The Lawson Foundation
Private foundation · Toronto, Ontario · BN 119241727RR0001 · Foundations · website
Source: T3010 return, FPE 2024-12-31. Split of total expenditures ($8,325,862) as filed with the CRA.
The Lawson Foundation is a private foundation based in Toronto, Ontario, classified by the CRA under foundations. In its fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, it reported $24.1M in revenue and $8.3M in expenditures.
In 2024, 1 other registered charity reported granting it a combined $29K.
Compared with 380 grantmaking charities of similar size, its share of spending on mission — charitable programs plus grants to other charities — ranked above 48% of peers. Its highest-paid position fell in the $250,000–299,999 range. The charity reported 8 permanent full-time positions.
As a grantmaker, it reported gifts to 126 qualified donees totalling $4.4M in 2024, the largest being $250K to YMCAS of Québec Foundation. Revenue has grown substantially over its filings on record here, from $12.4M in 2020 to $24.1M in 2024. Its filed list of directors and trustees shows 12 names.
In its own words
The lawson foundation is a canadian family foundation that invests in and engages with ideas people and organizations that contribute to the healthy development of children and youth. Our primary areas of focus include: early child development outdoor play child & youth diabetes and youth action & the environment. In addition to these areas of focus the foundation also supports selected initiatives that strengthen philanthropy and support the braoder charitable and nonprofit sector in canada.
Ongoing-program description from its T3010 filing, verbatim.
The ledger, 2020–2024
| Year | Revenue | Spending | Programs | Fundraising | Gifts out | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $24.1M | $8.3M | $2.4M | — | $4.8M | $151.7M |
| 2023 | $16.1M | $8.8M | $1.9M | — | $5.9M | $136M |
| 2022 | -$14M | $8.5M | $1.8M | — | $5.7M | $128.7M |
| 2021 | $18.6M | $8.5M | $1.5M | — | $6M | $151.3M |
| 2020 | $12.4M | $8.3M | $1.4M | — | $5.9M | $141.2M |
Revenue printed in red where the year ran a deficit. Fiscal years by period end.
Money between charities, 2024
Granted $4.4M to 126 qualified donees — largest 25 shown:
- YMCAS of Québec Foundation$250K
- Take Me Outside Fitness and Outdoor Education for Youth$250K
- The Daymark Foundation Inc.$250K
- Environment Funders Canada$200K
- The Starfish Environmental Society$190K
- Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle$175K
- The Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba Inc.$138K
- Finance Engage Sustain / Financer Engager Soutenir$130K
- People's Food Institute L'Institut Pour Une Alimentation Populaire$103K
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute Inc./institut de Recherche de l'Hopital pour Enfants de l'Est Inc.$100K
- Growing Chefs! Ontario Society$100K
- Canadian Unicef Committee$100K
- Université de Montréal$100K
- The Governing Council of the University of Toronto$100K
- People's Food Institute L'Institut Pour Une Alimentation Populaire$100K
- Ahousaht$100K
- Ma?mo?weh Wii?soo?ka?tiwin$100K
- Nikanihk Ohci Foundation Inc.$100K
- Ma?mo?weh Wii?soo?ka?tiwin$100K
- Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle$100K
- Bearspaw First Nation Eden Valley$100K
- Andrew Fleck Children's Services / Services a l'Enfance Andrew Fleck$95K
- Canadian Unicef Committee$75K
- O'Brien Farm Foundation Incorporated$65K
- Abc Life Literacy Canada$62K
Received $29K from 1 charity:
As reported on the donors’ own T3010 qualified-donee schedules.
What it pays
Its ten highest-paid positions, by band:
- $250,000–299,9991 position
- $200,000–249,9991 position
- $160,000–199,9992 positions
- $120,000–159,9992 positions
- $80,000–119,9992 positions
- Permanent full-time positions8
- Total compensation, all staff$1.3M
Schedule 3 of its 2024 return. The CRA discloses bands, not names or exact salaries.
Directors & trustees (2024)
Lauren Lawson (director); Vijay Venkatesan (director); Vijay Venkatesan (chair audit and finance); Wynne Young (director); Wynne Young (chair); Tim Gardiner (director); Holly Henning-Wood (director); Robin Lawson (director); Robin Lawson (vice chair); Erin Grace (director); Wanda Brascoupé (director); Michelle Chui (director).
As listed on its 2024 return.
Check the source
Every figure on this page is from The Lawson Foundation’s own T3010 filings, published by the Canada Revenue Agency. Verify against the CRA’s charities listing (search BN 119241727RR0001), or read how we compute the receipt.