Annual Report on Giving 2014-2015

2014-2015
ANNUAL
REPORT
ON
GIVING
Thank You !
a message from our president
A
successful
year
Thanks to your generosity,
we have achieved our goals: to
support the Douglas Institute’s
researchers and to sustain
projects that improve patients’
quality of life. Without you,
none of this would have been
possible.
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Research: the best hope for prevention and effective treatment
After a year as president of the Foundation, I continue to be impressed by the calibre
of our fundamental and clinical researchers, as well as by their determination to make
advances in the prevention and treatment of mental illness. The Foundation recognizes
the importance of research and is proud to provide essential support to the Douglas
Research Centre. This is the best hope we can offer to those who live with a mental
health problem.
Events that got people talking
In September 2014, Marie-Thérèse Fortin organized a show that took place at the
Auditorium of the Grande Bibliothèque (BAnQ) and that got people throughout Quebec
talking about mental illness and the Douglas. Several days later, at an exclusive event
held at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, the Foundation introduced
Dr. Brigitte Kieffer, Scientific Director of the Research Centre, to the Montreal community.
And finally, the fiscal year ended on a festive note with the 15th edition of Open Minds,
which took place at the Saint James’s Club.
Projects that have a direct impact on patients and their families
Following major renovations in which the Foundation participated, the Institute’s cafeteria
once again welcomes employees, as well as patients and their families. It is precisely
because the cafeteria is open to all that the Foundation got involved in this project. The
Foundation also supported the PEPP Housing Program, which allows young patients to
live in their own apartments and provides new computers to patients in the Stearns and
Lyall Pavilions.
Verdun family makes a major bequest
The Foundation received a bequest of over one million dollars from members of a Verdun
family who greatly appreciated care provided by the Institute a number of years ago. This
gesture is a reminder that a planned gift, no matter the amount, can continue to make
a difference into the future.
Health system undergoes restructuring, but the Foundation
remains at the service of the Douglas
Since April 1, Bill 10 has transformed the organization and governance of our health
institutions, but this does not in any way affect the vocation and operation of the Douglas
Foundation. An independent body, the Foundation remains dedicated to the well-being
of individuals who have mental health problems and to their families, which is why your
support is more important than ever.
On their behalf, I want to thank you and take advantage of this opportunity to invite you
to the second edition of the Bal des lumières, which takes place next March 23 at the
Bell Centre, with proceeds going to the Douglas Institute Foundation, the Fondation de
l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, and the Mental Illness Foundation.
I look forward to seeing you there!
Marisa Giannetti
President of the Board of Directors
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New Nursing Research Centre
leads to up-to-date science
and better care
“Back in the dark ages, there was a presumption that nurses simply followed
doctor’s orders, that they didn’t actually have to think, or interpret and assess,”
says Dr. Franco Carnevale. “But there is a huge amount of research demonstrating that the level of preparedness of nurses, both in terms of education and how
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up-to-date they are with regard to emerging research, has a direct impact on
mortality rates in acute centres, as well as quality of care in all other types
of settings.”
If you’ve ever been hospitalized, you know that nurses are on the front lines of
care.
Dr. Carnevale is himself a nurse, psychologist, clinical ethicist and researcher, as
well as a professor at McGill University’s School of Nursing. In March 2015, he
also became the Scientific Director of the newly created Nursing Research Centre
at the Douglas Institute.
It was another nurse, Lynne McVey, who, as former CEO of the Douglas Institute
and now Associate President-Director General, Integrated University Health and
Social Services Centre – West Montreal, recognized that nursing research was
taking place at the Douglas, but without any clear leadership. She took steps to
create the Nursing Research Centre at the Douglas and to bring Dr. Carnevale on
board.
Several projects under Dr. Carnevale’s supervision are already underway. One
involves his own research, in collaboration with a doctoral student, on the ethical
problems children face in medical care, including mental health care. In another
project, two nurses study how to rigorously analyze existing knowledge regarding
standards and policies in order to provide better care. A third study, in collaboration with the Welcome Home Mission, examines the types of injustices that
children living in St. Henri face at school.
Dr. Carnevale hints at yet another project, one that’s still waiting to receive
funding. “This is perhaps the most exciting study, but I can’t say much because
I don’t want to be scooped!” What he can say is that it involves nursing-based
research on how to remove barriers and improve access to mental health services
within the community.
“We need to have nurses who are up-to-date,” stresses Dr. Carnevale. “But we
also need research on how to ensure that nursing assessment and practice are
as scientifically advanced as in all the other professions, and operate according
to current standards.”
The Douglas Foundation has received two donations in support of the Nursing
Research Centre – an initial contribution of $37,500 from the Gustav Levinschi
Foundation, which led to a matched donation from the Newton Foundation. The
Douglas Foundation is currently seeking additional contributions to support this
exciting and innovative project.
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Friends and family
join former
Institute Director
Jacques Hendlisz
in celebrating his
65th birthday
The Foundation, together with Jacques Hendlisz,
organized an event at the Douglas to celebrate
his 65th birthday. Fine wines were paired with
gourmet hors d’oeuvres concocted by none
other than Chef Hendlisz himself. (Cooking is
one of his many passions, and he can often be found preparing French cuisine as
guest chef at an NDG restaurant.)
Jocelyne Lahoud, Administrative Director,
Douglas Research Centre, and Jacques
Hendlisz, former Executive Director of the
Douglas Institute
Over $11,000 in gifts was collected in Jacques’ honour and in support of the Leo
and Rachel Hendlisz Bursary Fund, which he created in 2012 in honour of his
late parents. The fund endows scholarships in recognition of significant contributions made by graduate students and post-doctoral fellows at the Douglas Institute
Research Centre.
Quebec artists appear
on stage to raise funds
for Douglas Institute
Marie-Thérèse Fortin
The show’s finale
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On Sunday, September 7, 2014, the Douglas
Foundation, in collaboration with actress MarieThérèse Fortin and a number of special guests
(among them Daniel Bélanger, Guylaine Tremblay,
Janine Sutto and Chrystine Brouillet), presented
the first edition of a one-of-a-kind event in support
of mental health. The show, entitled Ceci n’est
pas un spectacle, ceci est notre cause (This is not
a show, this is our cause), took place at the
Auditorium of the Grande Bibliothèque de
Montréal (BAnQ), with over 200 guests in attendance.
Brain
Science
in Montreal
Just Got
Even Better
An event honouring Brigitte Kieffer, PhD, Scientific Director
of the Douglas Institute Research Centre and recipient of the
L’Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science, was held on
September 29, 2014.
The event was presented by L’Oréal Canada in collaboration
with the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. The goal
was to raise funds that will allow Dr. Kieffer to pursue her
research into the biological causes of mental illness and to
support advances that will improve the quality of life of individuals who are affected by these illnesses.
The members of the Foundation and Dr. Kieffer would like to
thank the sponsors of this event for their support, with special
thanks going to Bell Canada, National Bank and the Fédération des Caisses Desjardins. Thanks to their generosity, over
$100,000 was raised.
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And on the
small screen...
In the past year, actor Marie-Hélène
Thibault and host-producer Jean-Philippe Dion
each appeared on the Quebec game show
Le Tricheur, both playing for the benefit of the
Douglas Institute. This was the third time
Marie-Hélène donated her winnings to the
Douglas after appearing on the program.
Jean-Philippe Dion
Open Minds
On March 31, 2015, the Douglas Foundation held its 15th Annual Open Minds
Benefit, which was presented by National Bank, “Diamond” sponsor for the event, and
held at the Saint James’s Club, in Montreal. Thanks to the participants’ generosity, the
event raised over $115,000 for mental health research.
Despite a busy schedule, artist André Desjardins generously offered to support the
Douglas Foundation by creating a work of art specifically for this event. Created
on-site during the benefit, the charcoal drawing was sold later that evening at the
silent auction.
John Valentini, Executive Vice-president and Chief
Financial Officer, Fiera Capital, Claude Perron, Chairman,
Gestion Cristallin inc., Dominic Iannuzzi, Executive
Vice-President, Portfolio Manager, National Bank
Financial, Alfonso Carnevale, Investment Advisor,
National Bank Financial, Marisa Giannetti, President,
Board of Trustees, Douglas Institute Foundation
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Anna-Isabelle Morency-Botello, lawyer; Nadia
Cesaratto, Vice-President, Client Services and
Business Development, Hexavest; Éric Girard,
Partner, FPM 360; Joanne Rossy, Rossy Design
In addition, two talented dancers, Marie Delongchamps and Jean-François Pruneau, performed
a contemporary work choreographed by Marie
Deslongchamps on the theme of “Open Minds”.
We wish to thank our sponsors:
Diamond: National Bank
Platinum: Deloitte and Manulife
Gold: Blakes and Transat
Silver: Hexavest, Norton Rose Fulbright, and
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.
Special thanks to the Open Minds Benefit organizing committee: Anna-Isabelle Morency-Botello,
Nadia Cesaratto, Joanne Rossy and Eric Girard, all
of whom are members of the Foundation’s board.
André Desjardins
Double
agents for
mental
health
While it’s called “Let’s Bond”
and is based on a James
Bond theme, this annual
event is more than an oppor- Let’s Bond Organizing Committee
tunity to drink champagne
while attired in fancy evening dress. Organized by a group of young professionals, its goal is to raise money for mental health awareness, with the aim of
demystifying and destigmatizing mental illness. It also gives those attending an
opportunity to “bond” and share their own experiences related to mental health.
The General Manager of the fundraiser, Anna-Isabelle Morency-Botello, is now
a member of the Douglas Foundation’s board. In addition, in 2014, for the first
time, the Foundation was the recipient of a portion of the proceeds – an amount
of more than $25,000.
The 2015 edition of “Let’s Bond” sold out well in advance of the October 2 event,
with 850 tickets snapped up in just 31 hours! Once again, the Douglas Foundation will receive a portion of the proceeds.
As 007 himself would have remarked, “Ingenious, and useful, too.”
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Giving Wings to Research
After losing her son to mental illness, Maureen Lewin turned her grief into
something positive. She created “Giving Wings to Research”, an initiative that
raises funds for mental health research in suicide prevention. Along with a
number of friends, Ms. Lewin handcrafted butterfly magnets, brooches, cards and
bookmarks, which she sold, donating the proceeds to the Douglas Foundation.
Even more important, this gave her an opportunity to talk about her experience
and share her story.
Ms. Lewin’s son wasn’t treated at the Douglas, but she knew of its world-renowned
research centre and chose to support it so that it would continue to thrive, offering
care and hope to other families affected by mental illness. She also donated her
son’s brain to the Douglas-Bell Canada Brain Bank, to further research and in the
hope that she might inspire others to make a similar contribution. The members
of the Douglas Foundation thank Maureen Lewin for supporting mental health
research and applaud her courage and determination to help others.
Douglas Foundation motivates
marathon runner
Running a marathon requires months and
months of training. But that didn’t prevent
Viviane Rochon Montplaisir from rising to
the challenge presented by the Rock ’n’ Roll
New Orleans Marathon. To give herself an
added incentive, she used this opportunity to
raise money for the Douglas Foundation. During training, she often ran by the Institute’s
grounds, which only fuelled her motivation. On January 25, 2015, under a beautiful New Orleans sky, Viviane completed the marathon with a time of 4 hours and
58 minutes. The members of the Douglas Foundation thank her for supporting
mental health and hope her achievement will be an inspiration to others.
Mental health at the movies
On April 2, over 200 students from seven English-language independent schools
joined forces, selling tickets for – and attending – a preview screening of Fast and
Furious 7 at Cinéma Guzzo’s Méga-Plex Marché Central. The Douglas Institute’s
Dr. Camillo Zacchia was in attendance and gave a brief talk about youth and
mental health. Thanks to the generosity of the Guzzo family, close to $5,000 was
raised. A similar event is planned for next year.
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2014-2015
Financial
Summary
Increased revenues
This year, two bequests contributed to a major increase in revenues, reminding
us how important it is to encourage this method of supporting advancements
in mental health research and care. Our Invest in Healthy Minds campaign
continues, with the goal of raising 20 million dollars. By March 31, 2015, we
had collected $16,726,085.
Research remains our best hope
The Foundation’s contributions to the Institute and Research Centre increased
by 34%, reaching $2,752,224. This increase is evidence of the importance
the Foundation gives to research, which continues to be the best hope for
individuals who have a mental illness and their families.
Stable administrative costs
Reductions in staffing at the Foundation over a period of several months led
to decreased administrative costs in 2014-2015. We are always careful to
maintain the Foundation’s administrative costs at a reasonable level.
Investments: ongoing performance
Good news! Investment revenues have remained stable and represent 19% of
total revenues. The Foundation’s policy is to invest conservatively in order to
minimize risk and preserve capital, while generating annual revenues to fund
research and care.
Thanks to everyone who helps ensure that the Foundation
can continue to perform its role.
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Activities and events
$315,795
Gifts from
individuals
$1,385,407
6 %
11 %
Parking fees
$539,436
28 %
Revenues
$4,918,196
14 %
Corporate
donations
$701,118 21 %
19 %
Gifts from
organizations
$1,017 ,759
Investments
$958,681
Grants to
the Institute
$375,028
Fundraising
Programs
$160,710
4 %
10 %
Administration
$470,356
12 %
Expenses
$3,874,177
13 %
Parking lot
management
$490,887
10
61 %
Grants to
the Research
Centre
$2,377,196