Annual Report 2023

Page 1


MESSAGE FROM OUR LEADERS

Dear TBG Community,

As champions and partners of Toronto Botanical Garden, our goal is to be clear and transparent when we have successes and also as we navigate challenges 2023 was a year where we balanced operational sustainability and growth while navigating the financial challenges facing the wider nonprofit community

Our key messages: 2023 was a banner year of operational successes for the Garden. Among other things we reinvested in our gardens, launched new partnerships and had record-breaking results with our summer camp offerings.

However, like many non-profits we faced serious financial challenges coming out of the pandemic. We suffered a substantial operating loss that exceeded our financial reserves and strained our capacity. We have made progress in addressing our financial position, but we still have work to do.

Our priority in 2024 is to ensure that the Garden raises the funding it needs to be on a solid footing for 2025 and beyond, so that it has the financial resources and staff it needs for future growth and success. We need to have stable sources of funding for our operations and programs, sufficient reserves to absorb unexpected developments and resources to fund the growth into Edwards Gardens

We will be calling on everyone who loves the Garden to help us achieve these goals

Read on as we share the highlights, the challenges, and the dedicated efforts of the TBG leadership and community to cross this bridge.

2023 was a banner year in operational successes.

Our Learning Programs rebounded from the pandemic closure, bringing back summer camps for the first time since 2019, with record breaking numbers of campers and revenue. In addition to robust programs for our youngest generation of learners and nature explorers we also delivered a broad range of programs for our community of adult learners. Over the year we delivered programming to more than 17,000 participants, enriching and inspiring our community through plant and nature-based experiences

With the launch of the Garden’s 2023-2027 Strategic Plan, we focused on investing in growth, and invited our community to be part of this growth. One of the most visible ways this can be seen is the variety of new ideas that were tested, new partnerships launched and the expansion of TBG’s impact

We worked to deliver programs across Edwards Gardens and TBG, including the Edwards Summer Music Series, while also hosting our first Nuit Blanche Toronto, the city’s annual all-night celebration of contemporary art.

We also engaged in new partnerships such as Tafelmusik and Amadeus Choir to bring our overlapping audiences to the Garden. Our partnership with the Bata Shoe Museum brought together our two missions to co-produce programming for the In Bloom: Flowers & Footwear exhibit curated by the Bata Shoe Museum

Beyond programming, a core focus in the first year of our Strategic Plan was foundational investments in the Garden, data, people and processes. Through the support of our donors and our community we were able to add to the bench strength of our team and continue to refresh our horticultural program and the visitor centre.

With more than 350,000 visits annually, TBG is curious to learn more about our visitors. To this end, an inspired donor made a strategic investment which enabled TBG to procure baseline visitor data and brand research This data will help guide our future growth and unlock a new category of sustainable funding with corporate sponsorships

Members and visitors alike share the deep sense of connection to TBG as a place and to our mission When asked, both our casual visitors and our engaged audience affirm that they come to TBG to connect with nature, that the Garden helps to contribute to a more sustainable world and make connections across our community.

The community’s support of TBG is increasing.

Two key markers of the community’s support are our number of household memberships and reaching new thresholds of donations. In 2023 our number of members reached record highs, with more than 2,800 member households. And the trend continues to reach new heights throughout the first half of 2024. Beyond membership, our community supported the Garden with a total of 736 donations, a 40 per cent increase over the number of donations in 2022. And our steadfast volunteers clocked the equivalent of six full-time employees

Through all of these operational successes TBG’s core revenue lines of Rentals, Retail, Education, Membership, Audience Engagement and Parking had significant growth over the prior year.

In the midst of all of these successes Toronto Botanical Garden also faced challenges that are widely impacting our non-profit community.

The challenges came in two core categories 1) reduction of grant funding over prior years due to granting priorities changing, grantors’ extreme focus on funding new projects, lack of funding that supports core operations, and oversubscription to grant funds. 2) the timeline to go to market to pursue corporate sponsorship was longer than projected.

For TBG these challenges translated to lower than anticipated revenues, particularly with reduced government grants and higher expenses than forecast due to a reduced number of grants supporting our core operations (compared to prior years) As a result, the Garden incurred a deficiency of revenue over expenses of $627,876 in 2023.

While no one in the Garden’s community of supporters and champions wants us to be in this position, we were not alone. Many non-profits have been wrestling with financial issues as grant revenues and other financial supports have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, while demand for services continues to increase

Because of the financial issues we experienced last year our audited financial statements for 2023 include a note that there is a question about the Garden’s ability to continue as a going concern. This note signals that our financial loss is larger than the financial reserves available to offset the loss

Despite last year’s difficulties, we are confident in the Garden’s future Management and the board took immediate steps this winter to reduce expenses and increase revenues. These steps included proactively seeking funding for core offerings, increasing parking and rental rates, reduced building hours, all staff participating in reduced hours and pay for the 1st quarter, some staff positions were restructured, and pausing some programs until which time funding could be confirmed. Collectively the Garden staff, the board, and some key donors have contributed to investing in TBG’s strategy and core operations And through it all the City has been very supportive

We have made great progress in stabilizing our finances over the past several months, but we still have work to do. Our priority this year is to ensure that the Garden raises the funding it needs to be on a solid footing for 2025 and beyond.

Together we will continue to build a strong future for the Garden

The board and management are focused on setting the Garden up so that it has the financial resources and staff it needs for future growth and success. We need to

have stable sources of funding for our operations and programs, sufficient reserves to absorb unexpected developments, and resources to fund the growth into Edwards Gardens We will be launching an exciting capital campaign to fund the expansion of the Garden and refresh our existing gardens and buildings

To build this strong future we are focused on building the Garden’s capacity and funding growth. We will do this through a balance of increased revenues, along with transformational support. In the past year we have refreshed our membership, parking, and venue rental rates to be competitive in the marketplace, while delivering core earned revenue to support our mission.

While we continue to grow our earned revenue, we have increased our focus on our contributed revenue To do this we have introduced Charitable Level Memberships and Monthly Giving Programs. We are also launching Giving Circles, a donor stewardship initiative to engage our donors as investors in our core work. In addition to individual and foundational giving, Toronto Botanical Garden is proactively seeking corporate sponsors to fund our inaugural offerings of Learning, Stewardship and Community with multi-year investments. And we are seeking legacy gifts that will be investments in our future financial resiliency

We are very encouraged by the response we have received to date as we engage our community of donors to invest in the Garden’s growth and strategy. We are

actively expanding these conversations in order to raise essential funds to support the Garden of today, while also strategically investing in the Garden’s growth

Through all these efforts our priority is for TBG to continue as a vital community resource providing an inspiring plant place, an engaging learning environment and a dynamic community hub for Toronto and our region.

We need the continued support of donors and stakeholders to build for the future. We invite you to continue this conversation with us, seeking ways that together we can build a bright and vibrant future as a garden for all!

Sincerely,

INSPIRED PLANT PLACE

In 2023, the Garden received some muchneeded attention and upgrades. Our Horticulture Team replaced multiple ailing trees around the Parking Lot following the recommendations of our site-wide Tree Survey. They also proactively reinvested in the herbaceous layers of the garden. Director of Horticulture, Roger Gettig selected strong, hearty, trees found in the Carolina forests. These new specimens will adapt better to our changing climate and can weather our winters Our spring display featured thousands of tulips in a rainbow of colours The summer showcased a mixed planting of vegetables, herbs, and flowers in our containers and beds It was a combination that delighted both visitors and pollinators alike. We added over 200 native plants to our Pollinator Garden. In 2023, the Horticulture team planted more than 2,000 trees, shrubs, and flowers to restore and further develop the Garden.

TBG is home to many plant and horticulture societies and hosts numerous plant shows, judging, and sales. Plant shows and sales were back at TBG kicking off with the incredibly popular Southern Ontario Orchid Society Show in February 2023. We hosted over a dozen Plant Society Sales and Shows along with 60+ meetings of various plant societies like the North American Native Plant Society, Ontario Rock Garden & Hardy Plant Society, Geranium, Pelargonium & Fuchsia Society of Ontario and more. In April, TBG hosted our annual Hellebore Sale, which included 15 beautiful varieties for sale and 220+ pre-sale orders. These early spring bloomers are always a draw! The annual three-day TBG Plant Sale on Mother’s Day weekend in May saw over 1,000 visitors

Get the Jump on Spring and Seedy Saturday, our annual horticultural open house was relaunched on Saturday, March 25, through cross-departmental collaboration. This oneday garden extravaganza filled the building with seed and garden-related vendors along with local horticultural societies, garden clubs, and environmental organizations, Free Talks and Demonstrations, Free Gardening Advice Clinic by the Toronto Master Gardeners, TBG Bloom Cafe and Coffee Bar for onsite noshing and refreshments, the Garden Shop was brimming with essentials for gardeners of all ages and there was a Free Seed Exchange.

We ended 2023 with our highest number of members in over 10 years. We made a few changes to the program including the levels, benefits, and prices. This was an overdue refresh and was the result of a member survey, a comparison to other membership programs, and a cost analysis of the benefits. We introduced new levels of more inclusive, streamlined benefits, and parking codes for people who rideshare. TBG membership is bringing more plant people together

ENGAGING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

The Learning Department empowered young stewards of the environment to learn and play outdoors. Over 11,542 students participated in environmentally focused programs at TBG, including Living Winter, camps, family programming, and school trips.

After a four-year break, Toronto Botanical Garden brought back the Urban Ravine Symposium: Unravelling the Question of “How” for 212 registered attendees!

Speakers Carolynne Crawley, Jacqueline L Scott, and Danijela Puric-Miadenovic guided participants through a day of learning about how to connect and protect the ravine system. We discussed the importance of creating an accessible and welcoming green space so that all communities in the Greater Toronto Area can feel comfortable accessing essential natural spaces. Thanks to Enbridge for providing funding for TBG to provide free tickets for equity-deserving groups.

Toronto Botanical Garden hosted a variety of adult learning events to meet the wide variety of our visitors’ interests. From floral design workshops to member lectures and art-based workshops, we led 2,350 adults in over 6,400 learner hours.

One of our cornerstone programs is Li Winter, a full-day hands-on learning exp that empowers children to learn about an connect with their local environment a ecosystems Thanks to the collaborativ of the Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, the Henry White Kinnear Foundation, and Gore Mutual Insuran 2023, 2,045 students from 36 high-prior schools across Toronto participated in t program 100 per cent of teachers respo that the program met or exceeded curr expectations and 100 per cent of teache responded they are interested in attending again next year.

“The Living Winter program was equivalent to a month of in-class learning on the subject material The students had an amazing time, and better yet, the engaging hands-on experience helped children to retain the information.”

Mairead, Teacher

St Barbara Catholic School

The Weston Family Library is the place to be to find out about all things plants. Our collection has over 10,000 books for you to learn from 1,862 books were checked out in 2023. The library also added a drop-in family programming to encourage visitors to utilize this valuable resource.

DYNAMIC COMMUNITY HUB

In January we launched a new partnership with Tafemusik, North America’s leading baroque orchestra located in Toronto. This new Sunday afternoon concert series, Tafelmusik at the Garden, hosted four concerts which were met with great enthusiasm and attracted new audiences to the garden who love the intimate setting of the Garden, listening and learning about the music and the era. Over 1,000 tickets were sold for the concert series

In April we launched a new partnership with Appletree Markets who specialize in building community through creative experiences and exceptional service. Through this partnership our Thursday afternoon farmers market was rebooted after a 5-year hiatus with fresh energy, live music and connected programming. The market was held from May 11 through October 5 (22 weeks) with an Earth Day EcoMarket kick-off on Saturday, April 22.

In May we expanded and tested new programming in Edwards Gardens by initiating a new partnership with the Amadeus Choir of Toronto who premiered a new major work about Indigenous water sovereignty from Cree cellist and composer Cris Derksen, preceded by an immersive outdoor Songwalk experience. Choir members were scattered throughout the Garden while concert-goers strolled through the Garden experiencing pockets of song. The Songwalk culminated with the full choir and band performing the world premiere of the new work on the outdoor stage in the Edwards Gardens Courtyard.

In June we hosted our annual tour of private gardens, Through the Garden Gate: Riverdale. Our longstanding garden tour established in 1988 is Toronto’s largest tour of private gardens organized by a dedicated volunteer garden tour committee in partnership with the Toronto Master Gardeners and supported by staff. The garden tour moves to a different neighbourhood each year with 2023 visiting 16 beautiful residential gardens in one of Toronto’s vibrant east-end neighbourhood of Riverdale. 11

This was the first year of a music sponsorship by Sheri Cohen which covered musicians in two gardens. The garden tour enjoyed a successful return to this area with robust ticket sales, positive guest feedback, and gross revenue meeting budget expectations.

In July we initiated a new partnership with Bata Shoe Museum on their exhibition In Bloom: Flowers and Footwear. We also hosted our first summer of BLOOM: Dance + Circus in the Garden in partnership with Artists’ Play Dance + Circus Studio This immersive dance + circus + garden experience featured Toronto’s top aerialists where audiences were led to a series of secret, intimate indoor and outdoor performance locations. Over 600 tickets were sold over an 8-performance run attracting new audiences of all ages

During the summer we hosted eight FREE outdoor concerts as part of our beloved annual Edwards Summer Music Series on Thursday nights in July and August. Since its inception, this beloved annual summer concert series has been generously funded by the Edwards Charitable Foundation. We had another very successful season with strong weekly attendance of enthusiastic concert-goers, with overall participation exceeding 4,000 guests. To amplify the message of connecting with nature we partnered with passionate eco ambassador, environmentalist and award-winning Canadian broadcaster Anwar Knight to host the series. Mother nature also blessed us with clear evening skies on all but two occasions when the music moved indoors

In September we hosted our first Nuit Blanche Toronto at the Garden attracting a remarkable turnout of over 3,000 visitors, including a new and younger demographic The two installations, “IAM” by Radha Chaddah and “SunEaters” by Grace Grothaus, were well received by visitors. The Garden Shop and TBG Bloom Cafe extended their hours to midnight to engage and nourish first-time visitors and nighttime art-seekers.

On November 24 we launched the inaugural Winter Blooms, a new, threeweekend winter festival which is partially funded by an Experience Ontario Grant. The Holiday Market spanned over two weekends, welcoming almost 3,000 visitors and included 100+ local vendors, a member's VIP lounge, food trucks, TBG Bloom pop-up Cafe, outdoor firepit, educational winter programming and the new Giant Terrarium This 5 metres (17 ft) Geodome was plantscaped by our horticulture team including a moss wall, hanging Kokedama balls, terrariums and tropical plants. The Terrarium was open to the public daily to relax with a warm cup of coffee, or to enjoy a curated selection of learning opportunities. Canadian, awardwinning embroidery artist Amanda McCavour reimagined the soaring secondfloor mezzanine as a field of floating flowers with an art installation, Suspended Landscape, Ode to a Prairie, encouraging visitors to come inside to enjoy the building amenities during the winter months. Wonders of Winterland: Dance + Circus immersive performance including an indoor snowball fight.

SunEaters by Grace Grothaus Nuit Blanche 2023

“Toronto Botanical Garden is a vital green space that allows our diverse community to connect with nature - and all the benefits it has to offerright here in the city My family and I have spent many special moments together at TBG, including at the wonderful flower shows which my late mother-in-law participated in; and when our children were young, they loved to explore the paths and all the beautiful plants and flowers. TBG is a wonderful steward and plays an important role in fostering sustainability and providing opportunities to learn about the natural world. I am committed to working together to support their expansion and renewal, and to ensure the Garden remains a dynamic community hub and an integral part of our community for generations to come.”

Toronto Botanical Garden by the Numbers

2,836

Member Households, the largest number we’ve had in over a decade.

736

Donations, a 40% increase over number of donors in 2022!

21,000+

Bulbs planted in 2023

Educational Programs Offered 325

4,986

Individual Plants represented in Garden

17,000+

Participants in educational programming for children, families, and adults for all experience levels.

11,861

Total Volunteer hours (Equivalent of 6 Fulltime Employees)

“A garden for all and a community within, Toronto Botanical Garden is near and dear to the residents of Don Valley West. The TBG has always emphasized fostering lifelong relationships with the natural spaces around us, which is key to creating healthy, thriving communities in Toronto With its leadership in community engagement, the TBG has become a place for the generations of today and tomorrow to appreciate the natural beauty of our city. As the City Councilor for Ward 15 –Don Valley West, I am proud to represent the Toronto Botanical Garden at City Hall.”

In memory of Jaye Robinson who sent these kind words a few weeks before she passed away on May 16, 2024. Jaye was a strong advocate for TBG and it was an honour to work with her for so many years.

“Toronto Botanical Garden connects Toronto residents with the natural world, connects visitors to the wonders of the Don Valley, connects neighbours with neighbours and welcomes those of every age and cultural background to explore the wonders of its formal gardens and its wilderness walkways

Deep solace can be found as we walk on its accessible trails or sit by its gentle streams. Intense joy can be experienced in its bright cultivated gardens as well as in its deep shaded forests. Visit the TBG to learn, grow, relax, enjoy and appreciate the gifts of nature found close to home ”

The Hon Rob Oliphant, PC, MP Don Valley West

14

Concerts at the Garden

3,000

Winter Blooms

Attendees

300,000+

Annual Visits

35,000+

cial Media Followers

“Toronto Botanical Garden stands as a beacon of our city's commitment to nurturing the bond between people and nature As we continue our partnership journey together, the City of Toronto is proud to collaborate with the TBG and embark on a path to create a vibrant ecosystem of growth, education, and connectivity, enriching the lives of all who call Toronto home.”

“The Toronto Botanical Garden offers an oasis as a welcome complement to the urban experience in Toronto, part of the diversity of experiences that appeal to a wide range of travelers The TBG is a valuable natural connection for both visitors and residents today, and with the realization of its ambitious renewal vision it will be even more so ”

20,000+ of donated food to North York Food Bank 120lbs

Newsletter Subscribers

20,000 participants through our community engagement with arts and culture programming including free and paid concerts, pop up markets, circus performances, outdoor art installations and more

SUCCESSFUL GRANT PERFORMANCE

In 2023, we were awarded $285,290 in grant funding to support operations and special projects. Grants are an essential funding stream that supports access programs, program innovation and our vision to be a Garden for All.

Sponsorship and Research

Funding from an anonymous donor and Friend of the Garden fostered a new relationship between Toronto Botanical Garden and A&C Inc A&C is actively working with TBG to unearth opportunities for brand sponsors to engage and connect with our community The donor also made it possible for a third party to conduct a visitor research survey to help TBG better understand our audience.

Investing in the Garden

Our partners have shared ambitions in connecting more people to plants. Together, we are building a better future for our community through public green spaces.

Multi-Year Funding for the Weston Family Library

Generous support from the Dalglish Family Foundation is instrumental in funding day-today operations and supported the hire of a full-time librarian.

Government Partnerships

6

With government support, TBG can innovate and take meaningful and adaptive action to support both the environment and our community.

MUNICIPAL SUPPORT

City of Toronto

The City of Toronto donates $25,000 each year to support ongoing operational expenses and assists TBG in maintaining sidewalks, paths, and winter snow removal Together, we are collaborating with the city to construct a new weatherproof shelter for the Teaching Garden, funded by a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

PROVINCIAL SUPPORT

Experience Ontario

Thanks to Experience Ontario’s generous funding support, Toronto Botanical Garden expanded upon the Holiday Market to create Winter Blooms. In partnership, we elevated tourism during the winter season, creating a meaningful and engaging experience for visitors from all over the Greater Toronto Area.

Ontario Trillium Foundation

Ontario Trillium Foundation is helping TBG address a community need by purchasing a weather shelter for our Teaching Garden to expand functional outdoor space used by families and schools.

FEDERAL SUPPORT

Canada Summer Jobs and Young Canada Works

Thanks to Canada Summer Jobs and Young Canada Works we can provide valuable opportunities for young individuals to gain hands-on experience at a public garden. In return, seasonal staff greatly contribute to our organizational growth and advancing the mission of connecting more people to plants.

Edwards Charitable Foundation

TBG’s much anticipated Edwards Summer Music Series returned for another year, offering eight free outdoor concerts in the Garden, thanks to a contribution from Edwards Charitable Foundation

Enbridge

Thanks to Enbridge’s financial support, we hosted an inclusive Urban Ravine Symposium (the first one since 2019!) that provided free and subsidized tickets to community members, removing barriers to access.

Gore Mutual Insurance Company

With support from Gore Mutual, Toronto Botanical Garden provided over 2,000 students and classes with a bus subsidy to access free outdoor programming that connects children to nature, helping them become stewards of the land

The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation

The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation empowered over 2,000 children to learn about and connect with their local environment and ecosystems through the Living Winter program

Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust

Thanks to the funding we received from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust, we were able to obtain a utility vehicle to more efficiently maintain our gardens throughout the year

THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS

In 2023, the community came out to support the garden in so many ways We had an incredible 40 per cent increase in donors over last year. On behalf of Toronto Botanical Garden, we wish to express our sincere gratitude! Contributions from our donors, members, volunteers, partners, foundations, corporations, and commemorative memorial plantings help us create a welcoming plant place, dynamic community hub, and engaging learning environment. Thank you!

GARDEN VISIONARIES

Toronto Botanical Garden gratefully acknowledges our Garden Visionaries whose ongoing support is pivotal to achieving TBG’s mission. Your dedication is invaluable to our community, enabling us to embark on a journey to be a diverse community that recognizes the life-giving role of nature; a garden for all. Thank you for being the catalysts of growth

Mary and Mark Cullen

Lindsay Dale-Harris and Rupert FieldMarsham*

Kathy and George Dembroski

Susan and Geoffrey Dyer

Susan Loube and Bill Acton

Joan and Jerry Lozinski

Frances and Timothy Price

Penny and Robert Richards

The Edwards Charitable Foundation

The Dalglish Family Foundation

The W Garfield Weston Foundation

*Deceased

2023 DONORS

We acknowledge the invaluable contribution of the following individuals, members, charitable foundations, plant societies and corporate partners whose gifts enable TBG to remain a relevant and vibrant cultural centre for all to enjoy:

GRANTS AND PARTNERS

Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto

Bata Shoe Museum

Canada Summer Jobs

Canadian Museums Association

Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation

City of Toronto

Edwards Charitable Foundation

Experience Ontario

The Garden Club of Toronto

George Brown College

Gore Mutual Insurance Company

Milne House Garden Club

Ontario Trillium Foundation

The Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust

Tafelmusik

Toronto Region Conservation Authority

York University

$100,000 - $249,999

Anonymous (1)

$50,000 - $99,999

The Braive and Smith Families

Experience Ontario

Edwards Charitable Foundation

Ontario Trillium Foundation

$25,000 - $49,999

Nicole Buchinger

Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation

$10,000 - $24,999

Kathy and George Dembroski

Joy Gray-Donald

Nancy and Jon Love

Joan and Jerry Lozinski

Gore Mutual Insurance Company

The Garden Club of Toronto

The Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust

The Willowool Foundation

$5,000 - $9,999

Anonymous (1)

Anne and Tony Arrell

Dianne Azzarello and Stephen Wilton

Susan Grundy

Joyce Johnson

Philip Lee

Patricia Martin

Anna Merotto

Dean Summerville

The Estate of Joan Williams

Joan and Bob Wright

Canada Summer Jobs

Canadian Museums Association

Enbridge Inc.

the greater - Strategy Consulting Inc

North Toronto Horticultural Society

$1,000 - $2,499

Anonymous (1)

Jane and Timothy Bates

$1,000 - $2,499

Anonymous (1)

Jane and Timothy Bates

Linda Boyko and Jens Carl

Adeline Cheng and Ryan

Grundy

Sheri Cohen

Ben Cullen

Janet and Doug Davis

Maxine and Tony DiGiovanni

Mary and Jim Fisher

Margareth and Don Gault

Derryn Gill

Myint and Jay Gillespie

Drs. Irene and Gerald Gish

Doug Grundy

Eleanor and Peter Heinz

Connie Hunter

Isaac Ip

David Johnson

Keri Johnston and Darin

Renton

Stephanie Jutila and Tom

Seltz

Jean Kitchen

Cathy Kozma and Michael

Weissenborn

Marjorie and Donald Lenz

Verna Lester and Harry

Jongerden

Susan Lipchak

Mary and Peter Lutek

Lorna Marsden

Lorraine Hunter Matsumoto

Neil Murphy

Mary and Deane Nesbitt

John O'Neill

Lynne Patterson

Mary Jean Potter

Frances and Timothy Price

Katherine Quan

Robin Rankin

Gwendolyn Rattle

Ellen Reid

Penny and Rob Richards

Charles Smith

Frederika Winchell-Jubb

Janice Winton

Greater Toronto Bulb & Horticultural Society

Milne House Garden Club

Southern Ontario Orchid Society

Scarborough Garden & Horticultural Society

$500 - $999

Anonymous (5)

Barbara Anie

Tom and Linda Atkinson

Anne Bawden

Nancy Bowslaugh

Peter Braive

Lisa Van Camp

Caprice and Kinson Chow

Judi Conacher

Bryan Davis

Drs. Susan and Michael Dolbey

Susan and James Eckenwalder

Lisa Ellis

Barbara A English

Rose Feikes

Susan Gustavison

Lyn Hickey

Jody Hitchcock and Peter

Phillips

Louis Ho

Donalda Kelk

Peter J Lewis

Janette MacDonald

Jean M McCluskey

Dawn McEachern and Malcolm Geast

Judy and Mark McLean

Caroline McRobie

David Melnik

Mary Mosser

Lee Robbins and Leslie Groer

Ibi Smith

Tim Watson

UP TO $499

Anonymous (12)

Anonymous (26)

Michelle Collis and Alan Abrams

Susan Ackerman

Heather Adelson

Debbie Allan

Gwen Amelard

Katy and Ian Anderson

Wendy Angelo

Lucy and Tom Arkell

Ken and Sarah Arliss

Craig Armstrong

Gordon and Dianne Ashworth

Helen Aston

Linda Averill

Steve Azmier

Brad and Katherine Badeau

Donna Stevens and David Baines

Carol Bairstow

Marisa Barber

Winifred Barclay

Tisch Reaney and Wayne Barker

Karen A Barnett

Virginia Barton

Phyllis Bassett

Helen Battersby

Barbara and Robin Beamish

Brian Beattie

Gail Bebee

Lawrence and Sandra Beech

Susannah Belton

Dmitry Beniaminov

Diana Bennett

Clare Bermingham

Bonnie Beverley

Raksha Manaktala Bhayana

Blair Bishop

Melanie Parker and Ron Bishop

Ruth Bittorf

Deborah and Jonathan Black

Sandi Bliguin

Jodi Boltuc

Bruce C. Bone

Teresa Borysewicz

Jennifer Bowman

Carol Boychuk

Elise Brais

Charles Braive

Gloria Broks

Susan A. Brown

Suzanne and Michael Brown

Victor and Ann Bruzon

Erin Burgess

Maureen Burgess

Leanne M. Burkholder

Gina Burton

Michèle Bussières

Angela Butikofer

Lorraine Butler

Xu-Biao Jiang and Yan Cai

Veronica Callinan

Vern Campbell

Denise and Ken Cargill

Helder Marcos and Karen Carrillo

Mike and Val Cassaday

Roberta Cathcart

Michele Chandler

Manraj Chauhan

Doris Chee

Patricia Chinell

Deena Chochinov

Geoffrey Chown

Lilli Chu

Ellen Clark

Peter Clark

Cynthia Clarkson

Granite Club

Catherine Cobden

Noah and Heather Cole

Jeannine Lunney and Howard

Cole

Muriel Comay

Penelope Connor

Rob Cook

Virginia Cooper

Bianca Da Costa

Ed Cott

Geeske Cruickshank

Elizabeth Anne and Robert Cumming

Richard P Davidson

Judith Davidson-Palmer

Phyllis Davis

Nadine De Palma

Pat de Valence

Christine Deihl

Nancy and Ron Dengler

Les DeSouza

Nicholas Dietrich

Rosemary and Mark

Dimuantes

Suzanne E. Drinkwater

Deb Cross and John Duncan

Mary Dupuis

Susan and Geoffrey Dyer

Ann Elliott

Carolyn and Peter Enke

Brenda and Cameron Eprile

Bonnie Evans

Cathy and Warren Faber

The Casey-Van Andel Family

Robert Fisher

Ellen Flanders

Lorraine Flanigan

Sheryl Kennedy and Bill Fleury

Elizabeth A Foot

Carolyn Ford

Barbara Foster

Lourensa Fourie

Marie Fourmy

Ethel and Harold Freeman

Miriam Freibauer

Jacqueline Freudenthal

Laura Fujino

Karen Gardner

Nicole Gardner

Sandra Geddes

Laurence Ginsberg

Ruth Gladstone

John Hall and Michele Glover

Ashley Goertz

Lori Goldberg

Josephine Gonzales

Diane Gooderham

Harry Goodwin

Diane Gore

Michael and Nancy Graham

Janet Haynes Graham

Valerie Grant

Trudy Grantham

Marianne Greene

Janet and David Greyson

Joseph Grignano

Bayla Gross

Patricia Guthrie

Alexander Cartmell and Stella

Habib

Abdullah Hamidi

Ruth Hannigan

Greg Leverton and Lawrence

Harris

Jan and Dave Heaven

Hanna Heger

Jane Henderson

Ann Hersch

Lucia Herwig

Cindy Hill

Marion Hill

Jacqueline Ho

Sally Holton

Kristy Hook

Joanne Jackson and Norman Housley

Judi and Nick Hughes

Wilson Hui

Maureen Hulbert

Kim Humphreys

James Hunter

Wendy Hutchinson

Kyle Hutzler

Janet Harrison and Charles Iscove

Wobine and Aru Ishwaran

Jane M James

Heather Jamieson

Sara Jina

Mumtaz Jiwan

Madeleine Joffe

Elaine Johnson

Karin Jordan

Jeanne Banka and Bill Kamula

Janet Karn

Susan Kemp

Alison Kenn

Georgianne and Fred Kennedy

Janet Kennish

Ellen Kessler

Marlee Pinsker and Ellen Kessler

Krista Kiilaspea

Marilyn King

Elizabeth King

David Kirschner

Brenda Kisic

Raymond Ko

Cassandra Koenen

Annika Kohler

Jenny L. Rhodenizer and Michael Kostoff

Anne Kotyk

Michael Kramer

Catherine Kuchynski

Sheila and Kuttimol Kurian

Fundraising Lab

Judith Lavin

Lydia Lee

Anna Leggatt

Richard Tattersall and

Alessandra Leopardi

Desmond and Anne Levin

Peter and Sheena Levitt

Junyao Li

Rita Liddell

Margot Linken

Manolito Liwanag

Karen Lloyd

Iva Lloyd

Gloria and Albert Lockyer

Lynette Logue

Gillian and Oliver Long

Torry Lowenbach

Siri Luckow

Lisa MacKay

Ian MacRae

Patricia Main

Paul and Diana Marchand

Patricia Martin

Deborah Maw

Sheila McAllister

Barbara Woodcock

McCaffrey

Terry McCrorie

Nancy and John McFadyen

Leslie McIntosh

Patty and David McKnight

William McLaren

Mundy McLaughlin

Susan and Mark McLennan

Joan McLuskie

Victoria and Mike McMullen

Catherine Meade

Sandra and Jim Melvin

Stephanie Meredith

Mary Lee Meyer-Balconi

Arti Meyers

Rachel Migicovsky

Angela Miles

Marilyn Millington

Janet Mills

Jan Mitchell

Noreen Mitchell

Nikki Moffat

Lyndsay Moffatt

Kenneth Mok

Barbara Morris

Dominique Nanoff

Nancy Nanos

Joanne Neglia

Zeenia Nehar

Deborah Nesbitt

Louisa Newbury

Lise and Jim Newmam

Stella W S Ng

Linda Nichols

Susan Nicholson

Lori Noble

Suzanne and James Noonan

Ellen Novack

Diane Olmstead

Marj Olsson

Olga O'Neill

Tanya Onieogou

Mira Oreck

Mary Ouchterlony

Caitlyn Owens

Catherine Park

Carolyn Pathy

Joan Patterson

Catherine and Bruce Peer

Monica Penthor

Annick Peron

Eric Petersen

Julia Phelan

Barbara Fairbanks and Gordon Piercey

Janet Piper

Laura Pisko

Sylvia R Pivko

Ruth Plumpton

Ionela and Octavian Popescu

Amara Possian

Alla and Igor Preobrazhensky

Valerie Preston

Marilyn Price

Kim Price

Luba Quadrini

Konrad Radacz

Irina Radulescu

Lynn Raitt

Robin and Jeremy Rakowsky

Catherine Rand

Karin Rannala

Joy Reddy

Elizabeth A Reid

Erin Higgins and Fraser

Roberts

Rose Roberts

Shirley Ross

Kailah Rubin

Victoria Russell

Tristin Chipman and Emily

Saliers

Deb Saltmarche

Karyn Sandlos

Aldona Satterthwaite

Mardi Saunders

Marguerite Savidant

Anthony Schein

Dawn Scott

Barbara Scott

Haig Seferian

Sreela Sengupta

Eleanor Shannon

William and Pamela

Shellington

Mary Campbell and Shawn Sheppard

Martin Ship

Sherry Shrives 25

Mi Mui Shum

Patricia Sidhom

Tien Sile

Susan Simonton

Maureen Simpson

Carol Ann Slipetz

Sue and Ron Smith

Susan and Patrick Smith

Ingrid Smith

Jeffrey Smith

Myra Sourkes

Marianna Spatafora

Margaret Spence

Markus and Janice StadelmannElder

Lisa Stahlschmidt

Leslie and Harvey Starkman

Andrew Stewart

Barbara Stewart

Marlene Stewart

Elizabeth A Stewart

Elizabeth and Jonathan Stokes

Debbie J. Stone

Patricia Stone

Vera Straka

Louise Sutton

Natalie Harder and Adam Szaflarski

Ana Sztabinski

Susan T.

Beverley Takaoka

Katy Takaoka

Rosita Tam

Debbie Tam

Thelma Tamaki

Margaret Rousseau and William Tatley

Dr Frances and Dr Joseph Telch

Roxana Teodorescu

Deborah Beatty The

Karen Thomas

Katherine Thomas

Sheila Thomson

Gay Thomson

Svetlana Tiounina

Roz Titley

Martin Traub-Werner

Ann P W Tse

Cerine Tso

Andrea Tu

Elaine Zinkhan and Stuart Turnbull

Lucian Childs and Alex Turner

Martha Turner

Myra Tysoe

Connie and Jack Uetrecht

Mary Uetrecht

Carol Unicume

Susan Urie

Toshio Ushiroguchi-Pigott

Patricia Vaughan

Nimet Visram

Michael van Vlymen

Robert and Marion Waddell

Dr. Lisa Wagner

Ann Wallace

Patricia Wallis

Barbara Wang

Ann C. Weiss

Feliks Welfeld

Jennifer Welsh

Marilyn Wiebe

Myra Wiener

Sharon Willan

Joan Winearls

Wendy Woodworth

Marta Donnelly and Jim Wooler

Jim Wooller

Karen Worrall

Lucy Van Wyk

Vivian Yarwood

Grace and Helen Yip

Suzanne Young

Shirley Zaky

Dr. Joan Beattie and Fred Zufferey

IN-KIND DONORS

Ball FloraPlant/Selecta One

North America

Brookdale Treeland Nurseries

LTD

Beaver Valley Stone LTD

Chairman Mills

McGill Equipment

PanAmerican Seed

Sheridan Nurseries

TBG Bloom Cafe

The Food Dudes

Toronto Master Gardeners

Tradewinds International

Sales Co. Inc.

Zavida Coffee

GIFTS IN HONOUR OF Antja Bodnaruk

Arnold Siebenthal

Christopher Critchlow

TBG Floral Class Teachers

John Radford

Kathy Dembroski

Margaux Harrington

Marjorie Collis

Maxine Wagner

Nimet Visram

Pat Ware

Sandi Bliguin

Shelagh O'Neill

The Garden Club of Toronto

Winston, Charlie, Theo & Evelene

GIFTS IN M

Betsy Chan

Carrie Smi

Catherine T

David Mon

Diogo and Edith Whit

Gladye Bre

Gloria Ho

Graeme Sc

Gulam Jina

Irene Hood

Irene Stoke

Jordan E. O

Mary Elisa

Mary W. P

Michael N

Myra Nort

Ruby Fishe

Rupert Fie

Tue LeQuo

ENDOWM

Caroline S

Joan Helen

Leslie Dale

Mark and M

Nancy Eat

TBG Gene

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

For the Year Ending December 31, 2023 (reported in thousands of dollars)

Donations, grants and subsidies (note 1)

Investments and other income (note 2)

Expansion project

Total Revenue EXPENDITURES

Salaries and benefits

Other operating costs

Retail Education and tours

Professional fees

Systems

Expansion project

Total Expenditures

Excess (deficit) of revenues over expenditures for the year before under-noted items

Amortization of deferred contributions (note 3)

Amortization of leasehold improvements

EXCESS (DEFICIT OF REVENUES OVER EXPENDITURES FOR THE YEAR)

NOTES

1

4 REVENUE

2

(599) 329 (358) $(628)

Like many non-profits, in 2023 TBG experienced a significant reduction in grant funding This is tied to the post-pandemic landscape where grants were oversubscribed and funding priorities changed rapidly. If grant funding had maintained at or above the 2022 levels, the bottom line for 2023 could have been in a surplus position The 2021 Donations, grants, and subsidies include $323,486 from the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and $102,408 from the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program

Unspent deferred capital contributions - In 2021 $101,672 of unspent deferred capital contributions were approved by the donor to be repurposed and applied to general operating expenses to compensate for these costs The amount has been included in the investment and other revenue on the statement of operations.

3. The above Statement of Operations provides a summary or the TBG financial activity for 2023, 2022 and 2021. Financial Statements for each year (January 1 to December 31) were audited by KPMG

Deferred contributions relate to the non-operating revenues and expenditures received for the revitalization of the building and grounds located at 777 Lawrence Avenue East, as part of TBG's Expansion and Renewal work Deferred contributions are amortized into revenue on the same basis as the amortization related to the leasehold improvements

2023 OPERATING RESULTS

(reported in thousands of dollars)

In2023,TBG balancedoperationalsustainabilitywithstrategicgrowthwhilenavigatingthefinancialpressures impactingthewidernonprofitcommunity Forthefirsttimesince2019,TBGreturnedtofulloperations followingpandemic-relateddisruptions,anditwasabanneryearofsuccessfortheGarden Wereinvestedin ourgardens,launchednewpartnerships,andachievedrecord-breakingsummercampparticipation. However,inthemidstofallofthesesuccesses,thereweresignificantfinancialchallengesthatimpactedthe non-profitcommunityoverall Thetwocorechallengeswere: 1)ReducedGrantFunding:Shiftsingranting priorities,anextremefocusonnewprojects,limitedsupportforcoreoperations,andoversubscriptionto availablegrantfundscomparedtopreviousyears 2)ExtendedTimelineforCorporateSponsorship:thetimeline togotomarkettopursuecorporatesponsorshipwaslongerthananticipated,whichdelayedexpectedrevenue ForTBG, thistranslatedtolowerthanexpectedrevenues,particularlyingovernmentgrantsandhigherthan forecastedexpensesthanforecast Asaresult,therewasarevenueshortfallof$627,876in2023

Despitethechallenges,earnedrevenueincreasedby25%-duetotheeffortsonouroperatingstrategies If grantanddonationlevelscouldhavebeenmaintainedwewouldhaveachievedasurplusin2023

WhilenooneintheGarden’scommunityofsupportersandchampionswantsustobeinthisposition,wewere notalone Manynon-profitshavebeenwrestlingwithfinancialissuesasgrantrevenuesandotherfinancial supportshavenotreturnedtopre-pandemiclevels,whiledemandforservicescontinuestoincrease Wehavemadeprogressinaddressingourfinancialposition,butwestillhaveworktodo Ourpriorityin2024is toensurethattheGardenraisesthefundsneededtobeonsolidgroundfor2025 Thiswillprovidethe resourcesandstaffingnecessaryforcontinuedgrowthandsuccess.

5 YEAR FINANCIAL HISTORY

(reported in thousands of dollars)

Revenue Expenditures

Adjustment for items noted below

Adjusted for Extraordinary Gifts (2019)

2023 VS 2022 & 2021 REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2022-2023

Board Chair Gordon Ashworth

Vice Chair Tony DiGiovanni

Secretary Dianne Azzarello

Treasurer Janice Winton

Members

Barb Anie, Dianne Azzarello, Adeline Cheng, Michele Chandler, Doris Chee, Ben Cullen, Lisa Ellis, Susan Grundy, Abdullah Hamidi, Margareth Lobo Gault, Helder Marcos, Haig Seferian, Martin Ship

Ex Officio

Christina Iacovino (City of Toronto), Derryn Gill (Garden Club of Toronto), Michael Erdman(Milne House Garden Club)

MISSION

Toronto Botanical Garden connects people and plants, fostering sustainable communities and developing reciprocal relationships with nature through lifelong learning.

VISION

Toronto Botanical Garden is a garden for all; a diverse community that recognizes the lifegiving role of nature, working together for a more sustainable world

LAND

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We acknowledge the land we are meeting on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.

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