Takeaways from the Women in Philanthropy Event

Positive change through the power of philanthropy is what SVP is all about. So we were very excited to partner with TD Wealth Private Giving Foundation to co-host the Women in Philanthropy event on April 18th. 

More than 175 guests joined us for this exciting and engaging conversation, including 18 SVP Partners and 22 leaders and staff from SVP Investees and Alumni organizations. 

The event featured a panel of remarkable women doing incredible work in our community–Carol Lee, Jo-Anne Ryan, Suzanne Siemens, and our very own SVP Board Member, Meagan Sutton. Our moderator, Carmen Thériault, walked us through each panelist’s story to learn more about what philanthropy means to them, how it manifests in their lives, and the positive difference they are making for our community.

Here’s what some of our attendees had to say: 

“I could not believe the stats that you provided on women in philanthropy and I was so inspired by the speakers. It’s so amazing to see women doing such amazing things. I felt inspired to step up my game in that department.” –Event guest 

“One thing that really resonated with me was what Carol shared about how when you are the first person to do something, it’s much more difficult, but it makes it easier for everyone who comes after you. I think that’s just so inspiring-especially when people hold a certain amount of power, to think of those for whom you are paving the way!” –Janelle Zwarych, Director of Development & Engagement, SVP Vancouver

“What an inspirational afternoon! I was so impressed by the breadth and depth of the panelists – you put together quite the powerhouse up there. I learned so much (mostly about how much I actually don’t know) and left with my head swimming with thoughts, ideas, and more questions. I was left wanting more of each of them!” –Leah Zille, Executive Director, The Treehouse

“I particularly enjoyed hearing Suzanne’s perspective as a representative of the business community, specifically the B Corp community, and how businesses can make intentional choices and decisions that benefit the community. Yes it is harder–but it’s also the right thing to do.” –Event guest

“Thank you so much to SVP for the invite to the Women in Philanthropy tea yesterday. What a wonderful event! A room of incredible women and an amazing panel. Our team from the Down Syndrome Resource Foundation was so happy to be there. I found the panel discussion to be so inspiring and reinvigorating, both personally & professionally. I’m really looking forward to receiving the full TD Report. Thank you again for organizing the event and the invite. And thank you also for your ongoing support of DSRF… SVP is definitely helping people with Down syndrome & their families flourish! Thank you!” –Shelley Johnson, Manager of Philanthropy, Down Syndrome Resource Foundation

“There were so many fantastic learnings to be had from our panel. I loved Carol’s stories about taking on such big, audacious, but incredibly valuable and meaningful endeavours, and her perspective that fundraising is about engagement and relationships–and that every donation amount is meaningful. I loved everything Jo-Anne had to say about trust in philanthropy and trusting the expertise of nonprofits. Meagan’s comment about centring people with lived-experience in decision making with granting was really powerful. And I loved Suzanne sharing more about how a for-profit enterprise can still be guided by decisions that do good in the community.  When it came time to make my closing remarks, I posed the question to this incredible audience of: ‘When was the last time you changed your mind about something significant?’ It’s my hope that the event attendees were able to learn something from our remarkable panel, reflect on how they engage in their own personal philanthropy, and be inspired to either make a change or keep doing something meaningful for their community, based on what they had learned from this event. Of course, I also may have praised the value of SVP, and how so much of what we do, and how we do it, aligns with what we heard from the panel.” —Helen Stortini, Executive Director, SVP Vancouver

The Women in Philanthropy event coincided with the release of TD’s report: Trust and Transformation, Canadian Women and Philanthropy. The report contains many interesting trends about women and the charitable sector. A few highlights: 

• Donations claimed by women in annual tax filings increased from $1.5 billion in 2011 to $4.3 billion in 2021. At current rates of growth, donations claimed by women are projected to reach $5.9 billion by 2030.
• Giving by women is motivated by a number of factors including family experiences, social awareness, the influence of friends and growth in financial resources.
• Out of the 3.5 million Canadians working in the charity sector, 77% percent are women. 

We were very excited to be a part of this momentous event with TD Wealth Private Giving Foundation and we are very grateful to them for their sponsorship of this event.

All photos courtesy of @hayf_photography // hayfphotography.ca