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Weston Family Foundation
Named afterWeston family
Established1958[1][2]
FoundersW. Garfield Weston and family
TypePrivate foundation[3]
Registration no.889015194[3]
Legal statusRegistered charity[3]
PurposeHelping charitable organizations make a difference and enhance the quality of life for Canadians[2]
HeadquartersToronto, Ontario, Canada[4]
Region
Canada and selected universities outside Canada[5]
MethodsGrantmaking[5]
FieldsEducation, Land Conservation, Science in Canada’s North, Neuroscience and Microbiome Science[6][5]
Disbursements$61.8 million (in 2023)[7]
Endowment$424.3 million[7] (in 2023)
Staff28[8] (in 2023)
Websitewestonfoundation.ca
Formerly called
W. Garfield Weston Foundation[2]

The Weston Family Foundation (formerly The W. Garfield Weston Foundation) is a Canadian charitable foundation that makes grants for the benefit of Canadians.[9]

The Foundation's main funding areas are "healthy ecosystems" and "healthy aging."[10] In 2023, the foundation made $61.8 million in grant disbursements and had assets of $424 million.[7]

History

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The foundation was created in 1958 with donations from W. Garfield Weston (1898–1978), and his wife Reta Lila Howard (1897–1967).[1][2] The foundation was originally named after W. Garfield Weston, who established bakery and other enterprises throughout Canada and the world.

In the early 2020s, the foundation changed its name to the Weston Family Foundation.[11]

Funding areas

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In 2007, the W. Garfield Weston Foundation dispensed approximately $10 million per year, including major gifts to the British Museum, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the Ontario Science Centre and the Royal Ontario Museum.[12] By 2010, the foundation had donated more than $100 million to conserve natural habitats in Canada.[13][14][15][16]

In 2012, the foundation initiated the Weston Family Parks Challenge, announcing $5 million in funding over 3 years, to enhance Toronto's green spaces while encouraging private-public partnerships for their long-term sustainability.[17][18] The foundation also supported the Weston Youth Innovation Award at the Ontario Science Centre, with past recipients including Ethan Chan.[19]

In 2022, the Foundation launched a $33 million incubator fund to encourage the sustainable production of fruits and vegetables in Canada, particularly in regions with colder climates.[20][21][22]

In 2024, the Foundation's main funding areas were "healthy ecosystems" and "healthy aging," with a specific focus on environmental stewardship, Canada's north, neuroscience and the microbiome.[10]

Endowment and disbursements

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Funding for the Weston Family Foundation comes from business operations of the Weston family companies.[10]

In 2006, the Weston Family Foundation (then called the W. Garfield Weston Foundation) reported assets of $43.5 million.[23] At the end of 2016, the foundation had over $324 million in assets.[24]

In 2023, the Weston Family Foundation made grant disbursements of $61.8 million.[7] At the end of 2023, the foundation's assets were $424 million.[7]

There is a familial connection between the Weston family foundations in Canada and the UK (the Garfield Weston Foundation in the UK), but each foundation works independently with a different team and board of directors.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Garfield Weston Foundation Annual Report, 2022" (PDF). p. 4.
  2. ^ a b c d Weston Family Foundation (2024). "About the Weston Family Foundation: formerly The W. Garfield Weston Foundation".
  3. ^ a b c "Weston Family Foundation". Charities Directorate. 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  4. ^ Weston Family Foundation (2024). "Contact Us".
  5. ^ a b c Canada Revenue Agency (2023). "Registered charity information return for Weston Family Foundation/Fondation de la famille Weston".
  6. ^ "Our Mandate". The W. Garfield Weston Foundation. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e Canada Revenue Agency (2023). "T3010 Registered Charity Information Return: Schedule 6 - Detailed financial information".
  8. ^ Canada Revenue Agency. "Weston Family Foundation / Fondation de la famille Weston – Quick View, T3010: Schedule 3 - Compensation".
  9. ^ "History of Giving". The W. Garfield Weston Foundation. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  10. ^ a b c d "Weston Family Foundation: FAQs". 2024.
  11. ^ Weston Family Foundation. "A History of Giving".
  12. ^ Scott, Alec (26 January 2007). "Weston Civilization".
  13. ^ "3,400 Acres of Carolinian Canada Protected Thanks to the W. Garfield Weston Foundation Gift to Nature Conservancy of Canada". Canada NewsWire. 27 May 2010.
  14. ^ Lipski, Candice (5 March 2021). "New $25 M grant for prairie grassland conservation goes to 5 organizations: More than 70% of Canada's prairie grasslands have been lost, Nature Conservancy of Canada says". CBC News.
  15. ^ "Arctic contaminants researcher wins $100K lifetime achievement award: Derek Muir named recipient of Weston Family prize for northern research". CBC News. 12 December 2018.
  16. ^ Blackwell, Richard (27 May 2010). "Canada's Carolina gets back to nature". The Globe and Mail.
  17. ^ "Land Conservation". The W. Garfield Weston Foundation. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  18. ^ "City parks get $5 million boost from Garfield Weston Foundation". Inside Toronto. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  19. ^ "Ontario Science Centre honours five Canadian youths for innovative science projects". Ontario Science Centre. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  20. ^ "Collège Boréal receives $1M boost to study growing food year-round: Project will help test equipment that could extend northern Ontario's growing season". CBC News. 9 October 2023.
  21. ^ Hui, Ann (8 February 2022). "Weston foundation launces innovation hub in bid to enhance food security". The Globe and Mail.
  22. ^ Butler, Colin (17 May 2024). "High-tech London, Ont.-area farm delivers fresh produce all year. Could it be an answer to high grocery costs? Western University researchers say solar-driven Agrotunnel uses little energy, water". CBC News.
  23. ^ Adams, James (17 September 2008). "PHILANTHROPY: Westons donate $12-million to AGO". The Globe and Mail. p. R1.
  24. ^ "W. Garfield Weston Foundation". Chimp Technology. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
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