Local empowerment through philanthropy: Is the community foundation the right model?
The Canadian Experience
Susan Phillips Presentation to the CGAP Conference
May 2013
The Right model?
Compared to what?
For what purpose?
The Study
• With Tobias Jung and Jenny Harrow • Comparative study of community foundations in
the UK and Canada • Supported by CGAP and Canadian granting
council (SSHRC)
• Data on 13 Canadian CFs • More extensive interviews over the summer • 360 degree assessment
Community Factors
Organizational Factors
Relational Factors
Community
Leadership
Phillips, Harrow & Jung, drawing on Graddy & Morgan, 2006; Daly, 2008
A Conceptual Model: Explaining Leadership
Canadian Context
• Very generous tax incentives
• Giving is flat, except for high income donors
• Canada was early adopter of community foundation model, 1921
• Important role of CFs in donor advised funds
• Governor General: Smart, Caring Communities
748.4 (477.2)
507.5 (323.6)
408.8 (260.7)
266.5 (169.9) 194.6
(124.1) 93.1
(59.4)
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Vancouver Winnipeg Calgary Edmonton Toronto Ottawa
Mill
ions
of C
anad
ian
Dol
lars
(M
illio
ns o
f U.K
. Pou
nd S
tirl
ing)
Canada's Largest Community Foundations:
Total Assets
0.7 m 1.1 m 1.0 m 5.2 m 0.96 m Population 2.1 m
Size Comparisons with US
$0
$500,000,000
$1,000,000,000
$1,500,000,000
$2,000,000,000
$2,500,000,000
$3,000,000,000
$3,500,000,000
$4,000,000,000
Tulsa MountainView
New York Cleveland
Chicago Vancouver
CFs
CFs
Comparisons with the UK
Canada UK
Total Assets £ 1.9 billion £ 309 million
Total Grants (2011-12)
£ 98.7 million £ 52.1 million
No. of CFs 183 54
Canadian CFs: no government funding, none for the national association
The Financials
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Vancouver Winnipeg Calgary Edmonton Toronto
% Donor Advised
% Donor Advised
Mean = 44 %
Recovery after the Crisis
0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
600000
700000
800000
900000
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Vancouver
Winnipeg
Calgary
Edmonton
Toronto
Change in Assets & Grants
0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
600000
700000
800000
900000
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Assets
Grants
Vancouver
0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
600000
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Assets
Grants
Winnipeg
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000
350000
400000
450000
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Assets
Grants
Calgary
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Assets
Grants
Toronto
Growth in assets is not directly reflected in growth in grants
Pick us over a Commercial DAF or Private Foundation
Advice to Professional Advisors
Toronto: The Knowledge Centre
Vital Leverage Started Vital Signs in 2001 Process not data Leveraged to:
• Vital Ideas (capacity building) • Vital People (prof development) • Vital Youth (recreation)
Community Knowledge Centre • Connects issues with solutions &
organizations
Vancouver: Focus & Impact
# 1 - Youth homelessness created separate organization, streetohome ( investment of £320,000 to £ 17 m)
#2 – Connections and Engagement
• Fit initiatives to the community – Giving/matchmaking; social enterprise; ‘forever funds’
• Policy transfer: Knowledge centre
• Impact initiative
Largest gift ever to a Canadian community foundation
Niche-Picking relative to other CFs
What is ‘our’ space?
• Social enterprise
• Responsible and impact investing
• Youth and family philanthropy
Are Canadian CFs agents of change?
• Mixed, but most of the larger ones are seeking to be agents of change
Explanations – what it is NOT:
• NOT a direct result of: – Asset size (over a threshold)
– Community size
– Age of the foundation
– Increase in grantmaking
– Size of grants
What it might be:
• Leadership and strategy
• Focus – drive change, pick a few priorities
• Fit with the community
• Knowledge and connection
• Collaboration, relational networks
• Leadership of the national association
Organisational Leadership
• Women in leadership? – of the 13 CFs in the major cities, 8 have women
CEO/Presidents
• Boards are ‘corporate,’ but the more innovative tend to be more diverse and connected – Toronto: Council of 100
– Vancouver: ethnoculturally diverse board
– YACs – Youth Advisory Committees
Conclusion
Place-based philanthropy is gaining prominence, and community foundations are likely to be the major players, IF they are strategic and make use of their relational capital. They need to look beyond their grantmaking to become leaders of change and community empowerment.