Community Foundation of Ottawa 2006 Annual Report A Community of Giving Ottawa’s centre for community philanthropy Created by and for the people of Ottawa, the Community Foundation of Ottawa is a public, non- profit organization that has been serving the community since 1987. Our role is to connect people who care with causes that matter, enabling generous citizens to enhance the quality of life for all in our community. As a respected community convenor, we provide local leadership by bringing peo- ple together from all sectors to identify and address issues in our community in a proactive manner. www.cfo-fco.ca Cover painting: “When I’m Old, I’ll Paint Flowers” by Lee Matasi (1980 – 2005) Contents See page 14 for the story of the 2 Message from the Chair and the CEO Lee Matasi Memorial Fund, com- memorating the young artist’s life 4 Community Stories and legacy. 12 Funds and Deferred Gifts 19 Grants, Disbursements and Organizational Endowments 24 Applying for a Grant 29 Committees, Task Forces and Special Programs 32 2006 Board of Governors 33 Our Operations 34 Summarized Financial Statements 37 Family of Founders The Community Foundation of Ottawa manages a large variety of funds on behalf of an ever-growing number of donors. Community Funds constitute the core of the Community Educational Award Funds are used to provide educational Foundation’s ability to strengthen our community by meeting awards, scholarships and bursaries to help students pursue emerging opportunities and addressing issues of importance academic goals. as they change over time. Memorial Funds can be established through the Field-of-Interest Funds allow donors to direct grants to a Community Foundation in order to create a lasting tribute particular area of interest, such as social services, the arts to a special member of the community or loved one. or the environment. Organizational Endowments can be established by Donor-Advised Funds allow donors to be actively involved in organizations with registered charitable status in order to selecting recipient charitable organizations.This type of fund benefit from the Community Foundation’s professional is considered the most effective alternative to the creation of investment management and endowment administration a private foundation. expertise. Designated Funds allow donors to choose specific charitable Flow-Through Funds allow donors to give advice on organizations that will be perpetual beneficiaries of the annual disbursements to charitable organizations or causes within income generated by their gifts. If the charity unexpectedly a given year. ceases operations or significantly changes its focus, the Foundation will redirect the fund to a similar charity. Funds Grants Thanks to the generosity of all of our donors, along with The Community Foundation distributed a total of $5 million sound financial management, the total value of the 551 in grants to charitable organizations in 2006. funds held at the Community Foundation of Ottawa reached $96 million in 2006. Asset size by fund type (% of total) Grants by fund type (% of total) 59 Donor Advised 74 Donor Adv ised 21 Designated 10 Designated 10 Field of Interest 09 Field of Interest 04 Educational Award 03 Educational Award 06 Community 04 Community 1 Message from the Chair and the CEO This report, with its stories of donors and grants, reflects the generous, caring community described in the Ottawa's Vital Signs report. That publication, our first annual quality-of-life checkup, was a highlight of 2006. So was our excellent growth in assets and investment returns. Over $5 million was distributed in grants, while the total assets grew to $96 million. As we embark on our 20th anniversary year in 2007, it is from a strong base. Many people are responsible, including countless donors and G charitable organizations for whom we are proud to administer 551 funds, and all the organizations who turn grants from these funds into valuable programs which enhance the quality of life for everyone in our community. Invaluable contributions to the Foundation’s success are also made each day by our dedicated volunteers and staff, working hand-in-hand on behalf of philanthropy in Ottawa. Highlights of 2006 Return on investment: 12.4% Total grants: 3$5 million New funds established: 48 Total assets: $96 million Asset growth: $9 million 8 0 Total Assets 1987 – 2006 ($ million) Total Grants 1987 – 2006 ($ million) 100 40 80 30 60 20 40 20 10 0 0 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 1 8 0 Left: Barbara McInnes President & CEO Right: James R. Nininger Chair of the Board of Governors We value the leadership and guidance we receive from our Board of Governors. With great gratitude, we bid farewell to Maureen Molot, who served as Chair of the Foundation from 2003 – 2005, and as a member from 1993 – 2006. We also said goodbye to esteemed Board members Bob Laughton and Alex Munter, who served our organization well during their terms. The five new Board members we’ve welcomed in 2007 will help build on a history of success, while facing tough challenges as we confront some of the issues identified in Ottawa's Vital Signs. The world and our community are facing more complex problems than ever before. They defy simple solutions. During 2007, we will be undertaking a major strategic planning exercise which will result in a new vision of our role in addressing the "wicked" problems and exhilarating opportunities which lie before us. We look forward to reporting on this over the next year. In tackling the big issues, we depend on the respectful collaboration of local stakeholders, and of our sister community foundations across Canada and around the world. We are grateful for their generous sharing, and for the inspirational leadership of Community Foundations of Canada. James R. Nininger, PhD Barbara McInnes Chair of the Board of Governors President & CEO 3 I’m fighting Dystonia My name is Kelda. I have Dystonia, a neurological disorder that causes my body to twist and distort itself into abnormal positions. Since 1996, I’ve had twelve neurosurgeries to try to defeat this affliction. It has yet to be overcome. But I am not a quitter. For over ten years, I’ve participated in every local fundraiser I can find to combat Dystonia. One day my banker suggested there might be a way I could do more. He recommended endowing a fund at the Community Foundation of Ottawa, which will provide funding for as long as it takes to fight the condition. Now my fund will be working as hard as I am to battle the debilitating effects of Dystonia. The K.C. Whalen Fund A Donor-Advised Fund established with the Community Foundation of Ottawa in 2006 through the BMO Financial Group’s Supporting Your Community program. This alliance has been connecting BMO clients with community foundations across the country since 2003, and has resulted in nine funds with the Community Foundation of Ottawa, creat- ing a great many opportunities for donors like Kelda to make a lasting impact on the causes they care about in the community. 5 I’m fulfilling my grandmother’s dream My name is Mary. When I was growing up in Sri Lanka, my grandmother made me promise that I would become a nurse and look after others. It was a promise I was destined to keep. I worked as a registered nurse for 15 years. Then we moved to Canada. For four years, no one could hire me without my Canadian license, and gaining my accreditation would cost more than five thousand dollars. Then, I heard about the Ottawa Community Loan Fund’s program for foreign-trained nurses. They loaned me enough money to go to school and earn my license. My husband and I are now the proud and busy owners of a group home for former psychiatric patients in Brockville. It makes us happy to share our home and family with them. I’m so thankful to be recognized as the nurse I was destined to be here in Canada. Ottawa Community Loan Fund (OCLF) A Community Foundation grant supported an OCLF program to provide micro loans to foreign-trained nurses, doctors and technical professionals to allow them to study and gain their Canadian accreditation. 7 I’m going to succeed My name is Lyna. I quit school when I was 15. Things had just been too rough in my first year of high school, and they obviously weren’t going to get better. Then I left home. ’Cause nothing was getting better there either. But after working at a dollar store for a while, I realized I wanted something more for myself. That’s when I heard about Operation Go Home’s high- school credit program. I started studying grade ten Math and English at the centre, and I actually started to like it. For the first time, I was getting 85’s and 90’s on my tests. Now I’m back at a high school, working towards getting my diploma. I just can’t decide whether to become a pastry chef or an accountant when I grow up. I guess I could always be both. Operation Go Home A Community Foundation grant supported a program to help street-involved youth earn credits toward their high-school diploma. 9 The genius is in the giving My name is Nalin. This is my family. Like many immigrant families, we share the same story. Many people come here with nothing, working to stake out a better life.