Give Manitoba

6 Manitoba P hilanthropy is not a word that reso- nates with everyone. For some people it evokes jaw-dropping gifts from wealthy individuals and families; for others it may gesture towards leaving a legacy of charita- ble work. What the word can fail to illustrate is the importance of everyday generosity, from donating dollars typically spent on to- go coffees to stepping up and volunteering on a non-profit board of directors. Megan Tate, vice-president of community impact at The Winnipeg Foundation, has been working in the charitable sector for more than two decades and is hoping that, while the word may not always resonate, the results will. "Every gift is important, no matter the size, for several reasons," Tate says. "At The Winnipeg Foundation, the endowment mod- el means that all gifts are pooled together with hundreds of others — the impact is real." But it's not just about the monetary impact. Tate explains that while dollars are helpful, when someone makes a gift to a charity, they are acknowledging the important work that organization does in community. "Being seen and having your work sup- ported is so important, especially in a sector that can be challenging to work within," she says. "Raising morale and honouring the efforts made to serve community has a tremendous impact." Volunteering is another way to contribute to community, particularly at a time when organizations are struggling to bounce back to pre-pandemic volunteer numbers. "Alongside making grants to non-profit organizations, The Winni- peg Foundation is working to better support the charitable and non-profit sector," Tate adds, "which, in addition to the volunteer shortage, is facing staffing challenges related to burnout and low wages." While The Winnipeg Foundation will always be committed to supporting the projects of individual community organi- zations, Tate says that capacity building across the non-profit and charitable sector is crucial. "Community non-profits alone contrib- ute $1.3 billion to Manitoba's economy, and more than 100,000 people work in the non-profit sector across the province," she says. "This is part of the systems change; the sector needs to be sup- ported to be able to serve community, and it needs to be acknowledged that it meaningfully contributes to our province in terms of jobs, services and economic impact." Throughout her career at the founda- tion, Tate has noticed that donors are becoming increasingly engaged with where their gifts are going and how they are touching people's lives. IT'S GIVING Generosity across generations Continued on page 8 Megan Tate, vice-president of community impact for The Winnipeg Foundation. Photo by Darcy Finley THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION LIATIVE MANITOBA

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