2022-2023 Donor Impact Report

DONOR
IMPACT
REPORT
Celebrating the impact of your generosity
This 2022/2023 report highlights the impact of donors at
Centennial College, showcasing their roles in funding priorities,
removing financial barriers and fostering a culture of
philanthropy.

A Message From Dr. Craig Stephenson
Student Awards Night
Dr. Craig Stephenson
President and CEO
Centennial College
It has been an extraordinary year at
Centennial College — one fuelled by
your generosity and our shared vision
of transforming lives and communities
through learning. From addressing
food and housing insecurity, to
opening Canada’s first LEED Gold, zero
carbon, mass timber higher-education
building, designed along Indigenous
principles, the ways in which donors
have impacted the Centennial
community are as wide-ranging as they
are remarkable.
We are proud to share some of those
milestones with you here, but most
of all, we are proud and grateful to
celebrate you, the donors who enable
Centennial to push the boundaries
and lead the way toward a more
equitable, sustainable and hopeful
future.
From all of us here at Centennial —
thank you for your steadfast
commitment to this gem of an
institution, and to the most important
people in our world: our students. We
couldn’t do what we do for them — to
the extent and depth that we do —
without you.
Student Awards Night is an annual event which recognizes students who have achieved
academic and personal success as well as the generosity of Centennial's donors. It is an opportunity
for students to meet and thank the donors who have helped them along their educational journey.
A Message From Sandra Harris
As I reflect on all the past year has
brought to the Centennial community,
I can’t help but feel an overwhelming
sense of gratitude.
Our donors stepped forward like never
before to help students navigate new
and evolving challenges, find stability
and focus on reaching for their goals
and dreams.
From a ground-breaking investment to
advance sustainability initiatives and
student success to two major new
donations to help more students
pursue careers in the skilled trades, we
have witnessed incredible acts of
generosity that are positioning
Centennial as a national and global
leader in the possibilities of a college
education.
Thank you for your generosity and
unwavering support of our students!
Sandra Harris,
Executive Director,
Office of Development
Centennial College
We also celebrated several historic new
gifts that are empowering Centennial’s
efforts to address some of the most
pressing issues facing the world today.
On behalf of all of us here at
Centennial’s Office of Development,
thank you for supporting our students,
inspiring our faculty and uplifting the
potential of our entire community.
Your generosity, regardless of the
amount, positively impacts the lives of
our students. We are so very grateful.
Elluptis molum quatqui cone videndis
Udamus magnistis dolor res accus es ates si te pro volupta speria escieni hiliaep
erioria doles quo essitiossum volorpo renetusdam venet magnita tecaborunt quassitasite
explam etur re.

Celebrating Your Impact
Donation Revenue Source
Centennial Associations
Individuals
Corporations and
Organizations
Foundations
Supporting Your Community
Building a Stronger Foundation
Thank you to those who invested their donations into endowment funds.
These funds build a strong foundation for generations of students.
$50,000,000
Centennial College Endowment 2004-2024
$45,000,000
$1.4 million
in donor funded student awards in
the 2022-2023 academic year
$40,000,000
$35,000,000
$30,000,000
$25,000,000
$20,000,000
$15,000,000
$10,000,000
$5,000,000
$0.00
2004 2005
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
2024

“This building is a living teaching
tool. Indigenous students, staff and
faculty will now have a place on the
Progress Campus to gather and
practice traditions. People from
around the globe have a place to
learn more about Indigenous
world views, ceremonies and
teachings.”
—Seán Kinsella, Director,
the Eighth Fire, Centennial College
Centennial opens
Canada’s first LEED Gold,
zero carbon, mass timber
higher education building
Thanks to the investments
and shared vision of our
incredible donor community
and partners, Centennial
College has opened the doors
to its trailblazing A-Building
— Canada’s first LEED Gold,
zero carbon, mass timber
higher education building.
A-Building establishes a
new gateway to Centennial’s
flagship Progress Campus in
Scarborough that supports
Indigenous ways of being and
teaching.
An Indigenous Working Group
made vital contributions to
Indigenous elements of the
build as the College worked
with Colliers Project Leaders,
EllisDon Construction, DIALOG
and Smoke Architecture to
deliver the approximately
$112-million project. Spanning
six storeys and more than
130,000 square feet, the
expansion was accompanied
by a 15,000-square-foot
renovation.
Students, staff and faculty
arriving on campus for the fall
semester have been welcomed
into an inclusively and
sustainably designed building
guided by the Indigenous
concept of ‘two-eyed seeing,’
or viewing the world through
the lens of both Indigenous
and Western knowledge.
The building is also home to
administrative offices,
collaborative areas, food
services and space for the
School of Engineering
Technology and Applied
Science. An interior courtyard
serves as an outdoor
classroom allowing teaching
in a circle formation, among
other flexible classrooms,
while 13 rooms equipped with
special exhaust fans make it
possible for smudging to occur.
A-Building has achieved zero
carbon certification thanks in
large part to a highly efficient
building envelope, along with
all-electric domestic hot water
heating and HVAC systems.
A solar photovoltaic panel
array on the roof will generate
enough electricity to offset
the facility’s electricity use by
68,000 kilowatt hours
annually, which will contribute
to its LEED Gold certification.
Floor-to-ceiling windows that
let natural light into the space
will support its WELL Silver
certification.
Thank you to the many team
members and partners who
worked together to bring this
incredible new building to life!
From scholarship recipient to scholarship
donor: new Centennial graduate gives back
When Angella Hanniford-Williams enrolled in
Centennial’s Social Services Worker postgraduate
program as a mature student, she knew many
challenges would lie ahead between studying
full-time, working part-time and parenting her two
teenagers.
But Angella was not deterred. Staying focused on
her goal of building a career devoted to helping
people, she persevered and maintained high
grades throughout her program.
“Initially, when I entered my study program, I
worked night shifts on a part-time basis while
attending school during the day, but I was determined
not to give up,” she says.
Her efforts did not go unnoticed. In her second
and final year, Angella was the recipient of a
donor-funded scholarship granted in recognition of
her academic excellence.
“Receiving that scholarship was a life-changing
event for me,” she says. “It reduced a lot of the
financial stress and gave me the encouragement
and motivation I needed to keep going.”
In June 2023, Angella graduated with honours
from the Social Services Worker program and a
specialized academic certificate in Indigenous
Knowledge. She is now working in Centennial’s
Community Outreach office, with plans to start
applying for roles in her new field once her
registration certificate is received.
From graduate to donor
As soon as she completed her studies, Angella
knew she wanted help new generations of
students just as she was helped.
Working with the Office of Development, Angella
created the Seed of Kindness Bursary, a $600
bursary that will be awarded annually to a student
in the Social Service Worker program who demonstrates
financial need.
Angella says the bursary is an important way to
pass on the gift she was given, and create a ripple
effect of positive impact in the world.
“As I move forward, I’m looking back to see who
is behind me,” she says. “And if I can give them a
helping hand, then it’s very important to do so —
to help empower other students to achieve their
goals.”
Angella hopes her story will inspire other
Centennial alumni to consider creating their own
bursaries or scholarships.

Donations to Centennial’s
Student Emergency Fund
help students access the
support they need to stay
in school
Centennial students face unique obstacles to education
compared to the average Ontario student. With 40% living in
priority neighbourhoods and the highest OSAP participation
rate in the Greater Toronto Area, many of our students face
difficult financial decisions every single day – like whether
to pay tuition, pay rent or buy groceries.
Faced with the constant stress
of food and housing insecurity,
far too many Centennial
students are struggling to stay in
school and pursue their goals.
That’s where the Student
Emergency Fund comes in.
Entirely supported by
contributions from our
generous donor community, the
Student Emergency Fund
supports the urgent and
immediate food and housing
needs of students
experiencing financial
barriers to well-being and
education.
For recipients like Justin*, the
impact has been profound.
Justin was homeless when he
applied for support from the
Student Emergency Fund this
past winter. He had been evicted
from his apartment and his only
relative in Canada lives in
British Columbia. Although he
had attempted to access the
shelter system, he was told
shelters were full and to try
again at a later date.
He had just $200 remaining
in his bank account when he
learned about the Student
Emergency Fund.
Through the fund, Justin was
able to access emergency
housing, food and bursary
support to stay in school, as well
as mental health support. He
says that with the funding he
received, he is “in a much better
mental and physical place.”
Without Centennial
College, I’m not sure where
I would be right now.
Things seemed
impossible at some point
and I was on the verge of
giving up not just on school,
but on life as a whole.
Centennial College saved
me. I am truly grateful.
*NAME CHANGED TO
PROTECT STUDENT’S PRIVACY
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
From all of us here at Centennial, thank you so much for
helping students like Justin overcome homelessness and
hunger — and continue to pursue their dreams of a better life.
- Justin*, recipient of Student Emergency Fund

Two leading foundations
step forward to support
Canada’s future skilled
trades workers
Canada is facing a critical shortfall of skilled trades
professionals, with the construction industry estimating
the country could face a shortage of 100,000
trades people by 2029. To bolster the pipeline of skilled
trades workers graduating from college programs and
entering the workforce in the years ahead, two leading
foundations are investing in student success at
Centennial College.
The Schulich Foundation: 10 Centennial
students among inaugural Schulich Builder
scholarship recipients
Canerector Foundation:
Breaking down barriers for
100 first-year students
Partnering with a leading
Canadian private
foundation, we are pleased
to establish the Canerector
Foundation Scholarship
at Centennial College.
The Foundation’s gift of
$420,000 will help break
down barriers to education
for 100 first-year students
pursuing a skilled trades
program.
Uniquely, recipients who
participate in mentorship
and/or co-curricular
activities and maintain a
minimum 3.0 grade point
average will be awarded
additional funds throughout
their education — an
approach that strives to
retain students for the
duration of their program.
“We hope the scholarship
helps attract interested
students to skilled trades
professions and that the
assistance and mentorship
provided by Centennial
supports them throughout
their studies,” says Amanda
Hawkins, director of the
Canerector Foundation.“We
want to show that these are
valued careers and that we
believe in them and the field
they chose.”
Thank you to The Schulich Foundation and Canerector Foundation for supporting
the next generation of skilled trades workers at Centennial College.
Centennial College is incredibly proud to share
that 10 newly enrolled students are among the
inaugural recipients of the Schulich Builders:
Scholarships for Skilled Trades — the largest
scholarship program in Canada for
students pursuing an education in the skilled
trades.
Launched by The Schulich Foundation in 2023,
the program awards 100 scholarships each year
to students enrolling in full-time certificate and
diploma programs in skilled trades-related fields at
participating colleges.
Dr. Craig Stephenson and Judy Schulich
Each scholarship is valued at up to $40,000
($20,000 per year) to support the costs of tuition,
living expenses and tools.
The 10 students named Schulich Builders for the
2023-24 academic year were selected from a pool
of more than 1,000 nominated students across
Ontario. They are now enrolled in a wide range of
programs at Centennial, from electrical
engineering technician to aviation technician and
beyond.
Learn more about scholarships
By creating or contributing to a scholarship, you have an opportunity to
directly support a young person’s ability to complete their education and
pursue the career of their dreams. Your gift will also send a powerful
message about your belief in their unlimited potential.

Centennial's annual golf tournament chips in
for student achievement
Centennial College donor makes history with
$2-million donation in support of
student success and sustainability
Centennial’s student success and sustainability initiatives are getting an unprecedented boost
thanks to a transformational gift of $2-million — the single largest donation in the
College’s 57-year history.
Centennial’s annual golf tournament, held on
September 19 at Eagles Nest Golf Club, was an
unprecedented success, having raised $392,172 for
the Golf Endowment Fund for scholarships. We
extend a special and heartfelt THANK YOU to each
and every one of our sponsors for raising an
amazing $267,000. Your unwavering support has
been the cornerstone of this success story.
$3.7
MILLION
We want to express our deepest gratitude to Lead
Sponsor, EllisDon, Platinum Sponsor
Deloitte, and Platinum Sponsor Johnson
Insurance. The net proceeds from the
tournament are matched by the College each year
and the funds go directly to the Centennial College
Golf Endowment Fund, which underwrites student
scholarships.
raised for the annual Centennial Golf
Endowment Fund for scholarships since 2006
Empowering voices: Dr. Mary Anne Chambers
inaugurates the Black Authors Speaker Series
Designed to broaden student access and accelerate
Centennial’s commitment to the green economy of
tomorrow, the gift — made by philanthropist Diane
Blake — will fund four major initiatives:
• Full-tuition scholarships for students pursuing
sustainability-focused programs.
• Investment in Centennial’s SDG Innovation Lab,
where students work collaboratively to address a
range of complex issues identified by the UN’s
Sustainable Development Goals.
• Empowering the College’s Applied Research, Innovation
and Entrepreneurial Services (ARIES) to
accelerate progress towards a healthier, safer and
brighter future, including through priority research
areas like sustainable transportation options.
• Growing capacity for excellence with the
construction of Centennial’s new building —
Canada’s first mass-timber, zero-carbon certified
higher education facility.
Dr. Craig Stephenson, Centennial’s President and CEO,
says that Diane’s gift represents the power of
philanthropy to turn bold aspirations into reality.
"Donors are absolutely critical and integral to colleges
like ours, demonstrating an unwavering commitment
to scholarships, research and capital investment at a
time when we are compelled to embrace new, more
sustainable ways of learning, living and working within
this oasis of a planet,” he says.
Diane, a private philanthropist who has a keen interest
in the success of future generations, says her gift is
designed to equip students for the challenges that lie
ahead — including changing skill requirements, global
dynamics and environmental sustainability.
“Community colleges today provide an essential role
in the future of our country that spans all of society,”
she says. “It will be exciting to see Centennial grow and
thrive.”
The first Black Authors Speaker Series event
featuring Dr. Mary Anne Chambers was hosted at the
Event Centre on Monday, December 4. Dr. Chambers
captivated the audience with her personal journey,
experiences and career insights, drawn from her
inspiring memoir, "From the Heart."
Her narrative resonated deeply with students, staff
and faculty as she shared valuable lessons from the
moments that both challenged and defined her.
The Office of Development, Centennial Libraries
and the Centennial College Student Association Inc.
launched and hosted this important new event series
to showcase the work of Black authors.
The Office of Development is grateful to Dr. Mary
Anne Chambers, Véronique Henry and Christine
Williams for their support in launching this important
series.
Please keep an eye out for the next Black Authors
Speaker Series event, as we look forward to
welcoming another inspiring Black author to
Centennial College.
Diane Blake and Dr. Craig Stephenson

Students supporting students
The Office of Development would like to extend a sincere thank you to the
Centennial College Student Association Inc. (CCSAI) for making an incredible
$300,000 gift in May — their second largest gift ever!
Stay connected. Contact us.
A gift made by students for students, this donation will support:
Sandra Harris
Executive Director
sharris@centennialcollege.ca
Linda Barlow
Director of Development,
Major Gifts and Campaigns
lbarlow@centennialcollege.ca
Fiona Ghosh Bedlington
Manager, Annual and Legacy Giving
fbedlington@centennialcollege.ca
Scholarships for
International Students
Student
Emergency Fund
Pride Bursaries
Black Authors
Speaker Series
Jill of All Trades
Mock Disaster Event
#GivingTuesday
Fund
New Fund to Support Special
Student Learning Opportunities
Payal Arora
Fund Development Specialist
parora@centennialcollege.ca
Marie Chen
Finance and Administration Officer
mchen@centennialcollege.ca
Leigh Cudia
Senior Development Officer,
Major Gifts
lcudia@centennialcollege.ca
Sarah Giordano
Fundraising and Development
Events Officer
sgiordano@centennialcollege.ca
Give the gift of the future
You can have a powerful impact on the lives and careers of the next
generation by supporting future Centennial College students with a gift in
your Will.
When you make a gift in your Will, you can choose to establish or contribute
to a scholarship or bursary or support a specific project — ensuring your
legacy will truly reflect your passions and the impact you hope to create in
the world.
We invite you to get in touch today to learn about the different ways you can
support Centennial College and future generations of students in your Will.
Colin Hayes
Marketing Specialist
colinhayes@centennialcollege.ca
Yuriy Iordakiev
Fundraising Database and
Gift Administrator
yiordakiev@centennialcollege.ca
Renae Mohammed
Donor Relations and Stewardship Officer
rmohammed@centennialcollege.ca
“I wanted to find a way to support newcomers to Canada and a
community college, which is a concept I believe in deeply. When I looked
at Centennial’s location in the east end and learned about its high
number of international students, I knew it would be the perfect choice.
My own grandparents came to North America with nothing after fleeing
religious persecution. Their children, and their children’s children — my
generation — all benefitted tremendously from public education, so it was
important to me to find a way to carry on that legacy."
– Bruce Cohen, retired financial journalist who created a gift to
Centennial College in his Will to support students experiencing financial obstacles
Victoria Scullion
Senior Development Officer,
Major Gifts
vscullion@centennialcollege.ca
Naga Surapaneni
Research Officer
nsurapaneni@centennialcollege.ca
Amany Tadros
Senior Development Officer,
Sponsorship and Events
atadros@centennialcollege.ca

From all of us here at Centennial College, thank you so much
for your incredible support! We could not be more grateful
for your generous contributions to help Centennial
students realize their greatest potential.