinity Group Meeting 

Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 2 PM AT | 1 PM ET | 10 AM PT (online)

To register click here

Save the dates 
Please save the next meetings’ dates: Wednesday, June 11; Wednesday, September 10; and Wednesday, December 10, 2025. The group is working on a fabulous lineup of speakers and relevant topics of interest.  

Share your ideas 
The Healthy Aging Affinity Group would like to hear your thoughts related to programming, so please feel free to reach out with ideas or questions to Sandi Pelly at Waltons Trust.

Member & Sector Job Board

• Public Policy Manager, Canadian Race Relations Foundation 
• Program Coordinator, Peter Gilgan Foundation 
• Member, Board of Directors. Definity Insurance Foundation 
• President & Chief Executive Officer, MakeWay 
• Director, Communications and Systems, Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund 
• Manager, Executive Office and Governance, Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund 
• Board Audit, Finance and IT Committee Member, McConnell Foundation 
• Board Investment Committee Member, McConnell Foundation 

Appointment and Awards

• Lorne Trottier, founder of the Trottier Family Foundation, has been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal, in recognition of his lifelong passion for supporting technological innovations and advances as an entrepreneur, employer and a leading philanthropist in Quebec.  

• Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation, announced her decision to transition from the Foundation. 

Have any exciting news you’d like to share with our network? Let us know! 

Member & Sector Insights

• February marks Canada’s 34th Black History Month (BHM): “Canada Celebrates Leadership and Legacy" highlights the support of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. 

• Fondation de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation posted a statement "Preserving our resources, together"on the latest political developments in North America. 

• Trottier Family Foundation prepared a public statement regarding the recent news that many of the major Canadian banks have pulled out of the Net-Zero Banking Alliance. Their aim is to demonstrate to financial institutions that, as clients, they believe it is important that banks maintain their climate commitments (whether as members of international bodies or not). 

• Azrieli Foundation encouraged Canadians to take a moment on International Holocaust Remembrance Day to remember and share the stories of the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. 

• Many nonprofit organizations have been working to diversify their Boards of Directors. But diversifying a board must be more than just ticking a box; it should be part of an organization wide effort, as described in The Chronical of Philanthropy’s "Skilled, Diverse, and Engaged — 2025 Will Require More From Boards". 

• RBC Foundation-funded research entitled "Fair Play: Understanding the Current State of Racial Inclusion in Canadian High-Performance Sport" is highlighted in Press Release entitled "Canadian Olympic Committee renews long-standing partnership with RBC Ahead Of RBC Training Ground Year 10". 

• Future of Good has compiled what it believes leaders need to do to future-proof their work in its "2025 Trends & Tensions Shaping Leadership in the Social Purpose World Guide". 

• The 2025 Philanthropy and Digital Civil Society: Blueprint report is an annual industry forecast about the ways private resources are used for public benefit in the digital age. Each year, the Blueprint provides an overview of the current landscape, points to big ideas that matter, and directs our attention to horizons where we can expect some important breakthroughs in the coming year. 

• In "Taking on Philanthropy’s Toughest Critiques", Beth Breeze, who has spent a decade examining and responding to criticisms of philanthropy answers questions from Center for Effective Philanthropy's Podcast hosts, making the case that critics are largely getting it wrong, overlooking the positive results of giving and the unique role that civil society and nonprofits play in any thriving democracy. 

• In his Carleton University PhD dissertation, Christopher Dougherty observed differences in granting between private family foundations with trustees who make political contributions and those foundations without any trustees making political contributions, as discussed in “Do Private Family Foundations Engage in Political Activities Through Their Granting?” 

• Weston Family Foundation-funded study, which recently published results representing the largest trial of an effective dementia treatment, is highlighted in “Western-led study shows promise for treating core symptom of frontotemporal dementia”. 

• In Alliance Magazine article “What should philanthropy do about the US freeze on aid?” it is argued that, even if substitution strategies were fully participatory, democratic and transparent, it would still not solve the broader equation: the sector just doesn’t have the cash. Philanthropy’s added value lies in its ability to take risks, go where others can’t or won’t, build bridges, etc., more than in the amounts it can put on the table. 

• The Canadian Race Relations Foundation played a key role in the final report of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ)’ “2024 Canadian Newsroom Diversity Survey”. Since 2022, the Foundation has generously provided funds allowing the Association to hire the necessary staff to carry out the survey. 

• The Canadian Foundation for Race Relations remembered the Muslims whose lives were stolen in Canada over the past decade and reaffirms its commitment to fostering a country where everyone feels safe, valued, and free to practice their faith without fear in "National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia". 

Upcoming Member & Sector Activities

• Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 1–2 PM ET - Information session on Weston Family Foundation and Weston Brain Institute’s Rapid Response Program, designed to spark the development of novel therapeutics and tools for neurodegenerative diseases of aging. Register here. 

• Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 1 PM ET - Building Cross-Sector Climate Action: Leveraging Collaboration in Healthcare and Beyond Panel Discussion presented by The Trottier Family Foundation at GLOBExCHANGE. Learn more and register here.   

• Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 1-2 PM ET - Shifting Narratives to Drive Change Webinar in which Community Foundations of Canada’s past Transformation Fellow, Inda Intiar, will explore storytelling as a powerful tool for social justice and understanding community issues. Register here. 

• Monday, February 24, 2025, 5:30-7:30 PM ET - “Affordability and Climate: Addressing Intertwined Challenges in Politics Today” hosted by the Institute for Research on Public Policy, in partnership with the Affordability Action Council. The panel will feature Tyler Meredith, Kathleen Monk, and Karen Restoule, vice-president of Toronto-based Crestview Strategy and senior fellow at Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Register for in-person participation here.  Register for virtual participation here.  

• Tuesday, February 25, 2025, 1–2 PM ET - Five Good Ideas on positive change in uncertain times webinar, in which Mohammed Hashim, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, will present his five ideas on how we can defuse our polarized spaces and invite meaningful and fruitful connection. Learn more and register here. 

• Tuesday, March 4, 1- 2 PM ET - Nonprofits in Action: Effectively Engaging in Election Advocacy Webinar organized by Imagine Canada and supported by the McConnell Foundation, the Mastercard Foundation, and The Counselling Foundation of Canada. Learn more and register here.  

• Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12, 2025 - The Rozsa Admin Fundamentals Training in person sessions are designed to provide skills and knowledge needed by early career art professionals, including, but not limited to, artists, culture professionals, arts managers, consultants, and community leaders. Learn more and apply here by Friday, February 28, 2025. 

• Wednesday, March 26, 2025, 1-2 PM ET Online – Session marking the 10th anniversary of the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action which aims to deepen the understanding of the 94 Calls to Action and to discover how community foundations play a pivotal role in fostering reconciliation and supporting Indigenous communities. Learn more and register here. 

• Tuesday, May 6, 2025 - Montreal Climate Summit - the city's annual climate change conference - supported by the Trottier Family Foundation - returns for the 4th year to the Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal! Early bird rate available until February 17, 2025. Register here. 

Members in the News

• Ulnooweg Indigenous Communities Foundation, a newly joined PFC member, is featured as an example of transformation in action in this WINGS article entitled "Transforming capital and philanthropy: Community Foundations of Canada". 

• Trottier Family Foundation gift, which helps fund the Trottier Space Institute where astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery that could transform our understanding of the universe's most powerful and mysterious signals, is mentioned in "Dead galaxies, live signals: Astronomers uncover a fast radio burst's surprising location". 

• Graham Boeckh Foundation philanthropic support, which helped fund researchers working with mice discover novel brain mechanism, potentially identifying new targets for treatment of disorder, is mentioned in "What drives mood swings in bipolar disorder? Study points to a second brain clock." 

• Catherine Donnelly Foundation's philanthropic grants, which enable organizations to strengthen efforts in public education, advocacy, and support for precarious migrants and refugees, are recognized in FCJ Refugee Centre's Winter 2025 Newsletter. 

• Mastercard Foundation and Inspirit Foundation grants, which aim to address the underrepresentation of Indigenous perspectives in Canadian media, is highlighted in "New Generation of Indigenous Journalists to Learn and Work in Home Communities". 

• Real Estate Foundation of BC is recognized and thanked as one of Comox Valley Regional District environmental initiative's funding partners in "CVRD wins national climate adaptation award for Dyke Road Park Project". 

• Shaw Family Foundation gift, which will allow Calgary’s Glenbow Museum (currently being renovated) to become the first major museum in Canada that provides free general admission to everyone in perpetuity, is highlighted in "Calgary arts, culture, and science centre receive large donation". And, RBC Foundation gift, which will support Glenbow's efforts to accommodate and welcome visitors with a wide range of physical, cognitive, and sensory needs, is highlighted in “RBC Invests in Glenbow to Drive Increased Accessibility”. 

• Birks Family Foundation-supported travelling exhibit, created by the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, which can be seen at St-Thomas University until the end of February, is highlighted in “Refuge Canada Tent Travelling Exhibit Visiting STU” 

• Raven Indigenous Impact Foundation’s collaboration with Raven Indigenous Capital Partners and the Sorenson Impact Institute, as an example of active reconciliation through blended finance, is highlighted in “Unlocking Impact: A Strategic Guide To Blended Finance”. 

• Suncor Energy Foundation announces pledge to The Resilience Institute, to support strengthening community-relevant climate resilience in “Canadian Charity Strengthens Resilience of Small, Rural, and Indigenous Communities”. 

• An article published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reflecting a study funded by the Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon and several other Quebec funders, mentions convincing proof that young children's exposure to media violence can have serious and lasting consequences, particularly for boys. (in French) 

• McConnell Foundation and Choquette-Legault Foundation grants, which enabled Service d'aide communautaire Anjou (SAC Anjou) employees to move into their new premises, are mentioned in "Une maison neuve pour le SAC Anjou" (A new home for SAC Anjou).

Get in touch!

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