Tuesday

Governor General of Canada becomes Patron of Community Foundations of Canada




OTTAWA, April 26, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Community Foundations of Canada is proud to announce that His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, will serve as the organization's Patron for the duration of his viceregal term.

Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) is the national membership association for the country's 178 community foundations. Community foundations have connected donors to community needs and opportunities since 1921 and are one of the country's largest supporters of local charities.

"Encouraging philanthropy and volunteerism are one of the three pillars of the Governor's General's mandate and we are honoured to have him as a Patron of Canada's community foundation movement," said Monica Patten, President and CEO of Community Foundations of Canada. "His Excellency is a well-known champion of the power of philanthropy to drive local change."


The Governor General is also the opening speaker at CFC 2011 Conference - A World of Opportunity, an international gathering for the philanthropic sector taking place in Vancouver May 12-14. He will be joined by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, African human-rights advocate Naomi Tutu, and Next-Gen pioneer Michael Furdyk of TakingITGlobal.org.

The conference - which will attract nearly 600 guests from across Canada and around the world - marks the 90th anniversary of the Community Foundation movement, which began in Winnipeg in 1921.

For more information about CFC 2011 Conference, visit www.cfc-conference.ca.