Avalanche Canada Foundation 2020

Avalanche Canada Foundation

A Message from the President

Last October, Gord Ritchie stepped down as President of the Avalanche Canada Foundation, ending more than 20 years of leadership within the Canadian avalanche sector. One can never fill the shoes of someone who provided such exceptional guidance and vision to an organization. I am so grateful for the healthy and professional environment through every level of this unique organization that I experienced in my two years on the Avalanche Canada board before transitioning to the ACF board in 2019.

This solid groundwork laid over the past 20 years has been tested by the year 2020. In January, director Adam Campbell’s wife, Laura Kosakoski, died in an avalanche, a sobering reminder to our entire community of the fragility of life. Even for those who practice all available means of staying out of harm's way while pursuing our backcountry passion, incidents may still occur that we have little means to control.

After a very successful Calgary fundraiser in October 2019, the plans were set to repeat for our Whistler event in March. However, with the rapid onset of Covid-19 on the west coast in early March, the board made the tough decision less than one week before the event to postpone. Hindsight provides a clear lens that it was the right decision, however challenging at the time.

Throughout the lockdown and eventual shutdown in March and April, we observed, like so many other organizations, the ambiguity of how to fulfil our mandate with such uncertainty on the horizon.

The year 2020 has also presented many opportunities. With the National Strategy funds secured, the ACF has started to formulate strategies for user engagement across Canada. Our fundraising efforts need to be dynamic and easy to access. These two criteria may be met by online platforms that offer novel ways to launch events and communicate with the public.

Prior to Covid-19, we had started to pursue third-party fund-raising partnerships. There were unique ideas that included a brewery or distillery branding AvCan on a new product line, an online platform providing user-directed financial support to AvCan, setting up a “Text-to-Give” application, and a backcountry social media group engaging their followers with information on accessing AvCan services. We are excited by these new formats and look forward to discovering other opportunities and partnerships that can share our organization's message with existing users and those new to the backcountry world.

Whether your pastime is skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, or early season hiking, we need your support more than ever before. The National Strategy funds are dedicated to specific operational processes. The Avalanche Canada Foundation would like your help in providing funds for existing programs and in ensuring avalanche forecasting is readily available for all users of Canada’s backcountry.

Whether it is a $10 contribution or a large corporate gift, we greatly appreciate every dollar.

May you and your family stay safe during these most extraordinary times.

Cheryl Goodwin, President

Fundraising

Party for Powder, Calgary, November 16, 2019

This pre-season fundraiser at Festival Hall in Calgary attracted 175 people and raised almost $45,000 for the Avalanche Canada Foundation. This party included live music and a DJ, as well as a lively auction and some delicious food.

Art for Avalanche Canada, Whistler

This major fundraiser was postponed, then cancelled due to the spread of Covid-19. The event was scheduled for March 14, 2020, at the Squamish-Lil’wat Cultural Centre, but the ACF board made the decision to postpone it once it became clear that hosting large gatherings was inappropriate. We would like to thank all the sponsors who had already committed their support to this great event,

Other fundraisers:

We are extremely grateful to the numerous organizations that held fundraisers for the Avalanche Canada Foundation. Combined, they raised almost $20,000 to support public avalanche safety in Canada.

Festival Hall in Calgary was packed for the first annual Party for Powder last November. Guests were treated to great music, delicious food, a live auction, and more. Image: Carolyn Best

• Fernie Brewing, Cheers to Charity for the South Rockies Field Team

• Cocktails for a Cause, Park Distillery, Banff, AB, Oct 31, 2019

• Charities Aid Foundation America, Omaze, and CMH

• Backcountry YYC Facebook Group fundraiser,

Nov. 21, 2019

• Kootenay Collab Powder Hwy sock sales

• Freshtival Calgary, Oct. 12, 2019

• Text-to-Donate

• Michel Trudeau Memorial Rose sales, Adamson’s Nursery, Langley, BC

• Canmore Brewing Green Brick Ale

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COVID Effect

Cancelling the annual Art for Avalanche Canada fundraiser in the spring was a precursor, as the Avalanche Canada Foundation remains unable to hold its in-person fundraisers in Calgary and Whistler this fall. The board of directors is moving fundraising efforts away from onenight events to online auctions and other initiatives that are held over a longer period of time, and designed to solicit a greater number of smaller donations.

Avalanche Canada Foundation Board of Directors

President Cheryl Goodwin

Vice-President Keenan Cannady

Treasurer James Titterton

Secretary Leah Plumridge

Investment Committee Chair Jim Hall

Directors Adam Campbell Robbie Dixon Ted Hincks Quinn Ingham Julia LoVecchio Gordon Ritchie Gilles Valade Kevin Williams

Office Administration Pattie Roozendaal

Image: Troy Grant

Financial Summary

Grants and Awards

Simon Fraser University

• $40,000 was granted in support of the NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Avalanche Risk Management. This is the fourth year of a seven-year commitment totalling $240,000

ISSW Fund

• Two awards totalling $3,693

Cora Shea Fund

• One award of $750

Craig Kelly Memorial Fund

• Two awards totalling $1,000

Al Hodgson Memorial Fund

• One award of $2,000

The financial position of the foundation remains strong. A decline in total revenues this year reflected the deferral of the 2020 Whistler fundraiser to November due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, corporate and individual donations were higher than last year.

In 2020, the foundation received a $25M endowment from the federal government, to be held in trust for Avalanche Canada for the next 10 years. The board of directors has duly constituted an investment committee to manage this endowment. As per a directive from the federal minister of finance, the committee includes a minimum of three members of the foundation’s board of directors, who are not officers or employees of the Avalanche Canada Foundation.

The foundation elected to add two other members, independent from both the Avalanche Canada Foundation and Avalanche Canada, who have broad knowledge and experience in investment matters. The funds are managed by an external investment firm, following strict guidelines, and are invested at a separate institution.

Revenues 2019-20

Fundraising* 68,754

Deferred Contributions Recognized** 9,524

Individual Donations 55,678Benefit Income 12,622Corporate Donations 8,728Interest and Other Income 18,393Total $173,699

*Fundraising revenue less fundraising expenditures (Calgary Fundraiser). **Contributions for University Research and Scholarships.

Expenditures 2019-20

Grants to Simon Fraser Univ. 40,000Other Grants and Scholarships 7,443Fundraising 23,943Office & Overhead*** 54,856Total $126,242

***Includes office, professional fees, travel, insurance and bank fees.

NOTE: All information is from the Foundation’s audited year-end financial statements as at June 30, 2019.

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Avalanche Canada Foundation

Supporters

Organizations and individuals who have made three-year funding commitments are recognized as Founders.

Founding Friends

Contributing $5000 annually for three years.

Brad & Tanya

The Polar

Zumwalt

Foundation

Gordon & DebbieRitchie

AnonymousDonor

Damon OckeyEdward Hincks

Founding Contributors

Contributing over $250 annually for three years.

J Bruce Jamieson

Ken Little

Kevin Williams

Keenan Cannady

Kory Fawcett

Supporting Foundations

Event Sponsors

Party for Powder

Art for Avalanche Canada

PO Box 8800 Canmore, AB T1W 0C1 T 403.678.1235

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