We are a national public foundation with a unique focus: providing charitable giving services to donors interested in values-led philanthropy in the areas of environmental sustainability and progressive social change.

Members of our founding board of directors were all philanthropists with decades of combined experience in seeking out and supporting organizations that make a difference to our communities. They saw a gap on the Canadian charitable landscape: an underdeveloped donor base for social justice and environmental charities.

The late 1990s witnessed a dramatic jump in charitable giving by individuals, nearly 40%, partly thanks to important new tax incentives. However, much of that growth was composed of support for important large-scale institutions such as hospitals and universities.

Tides Canada seeks to complement that trend with the parallel growth of giving directed towards the vital fabric of smaller grassroots and community-based organizations.

We foresee that these non-profits will play critical roles in the 21st century.

They are an early warning system. They identify urgent social issues, such as growing economic disparity, homelessness, and the decline of healthy urban communities. They pinpoint environmental problems, such as toxic drinking water, unsustainable forestry practices, climate change and endangered habitats.

These charities are also a community-based R + D, researching and testing alternative solutions to these problems. They develop answers and turn them into templates that government or the private sector can adopt and scale up. They may be a small, rural group in the Maritimes or a mid-sized one in downtown Vancouver, but their prescient and practical ideas can spread and build a momentum for positive social and environmental change.

Canada is fortunate that throughout our country, concerned individuals come together as volunteers to create thousands of charities responding to community needs. Some depend solely on volunteer labour to achieve their goals. Others benefit from a core staff of committed people.

To really exercise the impact they are capable of, these organizations require sustained financial support. This is where donors fit in: connecting their passion for environmental and social justice to effective organizations.

Tides Canada is a bridge, connecting donors with successful charities. For many donors leading busy lives, the array of 80,000 charities makes it hard to identify which ones most fit their objectives. Tides Canada supports donors in helping them shape giving strategies and researching prospective grantees. We ensure that donors' intentions become realized through strategic philanthropy.

This is an exciting moment to be involved in philanthropy. Environmental and social justice charities throughout Canada are providing practical leadership in responding to thorny and seemingly intractable problems. They are helping society set long-term goals in era that often only looks at the next financial quarter.

Each giving decision you make is an important investment in the future. Please contact us if there is a way in which we can support your giving strategy or answer any questions about Tides Canada.

Sincerely,

Tim Draimin