Toronto Foundation names recipients of its 2015 Vital People grants

Grants, which support not-for-profit leaders, have been awarded to more than 100 recipients since 2004

TORONTO, Jan. 30, 2015 /CNW/ - Toronto Foundation, one of Canada's largest community foundations, has named the recipients of its Vital People grants, bringing the total number of recipients since 2004 to 106 – an investment of nearly $510,000. Vital People grants support valued leaders who are making outstanding contributions working at not-for-profit organizations. Grants are awarded in support of continued training and professional development of the selected leaders. This year, 13 recipients have been selected.

"In this milestone year for our Vital People grant program, we are very pleased with the diversity of leadership we were able to support," said Rahul K. Bhardwaj, Toronto Foundation, President & CEO. "The issues faced by our communities can be quite complex and are often interconnected. There are rarely any simple solutions. We need leaders who understand the lived experiences of the communities they work in, who take initiative, and make innovative contributions that support our city's well-being and vitality."

For profiles on the 13 recipients listed below, please visit www.torontofoundation.ca:

• d'bi.young anitafrika, Artistic Director and Founder, The Watah School
• Sonny Berenson, Program Coordinator, Supporting Our Youth at Sherbourne Health Centre
• Matthew Boulos, Executive Director and Founder, Teen Legal Helpline
• John Brodhead, Executive Director, Evergreen CityWorks
• Evan Muller-Cheng, Manager of Community Initiatives, Agincourt Community Services Association
• Vijaya Chikermane, Executive Director, Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention
• Camesha Cox, Innovator, Managing Director and Founder, The Reading Partnership
• Miranda Kamal, Executive Director and Program Manager, Mentoring Junior Kids Organization (MJKO)
• Calvin Kangara, Resident Engagement Specialist, East Scarborough Storefront
• Chris Penrose, Executive Director, Success Beyond Limits Education Program
• Alicia Rose, National Program Development Director, Business for the Arts
• Helen Tewolde, Project Manager, Council of Educators of Toronto
• Stephen Vanderherberg, Senior Manager, Community and Volunteer Engagement, WoodGreen Community Services

"The Vital People grant from the Toronto Foundation provided me with the opportunity to be in spaces and trainings that I would not have ordinarily been able to access. With new networks created, I can now increase Nia's collective knowledge base and expand our community impact," Letecia Rose, Programs and Partnerships Manager, Nia Centre for the Arts. Rose received the grant in 2014 to participate in three professional development opportunities, including workshops on leadership and facilitation, along with a fellowship work exchange at the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporic Arts in New York. She created a video to document her learning experiences.

Over the past 10 years, the Foundation has recognized "vital" leaders such as Jane Farrow, Che Kothari, Dave Meslin, and Lekan Olawoye.

Vital People grants are made from the Toronto Foundation's own community endowment called the Vital Toronto Fund. Grants are also supported by Fundholders and donors at the Foundation. This year additional contributions were received from the Erica Shuttleworth Fund, the Griggs Family Foundation, the Patricia J. Fleming Fund, and the Angela Longo Leadership Fund at the Toronto Foundation. 

About the Toronto Foundation
Established in 1981, the Toronto Foundation is one of 191 Community Foundations in Canada. We are a leading independent charitable foundation that connects philanthropy to community needs and opportunities. Our individual and family Fundholders support causes they care about in Toronto and across Canada, through grants to any registered Canadian charity. We currently have more than 500 active Funds, including endowments and assets under administration of more than $300 million. A growing number of Torontonians support the Vital Toronto Fund, our community endowment that helps mobilize people and resources to tackle community challenges in innovative and inspiring ways. To find out more, please visit www.torontofoundation.ca

About the Vital People grant program
Grants of up to $5,000 are funded through the Foundation's community endowment called the Vital Toronto Fund and awarded to support the formal training or other informal development opportunities that best enable not-for-profit leaders to build their skills and knowledge or apply their experience in different ways to enhance their leadership contributions. The grants are available to those just taking on new leadership challenges as well as those with many years of experience. To find out more, please visit https://torontofoundation.ca/vital-people

SOURCE Toronto Foundation

Simone Dalton, Manager, Media Relations & Communications, Toronto Foundation, 416-921-2035 x 218, [email protected]