Grandview Kids’ Introduction of a Development Department – Frequently Asked Questions

As Grandview Kids (“the Centre”) and Grandview Kids Foundation (“the Foundation”) celebrated the successful completion of their “Believe” capital campaign and the opening of their new Ajax-based headquarters, The Jerry Coughlan Building, it was the perfect time to evaluate operations in a number of areas, including their fundraising activities.

This analysis has led to the decision that the Centre will assume fundraising responsibilities for Grandview Kids moving forward and the Foundation will wind down its operations and transfer all assets to the Centre.

This decision comes at an important time for the Centre and provides an opportunity to develop a highly integrated fund development and donor care program. These relationships are critically important as donors ensure that Grandview Kids can deliver more programs and services to our clients and their families.

In addition, the efficiencies achieved by integration means more donor dollars will be directed to supporting Grandview Kids’ mission of supporting children and youth with physical, communication and developmental needs to live, learn and play. Having one organization, with one voice, in the community will be more efficient. Two distinct organizations with all the governance, management and business functions that currently exist are duplications of resources. We believe this new structure will reduce fundraising costs, increase revenue and ultimately enhance care for the kids we serve.

Linda Flynn, a well-known Durham Region resident with significant experience in the not-for-profit sector, has been hired as Interim Fundraising Director for Grandview Kids. Grandview Kids will conduct a search for a new Fundraising Director in due course. Existing Foundation staff have been provided with the opportunity to continue in their roles within the new fundraising structure at Grandview Kids, and we expect that the Fundraising Team will remain the same going forward.

Effective immediately, the Centre is leading the fundraising efforts and encourages all donors to support our mission by making gifts to Grandview Kids. 

Our donation form is still available online on the Grandview Kids Foundation website. This placement will change in the future and donors, clients and families will be notified when this change takes place.  

Gifts can be mailed or dropped off to Grandview Kids – The Jerry Coughlan Building located at 1461 Harwood Ave N, Ajax, ON L1T 0R3.  Please make cheques payable to “Grandview Children’s Centre.”

Grandview Kids is a registered charity, so under the agreement with the Foundation, the Centre will assume all contracts of the Foundation, including any donor agreements. The Centre will honour all donor wishes and restrictions pursuant to any donor agreement

We expect this to be “business as usual” for Grandview Kids fundraising. Over the next few weeks, we will be reaching out to all donors to explain this restructuring and to ensure their continuing support for Grandview Kids and their families.

If you are a monthly donor, your donation will automatically be transferred over to the Centre. Please be advised that we will be in contact with all our monthly donors to explain the process.

We know your objective with your donation(s) is to support the high-quality care Grandview Kids provides to children, youth and families in our community, and we deeply appreciate your ongoing commitment. Funds donated to the Foundation will be transferred to the Centre.

All endowment funds will be transferred to Grandview Kids. Grandview Kids is grateful for the foresight and commitment of donors who have made endowed gifts. We recognize the importance of transparent management, and the use of these funds and investments will continue to be managed responsibly, as they always have. All existing agreements will be respected, and funds will be used as donors intended. A Grandview Kids Development staff member will be in touch with endowment donors in the near future.

The Grandview Kids Foundation will be preparing tax receipts for all gifts made to the Foundation in 2024. In the future, the Centre will process all gifts and receipts.

Transitioning fundraising efforts into Grandview Kids is not unique and is a structure utilized by many other organizations/institutions like ours.

We believe that this is the optimal structure for Grandview Kids moving forward and will achieve operational and cost efficiencies.

The Centre Board of Directors has great appreciation for the years of service and dedication of the many fundraising volunteers who have helped over the years. As the Centre embarks on the new fundraising structure, we will be reaching out to those who have dedicated countless hours to raise funds for the Centre. We trust our volunteers will want to stay involved to continue to raise funds to support the children, youth and families we serve.

Volunteers are the building blocks of fundraising for the Centre. Individuals with varied interests, networks and skills will ensure our future success. As we design our new fundraising program (from events to major and planned giving), community members with an array of skills will be welcomed to help. Please contact Linda Flynn, Interim Executive Lead, Fundraising (linda.flynn@grandviewkids.ca) to discuss how you would like to help.

The restructuring will be implemented over the coming months. Current members on the Foundation’s team will work to authorize the distribution of the Foundation’s assets to the Centre, followed by the revocation of the Foundation’s charitable registration and the formal dissolution of the Foundation.

As part of the restructuring, Grandview Kids Foundation (the “Foundation”) will transfer all its assets to the Centre (the Centre is a registered charity, with the charitable registration number 107447856RR0001) following satisfaction of any outstanding liabilities of the Foundation. Following the transfer of the Foundation’s assets to the Centre, the Foundation will file for voluntary revocation of the Foundation’s charitable registration with the Canada Revenue Agency.

The full transition is expected to be completed by June 2025.

Please feel free to contact any of the Foundation Transition Team’s members listed below if you have any questions regarding the restructuring.

• Linda Flynn, Executive Lead, Fundraising, Grandview Kids: linda.flynn@grandviewkids.ca; 289-685-4604
• Tom McHugh, Chief Executive Officer, Grandview Kids: tom.mcchugh@grandviewkids.ca; 905-260-7746
• Leo Plue, Chair, Board of Directors, Grandview Kids: leo.plue@rogers.com; 519-630-6319