ADULT EDUCATION AND LITERACY FUND

~~ a donor-advised fund at Toronto Foundation ~~

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BACKGROUND

HISTORY & RATIONALE

Established January 2021, the Adult Education and Literacy Fund is committed to supporting community organizations that are engaged in working with adult learners who seek to improve their literacy.

Many of the adult literacy learners are racialized, low-income or receive social assistance. They face barriers to learning, resulting from food insecurity, poor housing conditions, lack of access to digital resources and chronic physical and mental health challenges. Many community-based adult literacy programs receive funding from the provincial government, but funding is rarely sufficient and often comes with strings. While it is impossible to replace provincial funding with private funding, we hope that the unrestricted support from this Fund would supplement the good work being done by community organizations in some small way.

GRANTING APPROACH

We take guidance from a quote attributed to Lilla Watson, an Indigenous activist from Australia: “If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”

Granting decisions from the Fund will be guided by active collaborations with community organizations. The Fund is committed to disbursing at least $5,000 or 15% of its year-end balance each year (whichever is higher). Granting recommendations are made by the donor-advisors for the Fund to Toronto Foundation, which reviews, approves and disburses the grants.

DONORS TO THIS FUND

All the donors to this Fund wish to remain anonymous. However, we understand the importance of transparency, especially for donor-advised funds [1] [2]. Through this website, we are committed to providing relevant and up-to-date information on the Fund.

FUNDING & GRANTING TO-DATE

Last updated: April 10, 2024

INITIAL FUNDING (2021)

GRANTS MADE IN 2022

At the year end of 2021, the Fund had a balance of approximately $148,000 (see financial statement FYE 2021). The donor-advisors made plans to grant a total of $26,000 in 2022 (about 18% of the Fund).

February 2022:
- Parkdale Project Read—$3,000
April 2022:
- Alexandra Park Neighbourhood Learning Centre—$3,500
- Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre—$3,500
- West Neighbourhood House—$3,500
- Lakeshore Area Multi-Service Project LAMP—$3,500
- Parkdale Project Read—$3,500
- Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education (CASAE)—$1,800 (recurring; 1st year; 2 years remaining)
- Building a Black Archive—$1,000 (recurring; 1st year; 4 years recurring)
May 2022:
- Woodland Cultural Centre—$2,000 (recurring; 1st year; 4 years recurring)
September 2022:
- Inspirations Studio—$1,000 (via YWCA)
TOTAL (2022)=$26,3000

In early 2021, a donation of approximately $125,000 was made by individuals (not corporations) to Toronto Foundation for the initial setup of the Adult Education and Literacy Fund. The Fund was set up as an invested-flowthrough fund in order to allow for unrestricted amounts to be granted each year. The agreement with Toronto Foundation stipulates that granting could commence to organizations supporting adult education and literacy after January 2022.

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GRANTS MADE IN 2023

At the year end of 2022, the Fund had a balance of approximately $131,000 (see financial statement FYE 2022). The donor-advisors made plans to grant a total of $30,000 in 2023 (about 23% of the Fund).

April 2023:
- Alexandra Park Neighbourhood Learning Centre—$5,000 (recurring; 1st year; 4 years remaining)
- Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre—$5,000 (recurring; 1st year; 4 years remaining)
- West Neighbourhood House—$5,000 (recurring; 1st year; 4 years remaining)
- Lakeshore Area Multi-Service Project LAMP—$5,000 (recurring; 1st year; 4 years remaining)
- Parkdale Project Read—$5,000 (recurring; 1st year; 4 years remaining)
- Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education (CASAE)—$1,800 (recurring; 2nd year; 1 year remaining)
- Building a Black Archive—$1,000 (recurring; 2nd year; 3 years remaining)
May 2023:
- Woodland Cultural Centre—$2,000 (recurring; 2nd year; 3 years remaining)
- Thunder Woman Healing Lodge Society—$1,000
TOTAL (2023)=$30,800

GRANTS MADE/COMMITTED-TO-DATE IN 2024

At the year end of 2023, the Fund had a balance of approximately $129,000 (see financial statement FYE 2023). The donor-advisors made plans to grant a total of approximately $30,000 in 2024 (about 23% of the Fund).

April 2024:
- Alexandra Park Neighbourhood Learning Centre—$5,000 (recurring; 2nd year; 3 years remaining)
- Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre—$5,000 (recurring; 2nd year; 3 years remaining)
- West Neighbourhood House—$5,000 (recurring; 2nd year; 3 years remaining)
- Lakeshore Area Multi-Service Project LAMP—$5,000 (recurring; 2nd year; 3 years remaining)
- Parkdale Project Read—$5,000 (recurring; 2nd year; 3 years remaining)
- Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education (CASAE)—$1,800 (recurring; 3rd year; none remaining)
- Building a Black Archive—$1,000 (recurring; 3rd year; 2 years remaining)
- Anishnawbe Health Foundation (Community Health Worker Training)—$2,500
May 2024:
- Woodland Cultural Centre—$2,000 (recurring; 3rd year; 2 years remaining)
TOTAL TO-DATE (2024)=$32,300

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN
CONTRIBUTING TO THE FUND

Please donate through Toronto Foundation:

https://torontofoundation.ca/adult-education-and-literacy-fund

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