AFP Association of Fundraising Professionals Philanthropy Awards 2019 : Recipient of the 2019 AFP Philanthropy Award for Outstanding Foundation

Laidlaw Foundation was among seven of 2019 honourees for AFP Philanthropy Awards 2019. The 2019 recipients were honoured at Philanthropy Awards Luncheon on November 27th, 2019 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. This year’s recipients were recognised for their philanthropy, volunteerism and vision, which has improved the quality of life for millions of Canadians. The AFP Greater Toronto Chapter has honoured leadership in philanthropy through its annual awards program since 1995. Laidlaw Foundation is proud to join a group of extraordinary recipients who set new benchmarks of excellence in the acts of giving and volunteering.

Indigenous Youth and Community Futures Fund Highlight : Weave and Mend Collective

“The Weave and Mend Collective is a group of mixed Indigenous youth artists, Candy “Otsikhéta” Blair, Kaya Joan, Ashley King and Bert Whitecrow, residing in T’karonto, Dish With One Spoon Treaty territory. Each member diversifies the collective by bringing their own artistic abilities and vision to the table. Weave and Mend Collective explores ways of building sustainable relationships within BIPOC communities through art, facilitated conversation and permaculture. Their knowledge focuses on Indigenous methodologies of art making, cultural practices, cultural revitalization, food sovereignty and land sovereignty.

The group came together when a call was put forth by SKETCH Working Arts, for femme, non-binary, and 2-spirited Indigenous artists, to design a space that promotes peace-building with community relations through land-based work, workshops, performance, and storytelling.

Through the 2019 IYCFF grant, they were able to visit Six Nations reserve in order to access traditional Iroquois white corn and craft supplies. All of which was used to facilitate a quill and beading workshop, as well as a food sovereignty workshop hosted virtually in May 2020. The collective has also began collecting medicinal plant seeds from their garden with the hopes of starting a seed bank for the BIPOC community of T’karonto. Despite COVID-19 restriction, Weave and Mend has decided to organize a virtual art show, exhibiting their work and that of other BIPOC artist of Turtle Island with the theme of “Care” and the effects of this quarantine.”

Youth Action Fund Highlight : Pathfinders

The Pathfinder project is a collaborative of youth-serving programs at the Ontario Court of Justice at 311 Jarvis. Led by Turning Point Youth Services, Pathfinder has been operating under separate grant funding since June 2019. In their first nine months of operation they have matched over 100 justice-involved youth with service providers. Phase II of the project is ramping up as they transition to the Laidlaw Youth Action Fund grant. In 2020, Pathfinder is looking forward to exciting milestones with its community partners. In partnership with Regent Park School of Music, Pathfinder will begin recruiting youth for their leadership project.

The project evaluation being conducted by the partners at University of Toronto is moving into the data analysis stage. They will also start planning for the integration of Pathfinder in the new Toronto courthouse, scheduled to open in 2022. Along with the exciting opportunities to come in the year ahead, Pathfinder will be working to adapt its operations to better serve its clients during the COVID-19 crisis. 2020 promises to be an exciting year for the project.

Scaling Impact Highlight : Y.A.A.A.C.E

Founded in 2007, the Youth Association for Academics, Athletics and Character Education (Y.A.A.A.C.E) is a community organization that seeks to engage children and youth from all communities – particularly those from marginalized and poor under-resourced communities through participation in year round comprehensive programming and activities (academics, athletics, recreation, technology and the arts). Y.A.A.A.C.E’s mandate is twofold: to build capacity in all children and youth thus enhancing their capacity to become twenty first century learners and global citizens. The organization is based in Jane and Finch, Toronto and reaches 500+ students per year. This grant supports Y.A.A.A.C.E to deepen its wrap-around supports and implement a longitudinal evaluation in partnership with York University.

The Y.A.A.A.C.E Community School Initiative (CSI) and our Supplemental Education Program (SEP) is predicated on the overwhelming need to edify and build the capacity of children and youth from marginalized and racialized communitiesin West Toronto. Eventually, Y.A.A.A.C.E aims to create an evidenced based model that can be replicated nationally across Canada as an alternative to traditional educational attainment models. Y.A.A.A.C.E’s academic intervention strategies includes the following: The Weekend Academy, March Break Camp, Summer Institute, A Plus Project and the Virtual School Project.

Scaling Impact Highlight :
The Weekend Academy

The Y.A.A.A.C.E. “Weekend Academy” is a proactive academic strategy tasked with closing the achievement/opportunity gap. It also seeks to accommodate students in the elementary panel (grades 1-8) and those who perennially struggle academically, in particular our most volatile cohort of students; those diagnosed with a learning exceptionality or concurrent disorders, those dealing with an absentee parent or absentee parents, those dealing with issues around bereavement, those dealing with exposure to violence or trauma, those from the city’s poor and under-resourced communities and for any other variable that would facilitate students’ under-achievement and subsequent disengagement.

Scaling Impact Highlight :
Intervening Through Supplemental

Education Program - Evidence from Toronto’s Jane and Finch Community

During summer 2019, the research nonprofit Road Home Research & Analysis and Humber College partnered with the Youth Association for Academics, Athletics and Character Education (Y.A.A.A.C.E) to study how Supplement Education Program (SEPs) can better close student achievement gaps. Following a 7-week small group leveled learning intervention involving a sample size of 101 elementary and middle school students, this research documented a 13% improvement in their average literacy scores. In math, problem-solving and computational skills went up a grade level for 61% and 59% of the students, respectively.

Family Committee Grant : 
Glenn Gould Foundation (Toronto, ON)

Honouring the young students involved in the Jessye Norman School and La Sistema school to attend the Glenn Gould Foundation Gala. This year’s gala celebrated the incomparable Jessye Norman who has assisted children from economically deprived backgrounds to have a first class education to help them realize their potential.

Family Committee Grant : 
Iroquois Roots Rugby Inc

c/o Rugby Canada

This fund supported an Indigenous-led program that promotes the sport of rugby to First Nations youth. This fund helped the organization purchase uniforms and insurance for their players.

Family Committee Grant : 
Abbey Gardens (Haliburton,ON)

To assist the organization in becoming self-sustaining. The funds will contribute to a Grocer farming system. This will allow Abbey Gardens to provide fresh and local produce to their community year-round and will offer increased sustainability for the organization in the form of a steady revenue stream.

Family Committee Grant : 
The Ben LeFevre Mental Health

Impact Fund (Toronto, ON)

This fund allocated gifts to 79 high impact health programs and services that cover various aspects of support including; coping techniques, suicide prevention, research in mental health, and advocacy work to drive systems change.