Family Finance

Commitment to others earns Canada’s Top Teen Philanthropist award

Jane Wu has a message for young women: You can achieve anything you want. That’s one of the reasons why Wu, 18, created an annual conference for Child and Youth Friendly Calgary (CYFC), called Beauty and Brains. The conference is all about knocking down the perception that certain education and career paths are off limits to women, and inspires them to pursue their dreams – no matter where it takes them. And in recognition of the Calgary teen’s inspiring effort to help her peers succeed, Mackenzie Investments has named her Canada’s Top Teen Philanthropist of the year.

In addition to receiving $1,000 personally, Mackenzie Investments, which created and sponsors the annual award, will also make a $5,000 donation on Jane’s behalf to CYFC, the charity she has been supporting since she was 14. Five runners-up from Victoria to St Hilaire QC will also receive a $500 grant for a charity of their choice.

As well as raising more than $10,000 over two years to create Beauty and Brains, which brings nearly 100 women to Calgary each year, Jane has logged thousands of volunteer hours since she was 12. She served as Chair of the Calgary Youth Foundation (CYF) and Co-Chair of the Mayor’s Youth Council, promoting dialogue between youth and municipal officials.

Wu has also helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for initiatives such as Opening Doors Rental Subsidies for Youth, a program that makes schools, churches and community halls cheaper to rent for organized activities. “For me, philanthropy is the process of turning time, knowledge, heart and money into something truly priceless – real change,” says Wu, who studies commerce at Queen’s University. “This is a truly humbling experience for me. I’ve met a lot of young people who have done incredible things, so to me, this award represents what youth in Canada are doing for philanthropy.”

Daunting but inspiring

With so many committed teens volunteering across Canada, Brad Offman, Vice President, Strategic Philanthropy at Mackenzie Investments, says reviewing the nominations was a daunting but “inspiring” challenge. “We have been astounded by these teens’ dedication to the causes they care about,” says Offman. “Jane’s tireless and creative efforts across a variety of programs have enriched her community - she is the gold standard of a generation that understands the true meaning of philanthropy.”

A wellspring of teen generosity

According to a recent survey conducted by Mackenzie, 93 per cent of teens aged 13-19 have been involved in philanthropic activity; a stunning number for such a young age group. The results of the Mackenzie contest, conducted in October and November of this year with the help of the Community Foundation of Canada, further proves that Canada’s teens are committed to giving their time and money to support their communities.

Applicants were judged on the following criteria: the breadth of their volunteering and fundraising efforts, their leadership and creativity, their hands-on involvement in their philanthropic pursuits, their length and level of involvement, and the impact on their community and their charity.

Five others received $500 for their charity of choice

Jessica Szeto, 16, Scarborough ON; to support the Fu Hui (Canada) Foundation, Jessica traveled to Butuo, China to film the opening of boarding schools for impoverished children. Her documentary “The Children of Butuo” was nominated and screened at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.

Jeneece Edroff, 14, Victoria BC; over seven years, with the help of the BC community, Jeneece has raised more than $1.25 million for Variety, The Children’s Charity, through an annual penny drive. Jeneece was born with a genetic condition called Neurofibromatosis.

Calvin Mitchell, 15, Ottawa ON; to support the charity Free the Children, Calvin spearheaded a fundraising group, which raised enough money to build two elementary schools in Kenya.

Olivier Cossette, 15, St. Hilaire QC; since 2003, when Olivier’s mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, he has raised over $50,000 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, from collecting bottles and cans door-to-door to community garage sales and annual walks.

Arnav Agarwal, 16, Mississauga ON; since being inspired by visiting Mother Teresa’s homes in Delhi, India at a young age, over the past two years Arnav has volunteered over 1,500 hours for the Mississauga, ON YMCA, leading Child/Youth/Family programs.

“Young Canadians are doing incredible work in their communities and around the world; not because they are required to, but because they want to make the world a better place,” said Monica Patten, President and Chief Executive Officer, Community Foundations of Canada. “In the heart of this charitable giving season, it’s inspiring to see so many teens dedicating their time and raising funds to support the causes they wholeheartedly believe in.”

Along with Monica Patten, a panel of high profile individuals selected this year’s winner and finalists. They included: Danielle Silverstein, Executive Director, Jays Care Foundation, Malcolm Howard, Olympic Gold Medalist and supporter of the Canadian Athletes Now Fund, Carlos Bustamante, Host, YTV’s The Zone and Brad Offman, Vice President, Strategic Philanthropy at Mackenzie Investments.

For more information about the contest and finalists go to www.mackenziefinancial.com/teen.

More information on charitable giving and the Mackenzie Charitable Giving Fund, which allows Canadians to leave a legacy of giving, can be found at www.mackenziefinancial.com/giving.

About the survey: The Mackenzie survey results are based on a Youthography national online survey conducted from September 17 to September 21, 2008. The final sample consisted of 532 respondents; total sample is accurate 19 times out of 20: ± 4.25.