Winnipeg Foundation CEO announces plans to retire

Community

Board launches national search

For immediate release: After leading the team at The Winnipeg Foundation for the past 23 years, Richard Frost has notified the Board of Directors of his plan to retire from the position of Chief Executive Officer, effective April 26, 2021.

“The Winnipeg Foundation is a leader amongst community foundations around the world. The community foundation movement in Canada started right here in Winnipeg almost 100 years ago. With a focus on encouraging everyday philanthropy and the firm belief that it is the act of giving that matters more than the size of a gift, The Winnipeg Foundation has grown to be one of the largest community foundations in our country,” says Doneta Brotchie, Chair of The Foundation’s Board of Directors.

“Rick’s leadership and reputation for collaboration has grown The Winnipeg Foundation to the premiere organization it is. It takes a very special leader to bring this kind of success to an organization, and for more than two decades Rick and his team have built The Foundation to what it is today.”

“All of us on the Board and Standing Committees, past and present, are grateful for the tremendous leadership he has brought to this charitable organization that means so much to our community,” she says.

Rick Frost became The Winnipeg Foundation’s fifth Executive Director in 1997. For the 25 years prior, he worked in municipal public service, as Chief Commissioner of the City of Winnipeg (1989 – 1997) and Chief Administrative Officer of the Regional Municipality of Peel (1978 – 1989).

Rick has served as Chair of Community Foundations of Canada and on the Boards of many local organizations. He holds an MA (History) from McMaster University, an MPA from Queen’s University and Honorary Doctorates of Law from both the University of Winnipeg and University of Manitoba. Under Rick’s leadership, The Foundation has grown annual distributions from approximately $5 million in 1997 to $57.5 million in 2019. In 2001, The Winnipeg Foundation received the then-largest gift to a Canadian community foundation when the Moffat family made a stunning gift of $100 million to create their family fund.

“Our family, through the Moffat Family Fund, has worked closely with the staff of The Winnipeg Foundation and Rick for 19 years. We are always impressed with their professionalism and dedication, which is a reflection of Rick’s outstanding leadership. We deeply appreciate Rick’s unmatched contribution to the strengthening of our community,” Randy Moffat says.

Under his leadership, The Foundation made the largest grant in its history: $6 million to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in 2003. Rick has championed several Foundation leadership initiatives since 1997, including its Downtown Green Spaces Strategy, the Nourishing Potential and Literacy for Life granting programs, and The Foundation’s Centennial Awards in Canadian history. Rick will remain in his position until April 2021, providing ongoing leadership and direction to Foundation staff while assisting with transition planning as required.

The Winnipeg Foundation is For Good. Forever. We help people give back to our shared community by connecting generous donors with Causes they care about For Good. We’re are an endowment-based public foundation, so gifts are pooled and invested, and the annual earnings are distributed back to the community Forever. Formed in 1921, we are proud to be the first community foundation in Canada.

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Media inquiries/questions:

LuAnn Lovlin, CFRE
Director of Communications & Marketing, The Winnipeg Foundation
C: 204-781-9336
Email LuAnn


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