NGC Foundation

The National Gallery of Canada Foundation welcomes visionary philanthropists, art collectors, and corporations from across the country to work with us in support of strategic initiatives at the National Gallery of Canada.

Join us in celebrating and supporting Canada’s visual arts heritage. Learn more about the Foundation and how we help advance art research, promote dynamic national programs, and nurture the growth of the national collection for future generations.

Support the Gallery

About the Foundation

In 1997, the National Gallery of Canada Foundation was established as a non-profit registered charity that cultivates private support in Canada and abroad, raising capital, and managing and increasing both expendable funds and an endowment, for the benefit of the National Gallery of Canada. 

With the support of the federal government, and private patronage from donors, the Gallery’s collections and programs were founded upon, and continue to be sustained by, an ongoing spirit of public-private partnership.

To date, the NGC Foundation has raised more than $60 million in financial contributions and has generated $20 million in earned revenue from sponsorships, membership, and investment income. We are also proud to have facilitated donations of art valued in excess of $40 million and the establishment of more than 25 endowments and special project funds in support of research and acquisitions.

The NGC Foundation enjoys an active engagement with its donors, whose exemplary generosity has fostered the preservation, display, and understanding of a world-class collection of visual art.

Charitable Registration Number:  87 858 0240 RR0001

A Gallery curator is talking to a group of patrons in the galleries.

Support Us

Did you know the National Gallery of Canada is home to some of the country’s most important collections of art and photography?

Help us shape art history

Major and Special Gifts

The Foundation welcomes gifts at all levels, and is pleased to recognize the generosity of all past and current patrons. Patrons may contribute to a range of restricted and non-restricted expendable funds or endowments.

Capital Naming Opportunities — including galleries, public spaces, and exhibition halls — are also available.

Please note that the Gallery’s Membership and Circle programs, are directly managed by the National Gallery of Canada. Information on these programs are available on the Become a Member page.

 

Board of Directors

Ann Bowman.

Ann Bowman

Chair, Board of Directors and Chair, Executive Committee
Michelle Koerner

Michelle Koerner

Vice Chair, Board of Directors and Chair, Fundraising Committee
Paul Genest

Paul Genest

Vice Chair, Board of Directors
Harriet (Hatty) Reisman

Harriet (Hatty) Reisman

Corporate Secretary and Chair, Governance and Nominating Committee
Pierre Laporte

Pierre Laporte

Audit, Finance and Investment Committee
Thomas Paul d’Aquino

Thomas Paul d’Aquino C.M., B.A., J.D., LL.M., LL.D.

Chair Emeritus and Chair, Stewardship Committee
Anouchka Freybe

Anouchka Freybe

Director
Ash K. Prakash

Ash K. Prakash, C.M.

Director
Bernard A. Courtois

Bernard A. Courtois

Director
Don Pether

Donald (Don) Pether

Director
Jim Gogan

Jim Gogan

Director
John Doig

John Doig

Director
John Mierins

John Mierins

Director
Karen Colby-Stothart

Karen Colby-Stothart

Director
Leslie Gales

Leslie Gales

Director
Linda Black

Linda Black, Q.C.

Director
Michael Audain

Michael Audain, O.C., O.B.C.

Director
Michael G. Adams

Michael G. Adams

Director
Nichole Anderson Bergeron

Nichole Anderson Bergeron

Director
Shabin Mohamed

Shabin Mohamed

Director

Founding Partners Circle

Exterior view of the National Gallery of Canada building in summer.

 

The National Gallery of Canada Foundation was created in 1997, under the leadership of Jean-Claude Delorme, O.C.,O.Q., C.R., (1934–2006). Together, the twenty founding patrons, known as the Founding Partners’ Circle, provided the Foundation’s first endowment fund in support of the National Gallery.

The NGC Foundation is grateful to its Founding Partners’ Circle:

  • Bell
  • BMO Financial Group
  • CIBC
  • Nahum Gelber, Q.C., and Dr. Sheila Gelber
  • Michal Hornstein, C.M., O.Q., and Renata Hornstein
  • Imperial Oil Foundation
  • Imperial Tobacco Canada Foundation
  • Parnassus Foundation (Raphael and Jane Bernstein)
  • Jean H. Picard, C.M.
  • Power Corporation of Canada
  • RBC Foundation
  • Donald R. Sobey, C.M., and Beth Sobey
  • TD Bank Financial Group
  • Sara Vered, C.M., and Zeev Vered, C.M., P. Eng.

 

Governance

For 135 years, the National Gallery of Canada has been the nation’s pre-eminent showcase of achievement in the visual arts in Canada and around the world. The National Gallery of Canada Foundation is responsible for ensuring private patronage, promoting our cultural heritage, and providing support towards fulfillment of the Gallery’s mission.

The National Gallery of Canada Foundation is a national, non-profit registered charity under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporation Act(CNCA). Governed by an elected Board of Directors drawn from across Canada, and comprising volunteer leaders and exceptional philanthropists, including major donors to the Gallery, its principal aim is to raise and maintain funds in support of the Gallery and its collections and programs.

The Foundation’s highly active and engaged Board works closely with the Foundation’s Administration, and has dedicated Executive, Audit, Investment, Fundraising, Stewardship, and Planned Giving committees that contribute immensely to the management and direction of the Foundation’s work. In addition, the American Friends of the NGC is governed by Thomas d’Aquino, Chair; Peter G. Restler, Secretary; and Michael Adams, Director.

Read More in the 2018–2019 Annual Report

Our Commitment

Each year, donors to the National Gallery of Canada Foundation provide support to collection expansion, curatorial and technical research, national touring programs and other key activity areas at the Gallery. Thank you!

To ensure that our donors and prospective donors have full and ongoing confidence in the National Gallery of Canada Foundation (“the Foundation”), we make the following commitments:

  1. To strive to raise the profile of the National Gallery of Canada, nationally and internationally. In particular, to support the Gallery’s vision to bring the national collections to all Canadians, from coast to coast, and to leave a lasting legacy for future generations.
  2. To clearly describe our mission and fundraising priorities, and to update these annually in strategic consultation with the National Gallery of Canada.
  3. To become a recognized leader in philanthropy in the art museum sector, with innovative collection development strategies.
  4. To provide a thoughtful stewardship program for the Foundation, designed to cultivate long-term donor relationships and to recognize donors’ generosity in an appropriate manner.
  5. To identify members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, and to make available the most recent financial statements of the National Gallery of Canada and the National Gallery of Canada Foundation.
  6. To provide tax receipts for the full value of all charitable donations, and to provide customized Deed of Gift agreements for all gifts in excess of $100,000. (Deed of Gift agreements are also available upon request for gifts below $100,000.)
  7. To manage specially designated restricted funds for the purposes for which they were given, and to issue annual fund summary reports where relevant.
  8. To manage invested funds with rigorous financial oversight, and with the services of a professional financial investment management firm.
  9. To offer confidential donation services and gift management, to the extent provided by law. To manage confidential personal data, including addresses and contact information with discretion, and to seek permission to transmit personal information to any third-party organization working with the Foundation.
  10. To ensure that all communication from the Foundation and the Gallery is prompt, courteous, and professional.