The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation is a private philanthropic organization funding programs that support Canadians in building a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient society.
We encourage you to explore our site, share in our learning and contribute your voice.
Our initiatives share some common characteristics: all are based on engaging people directly in learning and problem-solving, all have qualities of innovation in their approach and all seek not simply to solve problems, but to transform systems.
Maintaining clear records of our recent granting history is an important part of the Foundation’s commitment to accessibility and knowledge-sharing. As a public record of our evolving efforts to support Canadians in building a more resilient society, this database is a living document.
Tim Brodhead has served as President and CEO of The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation since 1995. The President’s Corner is a selection of his recent addresses and remarks.
Social inclusion lies at the heart of what it is to be a citizen. It is not simply to be accepted, but to be recognised for the qualities, skills and values each person represents. It is to belong and to contribute, to be fully a citizen with rights and obligations.
Often invoked in relation to maintaining the natural systems supporting life, sustainability also refers to social systems: balancing the preservation of knowledge with the emergence of innovation. Briefly, sustainability can be defined as living as though we planned on staying here.
Resilience links social and ecological systems; people and nature. Increasing resilience means investing in our collective capacity to face challenges at multiple levels. The Foundation works to support innovative approaches to this challenge.
You can’t find new answers just by asking the old questions. For the Foundation, social innovation is the process of applying new approaches, perceptions or programs to meet social needs.
Browse remarks from President and CEO Tim Brodhead.
Learn about the Foundation's latest publication.
See what we're working on.
See what's new at McConnell.
In 2009 the Foundation was not able to consider new grant requests since we were fully committed to a number of multi-year programs that were still underway. Despite this our program expenditure was almost $15 million, compared to $13.5 million in 2008. Although the Foundation’s endowment was somewhat affected by the market decline in 2008, this did not, and will not, impact our level of granting.
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