Toronto Community Foundation unveils Spirit of Philanthropy Award named in honour of retiring Chair, Martin Connell

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TORONTO, June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Rahul K. Bhardwaj, President & CEO of the Toronto Community Foundation today unveiled the Martin Connell Spirit of Philanthropy Award.  The award is named in honour of philanthropist and businessman Martin Connell who retires after 10 years as Chair of the Toronto Community Foundation's Board of Directors effective June 22.

"Martin has supported hundreds of community initiatives and organizations through his own personal philanthropy and leadership," said Bhardwaj. "He brought this same passion to our Board for the past decade, and we wanted a way to not only thank him, but to honour his living legacy of philanthropy and city-building. This award is our way of doing just that."

The inaugural award was presented to the Vandewater Charitable Foundation at Vital Toronto, an annual celebration of grant recipients hosted by the Community Foundation.

"My family is honoured and humbled to be selected for the award," said Tom Vandewater. "The Toronto Community Foundation made it very affordable for my family to establish the equivalent of a private foundation. But more importantly, the Community Foundation's insights into the areas of need in the city have made this partnership an extremely rewarding experience for my family.

Established in 1998 as an endowment fund, the Vandewater Charitable Foundation makes grants every year to causes and charities focused on youth and family. All grants are administered through the Toronto Community Foundation.

Martin Connell Spirit of Philanthropy Award
The Toronto Community Foundation established the Martin Connell Spirit of Philanthropy Award in June 2011. It is awarded on an annual basis to philanthropists who advance the vision of making Toronto the best city in which to live, work, learn and grow; who have a history of granting locally; and who act as ambassadors and advocates for the Community Foundation. The Award, which depicts a partial map of Toronto, was designed by renowned Toronto illustrator, Marlena Zuber. 

Toronto Community Foundation
With more than 300 endowment funds, and assets of over $250 million, Toronto Community Foundation is one of Canada's largest charitable foundations. Community vitality has been our purpose, promise and passion since 1981, when we started connecting donors to community needs and opportunities. We help our individual and family foundations invest in Toronto, making it a strong and resilient place to live, work, learn and grow. We monitor the health of our city, identifying its strengths and weaknesses. We provide the leadership and guidance to bring people together from all parts of our community. We exist for Toronto - for now and for always.

SOURCE Toronto Community Foundation