Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about LIFT. Please contact us if you would like further information.
What does LIFT do?
Why is venture philanthropy?
How is venture philanthropy different from traditional funding models?
Is LIFT a new organization?
In which sectors does LIFT focus its work?
Why does LIFT focus on the areas of literacy, skills development, sport and physical activity?
How does LIFT decide which not-for-profits to support?
Who will invest in LIFT?
Why should I invest in LIFT?
Who runs LIFT?
What does LIFT do?
LIFT uses a venture philanthropy approach to work with not-for-profit organizations to make them sustainable and more effective at delivering measurable social impact in Canada. We focus on not-for-profit organizations that have a direct and positive effect on the health and productivity of Canadians and their communities.
What is venture philanthropy?
Venture philanthropy is a method of investing a valuable combination of skills, expertise, resources and funding in not-for-profit organizations to improve their capacity to deliver greater social impact. Venture philanthropy applies the concepts of venture capital finance and business management to philanthropic investments.
How is venture philanthropy different from traditional funding models?
Venture philanthropy applies concepts from venture capital finance and business management to philanthropic investments. Traditional granting agencies offer funding alone, often on a one-time or short-term basis, whereas LIFT invests much more than just money. Our venture philanthropy approach is a more strategic form of investment in not-for-profit organizations, which leverages funding, and provides hands-on management support and expertise to successfully transform the social impact of not-for-profit organizations. This highly-engaged approach leads to scalable social change measured in lives touched, communities reached, economic benefits, and improved quality of life.
Is LIFT a new organization?
LIFT evolved from 2010 Legacies Now, which leveraged the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to create social and economic benefits throughout British Columbia. Over the past 10 years, we earned an international reputation as a leader in advancing positive and lasting social change. We are using this experience to fuel our venture philanthropy approach to build more effective and sustainable not-for-profit organizations that can create significant social impact in the lives of Canadians.
In which sectors does LIFT focus its work?
LIFT invests in not-for-profit organizations that have a direct and positive effect on the health and productivity of Canadians and their communities. LIFT’s areas of focus include literacy, skills development, sport and physical activity.
Why does LIFT focus on the areas of literacy, skills development, sport and physical activity?
LIFT invests in literacy and skills development to improve Canadians’ employability and productivity. We also invest in sport and physical activity to drive positive health outcomes and alleviate the burden of chronic diseases. We believe by improving health and productivity, we can address the pressing social and economic challenges currently facing Canadians and their communities.
How does LIFT decide which not-for-profits to support?
LIFT conducts a thorough not-for-profit selection process, during which we engage with and evaluate potential not-for-profit organizations to determine their alignment with our investment criteria. In general, we select not-for-profit organizations with proven success delivering measurable social impact in the areas of literacy, skills development, sport and physical activity. These organizations demonstrate a strong desire for growth, an eagerness for creating scalable social impact, and an openness to evolving their method of business.
Who will invest in LIFT?
LIFT will attract investments from individuals, corporations, foundations and governments to support our mission to improve the sustainability and effectiveness of not-for-profit organizations in Canada. These investors are committed to social responsibility and passionate about their philanthropic investments creating measurable social impact to benefit communities across Canada.
Why should I invest in LIFT?
LIFT leverages financial investments with the value-added expertise of our partner network and LIFT team to support not-for-profit organizations to deliver measurable social impact. We multiply the effectiveness of dollars invested and ensure the social return on investments continue to increase over time. This form of smart investing resonates with our investors as we improve the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of not-for-profit organizations to effect real and measurable social impact.
Who runs LIFT?
LIFT is led by our chief executive officer Bruce Dewar and our senior leadership team, along with a board of directors that is comprised of individuals who hail from numerous corporate, financial and leadership positions across Canada.
