BUILDING COMMUNITIES
Telus carries on the tradition of neighbours helping neighbours, writes Mel Cooper.
My first lesson in the value of giving back came from my father.
Even now, I can almost feel the frosty night air on my face when, as a boy, I travelled by horse and sled with my dad to deliver gifts to families along the inner harbour in St. John’s, N.L., on Christmas Eve. The presents were modest, but the joy these visits brought to our friends and neighbours was beyond words.
I realized then and there that doing good for others is about strengthening the bond we share with those around us.
It’s been many years since those winter sleigh rides and, at 85 years young, my desire to support Canadians in need has grown tenfold. I’ve been honoured throughout my business career and in my personal life to work alongside people who share a passionate commitment to helping others.
To me, that volunteer spirit is particularly meaningful at the locallevel.
Across Canada, there are tens of thousands of grassroots groups dedicated to tackling social issues that impact our communities the most. These small charities and non-profits are on the front lines in our cities and towns, and understand better than anyone the kind of help that’s needed and how it can best be delivered.
To say they’re efficient does a disservice to their operational superpowers; these organizations know how to squeeze the most out of every donation dollar and volunteer hour.
But too often, because of their size and limited resources, these same groups struggle to raise the necessary funds to do this important work.
There are more than 86,000 registered charities in Canada and an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 non-profits, yet according to Charity Intelligence Canada, it’s just the top 100 (0.1 per cent) that receive nearly 40 per cent of all donations.
Adding to the challenge, I’ve seen how the complexity of corporate-giving programs can often exclude organizations that just don’t have specialized staff to navigate the application process. In turn, for corporations it’s easier to make a few large-scale decisions, rather than evaluate a lot of smaller opportunities.
The net result is that it’s difficult for small, grassroots organizations to receive funding from large corporate donors — despite the huge impact this could have.
It’s the reason I formed the Telus Victoria community board 11 years ago, and why I’m still involved as chairman today.
Telus CEO Darren Entwistle initiated the boards in 2005 with a bold promise: Give full funding authority to local leaders who, like the organizations they serve, are actively engaged in their communities. That way, even the smallest groups have a chance to be recognized for the hard work they do, whether they require $20,000 or $2,000 or less.
Today, there are 13 Telus community boards across Canada (and five more around the globe) which donate more than $6 million in local grants annually, and attract exceptional decision-makers to their ranks, including Gen. Rick Hillier and legendary singer Anne Murray. By the end of this year, these community boards will have contributed more than $70 million in aid to over 6,300 local charities and projects since 2005, and positively impacted the lives of more than two-million children and youth every year.
We aren’t just people writing cheques. We are actively rooting for everyone who needs our help, and we aren’t afraid to roll up our sleeves and do what’s needed to ensure our community partners’ success.
In Greater Vancouver, under the leadership of Nini Baird, it’s why we work with the YWCA to build up girls’ resilience, self-esteem and leadership skills; the CEED Centre Society to promote sustainable living practices; and the Take a Hike Foundation to help at-risk kids access the academic and therapeutic programming they need to succeed.
Recently, we’ve had more good news. The Entwistle family, including Darren and Fiona Entwistle and their children, Connor and Aisling, have launched the Entwistle Family Foundation to help at-risk Canadian youth realize their full potential.
This foundation is in place to complement the support provided by Telus to organizations that work with youth and children by making additional donations based on funding recommendations received from the community boards. A $1-million donation by Darren will kick off the Entwistle Family Foundation, in addition to the tens-of-millions that Telus donates each year.
I can’t help but think of the powerful lesson Darren is providing to his kids. It’s a modern-day update on my own early education in community giving and one that promises big returns in the form of healthier, happier and more-connected communities.
By giving where we live, we show we care about our friends and neighbours. My local community is what I see every day.
It’s what I have the most in common with, and where I can truly appreciate the difference that I’m making.
My father would be proud of the work Telus is doing. I know I am.
We aren’t just people writing cheques. We are actively rooting for everyone who needs our help.