Message from Our Chair

One of my most important take- aways from this past year has been the importance of bringing joy to leading and being part of a family Foundation.

As the Foundation has evolved and matured so have my feelings about charitable giving. Sometimes we get caught up in the details and complexities of grants and it is easy to forget that philanthropy means so much more than mere service, it is about: love for others, showing who we really are, growing with our ability to take risks, learning from what we do and being strategic and humble at the same time. These guiding principals ensure the ability to expand our lens and continue to grow as philanthropists.

No doubt the basis of our learning has come from our parents as role models. A highlight of the year for our family was the opportunity to celebrate the investiture of our father, co-founder of the Foundation, as a member of the Order of Canada during a ceremony hosted by the Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

I was honoured to be present when my father was recognized for his dedication to philanthropy in Montreal, and around the world as well as his contributions in business as a pioneer of the Canadian generic pharmaceutical sector.

My greatest wish is that in 40 years the next generation of our family will have opportunities for similar reflections.

Shawna Goodman

Message from Our President

Foundation grantees demonstrated tremendous resilience as they adapted and readapted to meet changing needs in every sector where we participate. As a Foundation we adapted, and both led and followed in order to be a supportive and positive force.

Amongst our challenges has been rethinking how we can be most valuable to grantees at a time of disruption. We began this year by facing unexpected inflation alongside a slow down in financial growth. In this context we are called on to consider how we will maximize resources at a time when Canada Revenue Agency requires charities to increase disbursements to 5%, from the previous 3.5%.

As we know we must increase spending, we ask:
What is the most important investment the Foundation has made?

Does the highest significance lie in the five new initiatives that were launched at academic institutions in 2022 to be implemented in 2023 and beyond, the one family of five orphaned refugees from Afghanistan that the Foundation helped to settle in Canada or the thousands of children from the socio-economic periphery who were given the opportunity to attend overnight summer camp in Israel? Each initiative reflects the values and mission of the Foundation and will have long term consequences. Each initiative relates to the call to pursue a just world and use resources wisely.

As a Foundation we are blessed to have the resources to spread impact locally and globally and while we can not easily answer the question of what is most important, we will continue to focus on acting with intelligence, inspiration and intentionality.

Maxyne Finkelstein