One thing we miss without a print copy of our former roster is the list of our club's accomplishments. Foundation President Susan Howson gave a very detailed report on Foundation Day February 28, 2020. We print her report here. THIS IS WORTH READING AND SHARING WITH POTENTIAL ROTARIANS.
Did you know that:
by being an actively involved member of The Rotary Club of Toronto and the Rotary Toronto Charitable Foundation, attending lunch and committee meetings, participating in sweat equity and fellowship events is the best medicine and the frontline defense to dementia and mental health issues. By actively participating and being engaged in Rotary you are improving the Community of Toronto and helping yourself, your Club members and your Families. What does this have to do with the Rotary Club of Toronto Foundation?
First some background.
The Foundation was started in 1951 with $5,000.00, which is equal to $50,000 today. The purpose was to give Rotary members a means of donating funds on a regular basis or through their wills. This would allow the members to build a fund that could continue forever.
The purpose then and now is to assist those in need in Toronto. We were the first Toronto community foundation not targeted to specific issues or illnesses, but ready to tackle any problem in Toronto no matter how unsexy and ignored that might be.
The Foundation and the Club have a common goal to assist those in need in the greater Toronto area regardless of race, colour or creed. Despite their commonality The Foundation and the Club are totally separate corporate entities. They have different regulations to abide by.
The Club through its Philanthropic fund can make grants for charitable purposes, i.e., starting a charity such as YES.
Grants from the Foundation must be made to Canadian registered charities, they must total 3.5% of its assets every year and those grants must be tracked to show they were used as stated. In 2019 the total grants were over $600,000. A list of recipients follows.
The Foundation keeps its cost low by relying on Club members and their varied expertise to staff its Board, to manage the Foundation’s funds, to review grant requests and to keep the Foundation growing through fundraisers and donations.
Today the Foundation has grown to over $21,000,000. Some funds have come from estates such as The Jean Cowan Rotary Memorial Fund whose bequest was close to $1 million. There was the return of the $3,000,000 in Laughlan funds after the seniors’ home closed. Thank you Doug Hughes and other members who helped organize the return of the Laughlan Funds.
Some individuals have made large cash and security donations over the years – something you as a member may want to consider.
Within the Foundation’s funds are several donor-advised funds such as those established by the Pauline Hill. Westlake and Andras families – we thank them for their support and we hope you will think about emulating them.
For this growth we have to thank our past and present Investment Committee all of whom are Rotary Club of Toronto members who volunteer their time. David Hetherington is the current chair.
Obviously, we don’t just raise money and invest it. Over $15,000,000 in grants have been given since 1990. That is approximately $500,000 a year to an average of 20 recipients including the Club’s Philanthropic Committees. The Foundation thanks past and current members of the Research and Appeals committee, all Club members who volunteer their time under the leadership of Barbara Thomson, who diligently review incoming appeals from $1,000 to several hundred thousand dollars.
The Foundation’s focus has been to fund charities dealing with taboo subjects and has been an innovator coming up with solutions to deal with them.
Some examples are:
- Youth unemployment and drug addiction
- AIDS
- Seniors
- Homelessness
- Sex trade
Mental health has been a major topic of late in the Club. As stated earlier we do not focus on specific illnesses. The conversation should change from “We need to support those with mental health issues” to “Every grant we make is helping those suffering from or sliding into mental health issues.” People often become homeless, drug addicted or involved in the sex trade because they have mental health issues. By helping to solve these problems, we can help create stability in people’s lives so they don’t fall into behaviour patterns that cause further deterioration in their ability to cope with life.
This brings me back to the beginning of my talk. By being actively engaged in the Club’s activities going to committee meetings and focus groups, attending lunch and learning, volunteering at events a beneficial cycle evolves. You are helping the Club and the Foundation maintain their vitality and through volunteering and grants both institutions can have an immediate, positive impact on the Toronto Community.
I mentioned earlier that we’ve given out some $15 million over the last 30 years. I remind you that we give more than money – we give time and expertise. Our Club members get on the boards of the groups we support and lend their time and expertise to help make these groups more effective, with their staff and volunteers’ time and their donated funds. Following is a brief snapshot of some of the projects that have made major impacts to the mental and physical health of the recipients and ultimately their friends and families in Toronto.
Gateway: We gave time, advice and $152,thousand to help launch a service that employs the previously unemployable to clean linen for many of the city’s shelters. Gateway cuts shelters’ costs and it teaches skills that re-integrates people into a normal life.
Covenant House: With $275,000 for a gym and other building renovations, and a lot of facilitation from us, some 20 not-for-profit groups united to kick off a much-needed shelter for exploited women.
Project Warmth: This project ran for ten years from 1993-2003; our $5,000 not only established a supply line to get warm clothing and sleeping bags to the homeless, it helped change people’s attitudes to the homeless in this city. Not only did Project Warmth over-deliver on its original objectives, it provided the conceptual foundation and facilities for several international relief drives, and assistance for at-home issues like the Winnipeg floods and the Quebec ice-storm.
Arthritis Society: Arthritis is not just an elder-issue. $15,100 to purchase back packs containing needed first aid kits and better education tools to help children with arthritis to overcome the stigma of childhood arthritis and blend in to their school community.
Sprint Senior Care: Based on what we discovered when we initiated a focus group, we gave $475thousand to build and maintain fleet of vehicles that transports seniors and disabled people to a wide range of programs. By establishing a single supplier for many, we eliminated underservice of a growing community, service duplication and a lot of unnecessary cost. Getting people out of their homes and interacting with others reduces the risk of dementia and other mental and physical issues
Health Bus 3: $600,000 has gone a long way with our Health Buses. Since 199X, our buses have helped people healthy, yet keep them out of Emergency Rooms and the hospitals. A popular and very visible intervention.
The projects I have spoken of are just a small sample of the many wonderful projects that the Foundation has funded. Members of this great Club by presenting or supporting these appeals have taken an idea or challenged a taboo to start something that helps those in need in the City of Toronto. In many cases members made sure that the Foundation’s grants were sustained by giving money and many valuable hours of their time. The Foundation has been happy to offer guidance and funding to help make things happen no matter how big or small the need has been.
You can find out more about the Foundation by going to the Rotary Club of Toronto website and then the button Rotary Toronto Foundation
Finally, in closing
Pine River:
This has been a great saga and I can only give a brief history, so apologies to those who should be named and are not.
Back in 1993 Marg Andras wife of our member Ken started work at Donwoods. Through her it was brought to the club’s attention that resources for youth with addiction problems was very minimal. A committee involving Jack Robertson, Ron Crane, Tony Houghton, Michael Morgan and of course the Andrass was struck and plans to work with YES to solve the problem were initiated. Unfortunately things did not go as planned.
In early 2000 through the Youth and Children’s committee Michael Morgan met Andree Cazabon and became involved with her film “Letters to a Street Child” which the Foundation helped to fund.
Andree spurred Michael and other members of the Club to revisit the issue of the serious lack of resources for youth with mental and addiction problems. A Club task force (the Club is very good at focus and task force research) resulted in research and recruitment of many others in Toronto who wanted to help solve this lack of resources. The result was an incorporated entity in 2001 led by Karen Minden.
By 2006 with continued support through volunteer hours and funds from the Foundation Pine River opened its door. The program objective is to help youth deal with their mental and addiction problems and assist them to return to their families and society. The program was so successful that Pine River receives permanent funding from the Ontario Government and many visits from groups who want to emulate the program.
The Foundation is proud to have been part of the process of defining, research and developing a program of care that touches 1000s of people. Mental health and addiction issues do not just affect the person concerned but also their families and friends.
I am delighted that the Foundation is continuing its support with a grant of $200,000 to Pine River. Jennifer Bunt CEO of Pine River Foundation sends her regrets at not being able to be here in her stead would Vaughan Dowie and Ron Crane please come to the podium to receive the cheque.
