Foundations - September 2006

Description:

To promote and support evidence-based decision making in all areas of lifelong learning by informing Canadians regularly on Canada's progress on learning outcomes, and promoting knowledge and information exchange among learning partners.

Strategic Outcomes:

• Policies and programs that meet the human capital and social development needs of Canadians.

Summary of Annual Plans of Recipient:

• Canadian Council on Learning will improve knowledge and information on lifelong learning by focusing on the thematic areas of: Aboriginal Learning, Adult Learning, Early Childhood Learning; Health and Learning; Structured Learning; and Work and Learning.
• Report to Canadians on the state of learning in Canada including releasing reports for each Knowledge Centre theme and post-secondary education, as well as a pan-Canadian Composite Learning Index to provide a quantitative measure of learning.
• Increase knowledge and information on learning through sponsored research, workshops and roundtables, and the development of an on-line Journal of Applied Research on Learning.
• Disseminate and exchange knowledge and exemplary practices on a pan-Canadian basis through thematic reports, conferences, regular newsletters and the development of a virtual library.
• Improve availability of learning data through collection of data relevant to learning themes and catalogue of provincial and territorial datasets.

Planned Audit and Evaluation:

Third Party formative evaluation to be completed by September 30, 2006

Description:

The Budget Implementation Act, 1998, provides for the creation of the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation.  The Act establishes that the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development is responsible for tabling the Foundation's annual report before Parliament and provides for the $2.5B endowment made to the Foundation in 1998.

The endowment is managed in accordance with the Funding Agreement between the Foundation and the Government of Canada, as represented by the Ministers of Finance and Human Resources and Social Development.

The objective of the foundation is to increase access to post-secondary education so that Canadians can acquire the skills needed to participate in a changing economy and society by granting scholarships to students who are in financial need and who demonstrate merit.

Strategic outcome:

• Enhanced Canadian productivity and participation through efficient and inclusive labour markets, competitive workplaces and access to learning.

Summary of Annual Plans of Recipient:

• Approximately 90,000 students with demonstrated financial need benefit from millennium bursaries annually with award bursaries averaging $3,000.
• Approximately 25,000 additional students from low-income families who have demonstrated financial need benefit from millennium access bursaries annually (beginning in 2005-2006) with award bursaries averaging $2,000.
• Distribute annual millennium entrance awards to over 900 post-secondary students and in-course excellence awards to up to 1,200 post-secondary students, valued at $4,000 or $5,000 depending on the type of award, to students who demonstrate exceptional merit.

Planned Audit and Evaluation:

The Foundation's annual audit will be conducted in the first quarter, and program reviews and audits of granting processes will be conducted in three provinces.

Description:

The purpose of this foundation is to provide one time funding and a vehicle for corporations and private citizens, who supported Peter Gzowski's work in literacy, to make donations in his name. The intent is to support increased public awareness of, and support for, literacy issues; leveraged funds; promotion of literacy and its importance; and literacy activities that support the promotion of literacy and leverage funds for literacy throughout Canada.

• Enhanced Canadian productivity and participation through efficient and inclusive labour markets, competitive workplaces and access to learning.

Summary of Annual Plans of Recipient:

• National coordination of the PGI Golf tournament for Literacy which supports literacy activities.
• Literacy activities which support the raising of funds and public awareness for literacy at the local level.
• Literacy activities that support the promotion of literacy and leverage funds for literacy throughout Canada.

Planned Audit and Evaluation:

Annual audits as required under new Treasury Board guidelines for foundations

URL to Foundation site:  www.abc-canada.org/pgi_tournaments

Description:

To implement a province-wide family literacy program whereby each newborn in Nova Scotia receives a tote bag of books and learning supports before leaving the hospital.  The intent is:

• To help support a child's learning from birth;
• To support parents as their children's first and most important teacher;
• To encourage a healthy learning environment in the home; and
• To encourage book sharing between parents and children as a means to facilitate bonding, talking, singing and other language activities which support early development.

Ultimately, it is expected that this initiative will contribute to improving literacy levels in Nova Scotia.

Strategic outcome:

• Enhanced Canadian productivity and participation through efficient and inclusive labour markets, competitive workplaces and access to learning.

Summary of Annual Plans of Recipient:

• To provide a gift bag of books and literacy resources to the parents of the 10,000 babies born in Nova Scotia each year, within 48 hours after the child's birth.
• To arrange for trained family literacy practitioners to meet with families at the hospital bedside to deliver information about early brain and language development and the benefits of talking, reading and singing to babies from birth.

Planned Audit and Evaluation:

Annual audits as required under new Treasury Board guidelines for foundations.

Name of Foundation:  The Winnipeg Foundation

Start Date:
February 28, 2003

End Date:
Ongoing

Total Funding:
$1 million

Description:

The purpose of this foundation is to help support existing and innovative family literacy initiatives in Manitoba, more specifically to create and increase the availability of materials and resources to the family literacy field in the province.  This includes the Literacy for Life endowment challenge fund which will support existing literacy activities and innovative family literacy initiatives at the grassroots level.

Strategic outcome:

• Enhanced Canadian productivity and participation through efficient and inclusive labour markets, competitive workplaces and access to learning.

Summary of Annual Plans of Recipient:

• Income generated by the fund will be allocated as grants to qualifying community Family Literacy Programs and to programs in the 20 branches of the Winnipeg Public Library.
• 88 community grants have been approved to date for a total of $239,430.

$ million

Actuals
2005-2006

Planned
Spending
2006-2007

Planned
Spending
2007-2008

Planned
Spending
2008-2009

Conditional Grant(s)

$.075M

$.177M ¹

N/A

N/A

Planned Audit and Evaluation:

Annual audits as required under new Treasury Board guidelines for foundations.

URL to Foundation site: www.wpgfdn.org

¹ Federal payments are contingent on matching funds raised by The Winnipeg Foundation.  A total of $822,720 out of $1 million has been paid to the Winnipeg Foundation from February 28, 2003 to the end of the 2005-06 fiscal year.  The balance of $177,280 remains to be paid out conditional upon The Winnipeg Foundation contributing a matching dollar amount.  Matched funding will end September 30, 2006.  With the assistance of HRSD Legal Services, negotiations will proceed to amend reporting obligations in order to meet the Office of the Auditor General recommendations and Treasury Board guidelines.