42%

29%

16%

13%

34%

30%

18%

18%

1%

Our Team

2016Impact Report

Larry Kich (Chair)Ray Stultz (Vice-Chair)Lisa Gazzola (Secretary)David Durst (Treasurer)Linda BreamJan Craig Teresa Durigon

Glenna Banda (Executive Director)Karyn KirkwoodLaurie LantaigneAnita Macfarlane

We are grateful to all of our supporters. The following joined our Donor Hall of Fame in 2016 thanks to their long-term support and tremendous generosity. Thank you!

Benefactors – Over $100,000 donatedCeramic DécorTD Bank Group

Visionaries – Over $50,000 donatedGuelph Saultos GymnasticsInspiration GuelphNorth America ConstructionRotary Club of Guelph TrilliumW.C. Wood Foundation

Justine GaskellPaul HammondSheila HynesLuc JoyeJennifer O’NeilRay StultzBetty Ann Young

Board of Directors

Staff

1,325 event, office, and project volunteers

Volunteers

Donor Hall of Fame

Kasia RusiniakBobbi TurnerHeather VerpaalenBrenda Walsh

“I honestly don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to express the feeling I had when my mom told me where all the gifts came from. That feeling of joy and happiness, how do I put it on a piece of paper. Yet, the relief on my mom’s face I haven’t seen in a long time. I can’t find the right words to tell you how much this warms my heart. What you have done for me and my family is beyond me. To see tears from my mom caused by joy made me see what you have done for “the kids” was unbelievable. You gave me the ultimate gift of seeing my mom happy again.” –Teen Assisted by Adopt-A-Family

“Free to Play allows a family something wonderful and with dignity, despite a challenging financial situation. That meant a great deal to me in applying. I actually felt a little nervous about applying in person because some assistance programs can feel challenging to one’s sense of self (and one’s abilities as a parent) to try to access. This program is amazing. This was a wonderful activity for our daughter and for our whole family. It supported her growth in so many ways. This was her first experience with a day camp away from us, and she was challenged to let go and stretch into skills which were new, and a bit scary, at first. She did great and has ended the week showing so much confidence in herself. It is fabulous to see this in her!” - Mom

Your support helped others through life’s unexpected challenges.

Sunshine StoriesFinanceRevenue*

Donations$957,030Grants & Government$657,376Events$370,7693rd Party Events$285,354

Spending*Food & Friends$798,140 Adopt-A-Family$698,501Administration & Fundraising$426,596Free to Play$416,734Scholarships$24,114

Proudly named one of 23 “Top Canadian Children’s Charities Worth Your Money” by Financial Post Magazine. Rankings based on financial

transparency, putting fundraised dollars to work quickly, keeping overhead costs below 35% and communicating the impact of donations. Thanks to you

$1.94 million was invested in bettering the lives of

20,197 children*Unaudited financial information. Full audited financial statements will be available at childrensfoundation.org in May.

$2,270,529

$2,364,085

with these four programs

16

Find out more at childrensfoundation.org or 519-826-9551 @ChildrensFdnGW

With unprecedented demand, especially for our Free to Play and Adopt-A-Family programs, 2016 was a challenging year. Although we could not help everyone, we were able to help more children than ever before. We had hoped to begin funding equipment through Free to Play, in addition to the existing registration fee funding, but we had to halt this expansion to meet this increased need. Making this difficult decision illustrated the importance of strategic planning. In 2017, we are reaching out to the community to try to understand where our help – your help – is needed most. Thank you for your past support and your commitment to strengthening our community’s future, one child at a time. We look forward to sharing our next three-year vision with you in June and working with you to achieve it.

Note from the Executive Director

20,1979,220

Guelph (46%)

7,781Wellington (39%)

3,196Dufferin (15%)

Adopt-A-FamilyMatches donors with families in need in order to lift spirits and make Christmas shine a little brighter.

Food & FriendsBrings healthy food to hungry minds with breakfast, snack, morning meal and lunch programs.

Free to PlayGives children a chance to participate in recreational activities they couldn’t otherwise afford.

ScholarshipsHelps youth take the next step in their educational journey.

50 volunteers worked in Santa’s Workshop helping match 990 donor groups with families $275 provides a healthy breakfast for an

elementary student for an entire school year

18 youth were provided scholarships for post-secondary education

1,160 children received financial assistance to participate in the activities of their choice, 187 more than in 2015!

29 “last minute” referred families were helped in the week right before Christmas thanks to general donations

900 volunteers prepared 1.9 million meals

1,851 activities funded including swimming, camp, soccer, gymnastics and dance

316 tickets provided for family outings including River Run concerts, Storm games, Hillside and museum passes

$300 financial assistance, on average, provided to each child

103 programs served an average of 16,623 students

Children Helped in 2016

2,396 children and youth in 1,114 families had their Christmas wishes come true, 343 more than in 2015!