10 years 10 big ideas 2010 ANNUAL REPORT FOOD. AQUACULTURE. NEIGHBOURHOODS. ARCTIC. FORESTS. HIV/AIDS. WATER. SOCIAL CAPITAL. COMMUNITY. ENERGY. Non-partisan and national in scope, Tides Canada understands that From the creating outcomes that work for people and the planet is complex President & CEO and involves reconciling divergent viewpoints. That’s why we work to bring diverse—and often competing— 10 years ago, a small group of social stakeholders together to build entrepreneurs and philanthropists asked: practical and durable solutions to tough problems. how can we foster a healthy planet and just At our core, we believe that Canadian society? supporting civil society—from vocal activists to neighbourhood Their answer: grow the capital and build the service providers—is fundamental to community dedicated to solving the key democracy, community building, and social innovation. We don’t embrace environmental and social issues of our time. a single cause, ideology or approach, and we don’t shy away from tackling some of our country’s most Over the past decade, thousands of donors, intractable challenges. grantees, projects, and partners have From the future of our food systems to climate and energy issues, transformed this vision into the vibrant Tides Canada will continue to work at the nexus of environment, society, and economy. From Canada’s big cities to its Northern community that is Tides Canada today. lands, waters, and communities, we will empower and enable Tides Canada is now the country’s largest public foundation diverse change-makers across the nation. dedicated to the environment and social justice. Every year we On our 10th anniversary we look to the future by highlighting the support, convene, or directly fund hundreds of initiatives, from work of just a few of the many inspiring leaders in our community. neighbourhood-scale social programs to national conservation In the pages that follow you will meet 10 visionaries, each with efforts. Cumulatively, with your support, we have granted more ideas that are changing the world. than $100 million from hundreds of donor-advised funds. Join them and the rest of the Tides Canada community in our Today, we are also home to 40 of Canada’s leading social change second decade as we build uncommon solutions for the common initiatives. Our operating charity, Tides Canada Initiatives, has good. pioneered a shared governance and administrative platform to support new projects and partnerships that advance our mission. Sincerely, This model allows fantastic food initiatives like Not Far From The Tree, groundbreaking collaborations like the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement Secretariat, inventive community-building efforts like Jane’s Walk, and dynamic youth-focused projects like Reel Youth to reside within the Tides Canada family. We take care of the books, contracts, and human resource needs, so the Ross McMillan leaders of these projects can drive real-world change without the President & CEO challenges of managing a stand-alone charity. 2010 Annual Report 3 ON TIDES CANADA’s 10TH ANNIVERSARY, Meet 10 visionaries, all with connections10 to Tides Canada. INSTEAD OF Each one has a BIG IDEA that holds the potential to yield a LOOKING major environmental or social innovation in the decade ahead. BACK, These individuals inspire us to WE LOOK take action, think and work in new ways, and make the world FORWARD. a better place. 4 5 LAUREN BAKER Coordinator, Toronto Food Policy Council LAuren’s BIG IDEA Make food in Ontario healthy, sustainable, equitable, and financially viable. From farm to table to city hall, Lauren Baker is dishing out good food ideas with intelligence, empathy, and unwavering dedication. Currently the coordinator of the Toronto Food Policy Council at Toronto Public Health, she has created strong buzz around her integrated approach to food policy and long-term strategies for reforming food systems. Lauren was the founding director of Sustain Ontario, a groundbreaking Tides Canada project that brings farmers, food activists, businesses, food service providers, and government together to find solutions to complex food issues. Her innovative Because approach is a new vision for how we think about food, offering strategies that promote local economic development and improve access to healthy and abundant locally-produced food. we are Lauren also gets her hands dirty at the grassroots level of food production—she was a co-founder of Toronto’s first certified what organic urban farm and heritage seed company, and started the Toronto Beekeeper’s Co-operative. Whether digging in the garden or forging the path for the future of we eat food, Lauren is changing the way Ontario grows, shops, and eats. 2010 Annual Report 7 STEPHEN LEWIS Co-founder and Co-director, AIDS-Free World Chair, Stephen Lewis Foundation Stephen’s BIG IDEA End the AIDS pandemic by changing the underlying crises that have allowed it to spread— and don’t give up. Although he has been a politician, a diplomat, and a best-selling author, Stephen Lewis currently embraces two passions in life. One is as chair of the Stephen Lewis Foundation in Canada. The other is as co-director of AIDS-Free World, which is establishing a new project at Tides Canada. AIDS-Free World is an international advocacy organization that fights for more urgent and effective global responses to the AIDS pandemic. AIDS-Free World gives no quarter, regardless how contentious the issue. The organization believes that visceral problems like poverty, conflict, and sexual violence result in the spread of AIDS. By holding politicians, foundations, the United Nations, and other decision-makers accountable—and keeping the conversation about AIDS open, urgent, and loud—AIDS-Free World harnesses the power of advocacy as a vehicle for social change. Because Stephen is galvanizing support for his organization’s efforts in a harsh climate. Wealthy nations claim that the recent financial crisis has made it impossible for them to keep their commitments the fight to to AIDS funding. But Stephen, employing education, tenacious advocacy, and a vibrant public profile, refuses to back down. end AIDS Through life-saving work at the grass-roots level, at the philanthropic level, and in the advancement of human rights, Stephen continues to prove that the AIDS virus can be defeated. is not over 2010 Annual Report 9 ANNE GLOGER Founder and Director, East Scarborough Storefront Anne’s BIG IDEA Collaborate with local neighbourhoods to deliver social services and build communities that work. When East Scarborough Storefront opened its doors in 2001, it became a model for a new type of service provider. The Storefront, a Tides Canada project, provides a one-stop place for service referrals from job placement to counseling, and serves as a de facto community centre for the neighbourhood. In 2008, the community asked the Storefront to do more. Now, with Anne’s leadership, it has become a model for resident-led initiatives, small business development, and community organizing for change. East Scarborough has the highest concentration of social housing in Ontario and a large immigrant population. Although many different social services are available to this diverse community, navigating the system can be daunting. At the Storefront, neighbourhood residents are not only meeting their service needs, Because she but their voices are being heard. Now 10 years old, the Storefront’s approach to collaboration is knows that a expanding to include local property owners, architects, urban planners, lawyers, academics, and others in the private and non- profit sectors. These collaborations are making the impossible neighbourhood possible, including a youth-designed 8,000-square-foot expansion, the development of an eco-food hub, and improvements for local is more than a residents through Tower Neighbourhood Renewal. By leading collaboration, supporting resident initiatives, and nurturing diversity, Anne and the Storefront are exploring the true physical place potential of a neighbourhood. 2010 Annual Report 11 CHIEF BILL CRANMER Aquaculture Innovator, 'Namgis First Nation's Mama'omas Enterprise CHIEF BILL’s BIG IDEA Salmon farming that protects the marine environment and creates new economic opportunities. A good leader sees connections where others may not. Chief Bill Cranmer of the ‘Namgis First Nation is making a connection between protecting the environment and creating economic opportunity through sustainable salmon aquaculture. Fishing for food and fishing for a living have been at the core of ‘Namgis culture and economy for thousands of years. Now they’re among the leaders in developing alternative models to traditional open-net salmon farming. With early planning funding and technical support from Tides Canada’s Salmon Aquaculture Innovation Fund, the ‘Namgis are developing a demonstration Because we facility for land-based closed containment salmon aquaculture that will help preserve the environment while benefiting the community. Working in partnership with Eric Hobson’s SOS Marine depend on wild Conservation Foundation, the project has the potential to reduce the impacts of salmon farming on the marine environment and protect BC’s wild salmon. And the community will benefit from salmon and opportunities to receive technical, fish husbandry, and project management training. wild salmon By finding and delivering innovative ways to protect the environment and his Nation, Chief Cranmer deftly navigates the cutting edge of environmental and economic sustainability. depend on us 2010 Annual Report 13 Because everyone BILL deserves the YOUNG chance to President, Social Capital Partners earn a living BILL’s BIG IDEA Change the employment system and help the bottom line by creating jobs for marginalized workers. When Bill Young, a successful tech entrepreneur, found himself with wealth to invest, he wanted to use his business expertise to tackle large-scale social challenges in Canada. He recognized that the best way to convince businesses to hire people from marginalized communities was to show business leaders that it makes sound business sense.