Manitoba Philanthropy Awards Luncheon
AFP Manitoba is proud to bring our community together to celebrate outstanding people, organizations and service groups making a difference in our province!
The 24th annual Manitoba Philanthropy Awards ceremony, held by the Manitoba chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, will honour five people and organizations for their outstanding philanthropic contributions this year.
On November 15, AFP Manitoba will recognize these five deserving impact leaders who change lives every day through their philanthropic activities. These exceptional people and groups embody Manitoba's renowned generosity. Manitobans continue to give more donations per capita than any other province.
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Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy | Grady Batchelor
Grady has had a significant impact on the kidney disease and organ donation community. Over the past 7 years, 9-year-old Grady Batchelor and his family have raised an astounding $35,403.40 for the Kidney Foundation through their annual Kidney Walk.
Grady’s most prominent and significant growth opportunity project was bringing his fundraising and advocacy efforts into his school through a kidney-themed spirit week and Kidney Walk, both of which can serve as a prototype for others interested in doing the same. He is a positive spokesperson and he normalizes conversation surrounding kidney disease and transplants and ensures people of all ages understand what it’s like living with a chronic illness.
Grady’s financial impact is immeasurable and his inspirational message inspires both fund giving and registration at the organ donation registry at signupforlife.ca
Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser | Bob Sokalski
Bob Sokalski joined the Riverview Health Centre Foundation Board in 1998 which makes 2022 his 24th year of service to that organization.
He has been instrumental in participating in the creation of new and innovative fundraising events, including the Cycle on Life which continues to be the Foundation’s largest annual fundraising event; this event has raised (net) $2,629,000 over its 23 years.
Bob’s commitment to his community has been a lifelong focus for him, generously giving of his time and talents to ensure that the organizations doing good work in the community are well positioned to continue to have an impact. His volunteer efforts have helped to shape young lives through sport, breaking down barriers for those with different abilities and ensuring that some of our most vulnerable citizens live a life of joy and caring. Bob is truly an asset to this province and our community. Riverview Health Centre Foundation is truly thankful for his community-mindedness and his quarter century of dedication!
Outstanding Philanthropist | The Lount Family
Respect and trust have always been core values of the Lount Family’s approach to philanthropy. They demonstrate their commitment to those values by providing multi-year unrestricted grants, streamlining reporting requirements, and embracing transparent and responsive communication with their grantees. Beginning in 2020, the Lount Family took another step in delivering on their values by formally engaging in Trust-Based Philanthropy. This approach promotes more meaningful connections with charitable partners and assists in alleviating the inherent power imbalances between funders and grantees.
The Lount Family has distributed approximately $6.7 million to 64 charitable organizations in the arts, recreation and sports, social services, and education. The majority of
these charitable organizations operate within Winnipeg.
In 2021, the Lount Family provided over $700,000 in grants to 40 youth-serving organizations. In addition to the grants provided, the unrestricted nature of these grants was both meaningful and significant for the recipients.
Outstanding Corporation | Red River Co-op
Community investment has always been an important component of Red River Co-op’s goal to be active in our local communities. In 2021, $308,436 was donated to over 70 non-profits, charities, and causes, including health organizations, sports and recreation, arts, youth education, animal welfare, environmental causes, and food insecurity and healthy eating programming.
From 2017 to 2021, Red River Co-op donated an outstanding $1,679,436 to our community!
One of the defining factors that make Red River Co-op a different kind of business is the investments they make in communities. They hope to make the communities they serve better places for everyone.
Co-op helps build, feed, and fuel Western Canada. They have been doing this for generations. As a co-operative, they are not only working for our community; they are owned by our community.
Caring for the environment is also important to Red River Co-op. They have become one of the first retail locations to offer EV charging at their retail and gas locations. This innovative thinking will lead communities into a greener future.
Red River Co-op invests not only in non-profit charitable organizations but also in the people who live and work in our community. This is also an innovative approach to philanthropy.
Outstanding Philanthropic Group | Techapalooza
The Techapalooza committee takes on full responsibility and leadership to plan, organize and run this fundraising event on behalf of CancerCare Manitoba Foundation (CCMF). This group of dedicated people are truly leaders in fundraising. They not only inspire corporations to give through sponsorship, but they also engage people to come together in support of raising funds for CCMF through ticket sales, group fundraising, and volunteering. This event provides an abundance of opportunities for people to engage and get involved.
To date, this group has raised nearly $800,000, for CCMF increasing their fundraising total to over $100,000 annually. This support for CancerCare Manitoba profoundly impacts patient outcomes. Donor contributions help bridge the gap between initiatives and programs not eligible for government funding or where financial resources are not available, including prevention, early detection, clinical trials, and leading-edge research and treatment.
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Want to join them in supporting this event?
Please contact Sponsorship & Stewardship Chair Stephanie Lambert at stephaniel@afpmanitoba.org to discuss corporate partnership. Or click here for more info.