Neil Duke (Partner since 2018)

Neil has been an SVP Partner since 2018. He was the main principal of Target Products, and developed an international manufacturing company producing construction materials, now called Quikrete Canada. He grew the business from 9 to over 250 employees over 27 years, still claiming it was pure luck.

At SVP Vancouver, Neil brings a deep commitment to supporting children and youth through both governance expertise and hands-on involvement. He has served as SVP Lead Partner to four organizations – Children of the Street Society, Umoja Operation Compassion Society, Treehouse Advocacy Centre Society, and Promise Vancouver – and has contributed as a SVP Discovery Member and SVP Opportunity Committee Member. 

As Neil shared with us, his path into the nonprofit sector started early. 

Q+A

What inspires your philanthropy?
At 15, I worked as a camp counsellor at Shadow Lake Camp for children with cognitive disabilities, followed by a summer at Bolton Lake Camp for children facing poverty. Both summers were highly educational, formative experiences and motivated me to continue helping kids in need.

I later joined the board of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, serving on Governance and Fundraising committees. During my seven years with the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice board, I actively fundraised, and encouraged donors fixated against supporting overhead, that these costs were critical to run an effective organization. While the experience taught me about mega donors, recruiting CEOs, and board training, I realized I wanted to work closer to the people being served rather than solely in shirt-and-tie board positions.

How were you introduced to SVP?
I was introduced to SVP by John Zaplatynsky in my CEO group. After selling my company, I was looking for meaningful ways to give back, and when I met with Dan Bowditch, longtime SVP Partner, he shared several SVP success stories and explained the model. It seemed like exactly what I was looking for.

A particular interest I have is in the governance of charity. After engineering and an MBA, I found taking the ICD (corporate directorship) course the most useful and applicable training to help our investors at the leadership level, whether it be the design of boards, fundraising, or financial planning. 

Most memorable SVP experience so far?

One of my most meaningful challenges has been supporting two Investees through leadership transitions, replacing founders who felt irreplaceable. Navigating interviews and meetings where collaboration felt out of reach – and ultimately seeing it work – was highly gratifying.

What do you enjoy outside of your work in philanthropy?

I enjoy fishing with my son, learning from my daughter, travelling with my wife, boating, cycling and running, and have participated in triathlons, marathons and an ironman.