Nov/Dec 2022

Principal’s Message

Dr. Katrina Samson

As the holiday season arrives and we begin to anticipate the joy of gathering with family and friends, early December is a natural moment to think about gratitude and giving back. At Havergal, our Celebration Saturday event comes immediately to mind, where students this year raised $39,837.66 in support of our community partners. Yet another inspiration are our facilities and the programming that over the years have been developed and strengthened thanks to the generosity of our donors. Today at Havergal, we are lucky enough to benefit from those who have gone before us and those who have shown their belief in our school mission with their philanthropic support. Our donors, past and present, recognize that success for one girl contributes to the empowerment of all girls.

Yet, we also recognize a gap when it comes to supporting girls’ education. Philanthropic support has historically been higher for boys’ schools. This disparity not only has an impact on girls’ education, but also reinforces the gender equity gap—the gap Havergal was founded to address. This gender equity gap exists in a number of ways in today’s society, illustrated through facts such as pay inequity between men and women. In 2021, Canadian women made only 89 cents for every dollar men made, according to the Statistic Canada’s Gender Pay Gap. Your own philanthropic investment in Havergal students is one way to help narrow these divisions and ensure that young women are empowered to rise as far as they want in their careers and in society. Your support also solidifies Havergal’s reputation as a leader in the advancement of girls and women, showing our girls how much our community believes in them and in their potential.

At Havergal, giving back is built into our curriculum, community partnerships and co-curricular programs. It’s especially inspiring to witness students go beyond these school programs and express their own agency in giving. As an example, this year’s Grad Class has chosen wellbeing as a focus for their annual Grad Gift. Seeing them empowered by the potential of their impact is inspiring and we expect that it will be just the first of many such moments of exercising impact and influence in their young lives.

During this time of year when giving is top of mind, we hope that you make Havergal one of your top philanthropic priorities. Please visit the Giving section of our website to learn more. From supporting our Financial Aid program, which gives deserving students the opportunity to attend Havergal, to giving your time to our programs and facilities, your support makes a difference in the lives of all Havergal students and can have an immediate and long-term impact. We know that Havergal would not be the success it is without the generosity of our past and present donors and we are so grateful for your commitment to our girls and their excellence.

Katrina

Message from the Board of Governors

Alison Glober, Chair of the Governance Committee

I have the pleasure of writing to the Havergal community on behalf of the Governance Committee of the Board of Governors as this is our formal call for applications to serve on the Board or on a Board Committee.

The primary responsibility of the Governance Committee is to ensure that the Board is well-equipped to carry out its oversight role with respect to the College. Part of that responsibility is to continually evaluate how well the Board and its committees carry out their mandates and advance the College’s educational mission.

One of the most important things the Governance Committee works on is identifying and nominating strong candidates for the Board and its committees. This is an ongoing effort as we try to maintain a roster of broadly qualified candidates. Using a competency-based model, the committee identifies skills and constituencies that need to be considered as we plan for the future.

In reviewing applications, the Governance Committee looks to constitute a Board that balances a mix of competencies and experience, established and more recent Old Girls/alums, current and past parents, and independent members. The Board is also committed to ensuring there is diverse cultural representation on the Board of Governors whose skills and experience align with our competency framework.

In assessing applications, the Governance Committee favours no particular professional background over another, but we frequently seek specific areas of experience and expertise. This year the committee is especially interested in identifying potential candidates with one or more of the following: strategic, senior-level experience in finance (CFO); a background in child and adolescent health and development; and experience with strategic governance leadership in the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) space. 

Governors are volunteers and must be willing to commit the substantial time, effort and energy necessary to fulfill the role and serve the school. It is also expected that a Board Governor will make Havergal one of their top personal charitable priorities.

If you are interested in being considered for the Board or a committee, please let us know by completing the Board of Governors Application Form by Friday, January 27, 2023. Additional details on the role and responsibilities of Board and committee members can be found here.

Alison

Fundraising Highlights from the 2021-22 School Year

Thanks to the generous support of our donors we received $2.2M in donations from more than 650 donors in 2021-22:

In addition to this, $730,000 in new pledge commitments were made.

Class Highlights
The Class of 2022 raised $64,333 with a 48% participation rate.

Our top three best in class for Old Girl/Alum participation were from the following classes: 1959, 1960 and 1983.

To read more about highlights from the past fiscal year as well as our fundraising priorities, please check out the 2021-22 Impact Report.

Thank You for Your Support This #GivingTuesday

Thank you to the Havergal community for your support on #GivingTuesday; gifts received will benefit Havergal’s financial assistance program. Helping to support another’s educational journey is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give. Donations to the financial assistance program help cover tuition fees, outside-of-the classroom academic activities and participation in co-curricular activities. Your generous support will make it possible for generations of future-ready leaders to experience a world-class education and provide promising young women with the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Senior School Community Partnerships

This October our Community Partnership programs returned with reignited passion. Students, and particularly their leaders, have embraced their return with excitement, curiosity and a genuine desire to contribute and build relationships. We’ve asked the leaders of our Art City and Grenoble Community Partnerships to share what it means to them to have these programs back.

What does it mean to be involved with Art City?

“After more than two years of video making from home and being divided into grade cohorts, it is exciting to finally volunteer with a wider school community together in a physical space. It’s been great getting to know and connect with our Havergal peers from different grades on this shared project!”—Kathy Lu, Art City Community Partnership Co-Head

“What was missing from the online partnership was interactions with the kids, and it is so wonderful to be able to bond with them again.”—Natlie Mason, Art City Community Partnership Co-Head

“Returning to Art City in person, and being able to lead and to watch the kids throughout their creative process, is something that I took for granted. Fast forward to being back with the kids full-time, it’s really amazing. Seeing their work and hearing their thoughts and creative ideas is really a treat!”—Sofia Al Hussan, Art City Community Partnership Co-Head

What does it mean to be involved with Grenoble?

“Being a part of Grenoble is such a gift, but to have this be the first year since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted that the partnership is running makes it much more special. Visiting the kids every week at Grenoble Public School and connecting with them face-to-face has been very rewarding. It’s amazing to see the bonds the students make with our Havergal volunteers as their friendships start to bud, which has been a priority at the beginning of each session this year. I am so thankful to be a leader in this initiative and see the impacts of these personal connections up close.”—Kate Davidson, Grade 12, Grenoble Community Partnership Head

Happy Holidays from the HCPA Co-Chairs

Tanuja Gupta and Lisa Windover 

As another holiday season approaches, we would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our Havergal community members a wonderful holiday season and a restful winter break with your families. We are very thankful to be back to many of our old traditions as well as some new events this year. We celebrate a sense of pride in all that we accomplished as an HCPA team, as a Havergal school community and with our extended Havergal families.

It’s been a busy start to the school year and our accomplishments so far include: 

We couldn’t do all of these community-building activities and fundraisers without the support of the entire school community, including many volunteers. This holiday season, remember those less fortunate than us and be thankful for the small gifts that life has to offer us each day.

We wish you and your families a joyous holiday season and a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year! 

All the best, 

Tanuja and Lisa

Season of Change

Kate Crokam, Director of Alumni Engagement

My arrival as the Director of Alumni Engagement at Havergal College coincides with a shift in the alumni engagement landscape—we are in a season of change. A season that calls for the adoption of more modern technology and best practice-driven strategies for effective alumni engagement. For me, it’s the perfect time to write a new alumni engagement playbook, one that not only honours our mission of preparing young women to make a difference and the Old Girl/alum community we serve, but also capitalizes on existing trust and social capital. If we’re going to weather this storm, we need to engage with Old Girls in deeper, more innovative and worthwhile ways. 

Alumni engagement by definition can be described as activities that are valued by alum, build lasting and mutually beneficial relationships, inspire loyalty and financial support and strengthen the institution’s reputation. We have learned that Havergal graduates are discerning when it comes to their investments of time, talent and treasure and it is our job to add value to their alumni experience. Luckily we’ve come a long way; in 2022, we now have access to a range of technology tools and new engagement models to help us change course and develop a robust, thoughtful and data-driven program. 

As we work to re-define alum engagement at Havergal College, we are exploring many innovative technologies and emerging best practices with a focus on the following key areas:

We are ready to rise to the challenge! I am confident that this shift to evolve our Old Girl/alum program will add depth to what it means to be a Havergal alum and will make the experience sustainable for generations of HC graduates to come.

The History of Rowing at Havergal

Before Sydney Browne (1982) and Sybil Browne Taylor (1983) arrived at Havergal, their influence was already being felt. The sisters, who came to the school as Boarders in September 1981, were enthusiastic rowers in their hometown of Thunder Bay in northern Ontario.

They had been rowing at Thunder Bay Rowing Club (TBRC) for three years at this point, coached by Alan “Al” Roaf, a coach with Rowing Canada who not only took the sport seriously but took TBRC from a regional club to a national competitor to watch. During this time, Sydney and Sybil were training alongside Tricia Smith and Betty Craig, two athletes on the Canadian national team who went on to win silver medals at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Tricia is currently the president of the Canadian Olympic Committee.

Prior to Sydney and Sybil’s arrival, their father, Robert Browne, a rower himself, wrote to Brenda Robson, then head of Havergal Athletics, to ask about the continuation of their training on the water. And the Havergal College Rowing Program was born.

“The school was amazing in terms of making it happen, with access to boats, coaches and drivers and a late breakfast,” says Sydney. “It was an indication of how when the school is into something, it’s full on with both feet in.”

The home base for this new team was the Argonaut Rowing Club, on the water’s edge in Marilyn Bell Park. Fellow Boarders and Day students joined Sydney and Sybil. Other students passionate about rowing, like Suzanne Brais (1984), recruited family and friends to come on as coaches, while parents volunteered to shuttle the newly formed team down to the lake for early morning practices. One of those was Colin Graham, then Chair of the Havergal College Board Governors.

That first season, the Brownes competed and won in a double scull race at the Toronto high school championships, and later competed in the Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association’s championship regatta in Port Dalhousie, a race that’s been running since 1946.

The program has grown steadily since that first season in 1981. The following year, the team had a driver and bus to get athletes to the club for their early morning practices. In 1988, the program moved to Hanlan Boat Club at Cherry Beach, where it’s been stationed since. The team’s first boats were also bought at this time.  

Between 1988 and 2016, generous parents funded the purchase of rowing shells, ergs, oars, coach boats and trucks and trailers to transport the equipment on an as-needed basis. In 2017, a group of parents, together with the full support of the school, established a rowing endowment with the goal of raising $1 million. The purpose: to fund 100% of the capital needs of the program for the foreseeable future and to provide financial assistance to any families with a demonstrated financial need. Jeff Howe, chair of the Havergal Rowing Endowment, says: “As we celebrate the 40^th anniversary of rowing at Havergal, we are at the 1,500-metre mark and are making a push to the finish line!”

Over the past 40 years, there have been close to 400 athletes who have represented Havergal on the water. Havergal College continues to place in competitions, and our athletes can often be found on the podium at the Canadian Secondary School Rowing Championships. In the 2021-22 school year, Havergal crews stood on the podium five times, with 24 athletes receiving medals. The women’s overall points trophy has been won by Havergal athletes five times. In October 2017, Havergal started competing in the famed Head of the Charles Regatta in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and in October 2022, five members of the Rowing Team competed again, placing 28th out of a field of 90.

Aside from the sporting accomplishment, Sybil says she’s so appreciative for what rowing taught her about collaboration. “Rowing is an amazing physical sport—one of the few that uses every muscle group and requires strength, balance and endurance. But it also requires incredible finesse, as the boat only works when the team works in harmony. That’s a lesson that you carry for the rest of your life,” she says. “It’s a sport that relies on incredibly close co-ordination. You have to be together or you’re nothing.”

Show your support of Havergal’s Rowing Program here by giving to its permanent endowment, which supports access to participation for student athletes.

Planned Giving

Planning for one’s legacy can be transformational. A legacy donation allows you to make a commitment today to provide future support. Your donation will help future generations of students become the leaders of tomorrow, equipped to make an indelible mark on our world. 

Donors who choose to include Havergal in their estate plan will be recognized with membership into the Ellen Knox Society, named in honour of Havergal’s First Principal, and will be listed in the annual Impact Report.

Havergal College offers A Guide to Planning Your Legacy to assist with making the gift planning process understandable and provides insight into the types of planned gifts and common questions associated with estate planning.

Reminder: Tax Year-End is Approaching. Donate Today!

As we approach the end of 2022, please join us in making a difference with a gift to The Havergal Fund. Your donation must be postmarked or completed online by December 31 to receive a 2022 tax receipt.

Make a Gift Online:

Donate Now!

Make a Gift by Mail:

Please mail your cheque, payable to:

The Havergal College Foundation

1451 Avenue Road

Toronto ON  M5N 2H9

Thank you to all those who have already made your donation—you are making an impact!

Havergal’s Annual Impact Report

We are delighted to announce that the 2021-22 Impact Report is now available digitally for you to explore online! Featuring inspiring stories from our donor community, an overview of our fundraising priorities and a snapshot of Havergal’s past fiscal year, this special report highlights the significant impact that donor gifts have on our community and how these important contributions help support girls’ education. 

Havergal students are future-ready because they are supported by a community that is committed to our mission: to prepare young women to make a difference. We are deeply grateful to our donors for their generosity and kindness and we thank them for helping Havergal continue to thrive. 

We welcome you to read the Impact Report online and learn more about how philanthropy aids in shaping the next generation of leaders. You can also access the report via the giving section of our website.

It’s All About Our Girls: Giving at Havergal

Annette Paul, Executive Director of Advancement

When I began my career in advancement in the late 1990s, my boss at the time said something that has stayed with me: “we’re giving people an opportunity to give back.” 

Philanthropy is often synonymous with the giving of money to support the mission and vision of an organization. However, many would also include the sharing of time, talent, networks and other resources that also advance the cause. 

At Havergal, we lean into this fusion. 

When I joined Havergal six months ago, I was delighted by the level of its community’s dedication to girls’ education. From the giving of funds to the rolling up of sleeves, Havergal parents, students, alumni, other supporters, staff and faculty shared a resolute willingness to drive girls education and empowerment forward. The power and potential of our collective leadership and generosity fuels Havergal to ideate, create, expand and enrich pathways to greater innovation and understanding as we educate and empower the next generation of leaders. 

The vital importance of all aspects of giving—money, time, talent, connections and more—cannot be understated. All four (or more) elements are required to work together in order to continue to lift up the special place that is Havergal, its students and the broader community. 

Every day, we see parent volunteers collaborate with faculty and staff on events that help to increase awareness about topics like wellbeing or raise money to support capital endeavours like renovations to a classroom. We see alum volunteers support the work needed to create the annual alumni magazines. We see alum and parent volunteers work together with staff leadership on key governance matters that support and guide Havergal. We connect with parent and alum donors who wish to write cheques that support financial assistance or athletics. And we connect with alums and parents who are able to open doors to other connections and communities that further propel Havergal’s key academic priorities forward. 

Whether through giving money, volunteering or connecting others to Havergal, this community keeps the school top of mind every day. And, when it comes to the giving of dollars to support programs or buildings, donors—often parents and alums—have come through to be a part of the enormous effort necessary to make transformative opportunities such as a new Athletic Centre or STEM Lab a reality. We couldn’t do it without you. 

On behalf of our staff, faculty, volunteers and our Principal, Dr. Katrina Samson, we thank you. 

To make a gift to The Havergal Fund, visit our Donate Today page.

Annette Paul—Executive Director, Advancement

And the Advancement Team

Annette is an experienced fundraising and development executive with over 22 years of experience in the not-for-profit and education sectors in the areas of capital campaigns, major and principal gifts, annual and leadership giving, alumni engagement and stakeholder relations. Prior to her role at Havergal College, she held the position of Director, Advancement at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, where she also co-chaired several university-level committees namely on donor stewardship and equity, diversity and inclusion in advancement. She has held progressive leadership roles at the School of Business at Queen’s University, Queen’s University Alma Mater Society, United Way, Youth Employment Service and Daily Bread Food Bank. Annette has also held volunteer governance roles at Queen’s University, as well as with the Association of Fundraising Professionals and with community organizations. She holds an undergraduate degree and a Master in Public Administration both from Queen’s University, and is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive.

Annette is pleased to give leadership to a number of other advancement professionals within Havergal’s Advancement team, such as Kate Crokam (Director, Alumni Engagement), Emily Anderson (Prospect Management & Research Officer), Angela Paschalidis (Advancement Coordinator), Cat Mandala (Advancement Assistant), Kathryn Champion (Senior Advancement Specialist) and some temporary and terrific support staff. In January, the team will be joined by additional team members, who will guide other key areas such as annual and leadership giving.