On March 5, eight local charities pitched their organization’s story and impact at the Perfect Pitch 2024 event, presented by the philanthropic organization, Social Venture Partners Waterloo Region (SVPWR). The Perfect Pitch workshop series provided each charity with a team of dedicated coaches, including University of Waterloo alumni, who offered personal coaching, practice opportunities and feedback, all leading up to their final pitch at Federation Hall.
More than 350 members of the Waterloo region came together to hear and support the eight participating charities, who received an equal portion of the $46,000 in sponsorship revenue and the ticket revenue split based on the audience vote. At the end of the event, the audience got to vote for their preferred pitch and Oak Bridge Academy received the audience choice award.
At Waterloo, our deep connection and commitment to our local region and community traces back to our founding. Waterloo grads mobilize knowledge and solutions out into the world into their workplaces, to the businesses and ventures they create, and to the communities they live in. Many of our alumni are building connections through volunteer and philanthropy, supporting charities and organizations that are solving problems within our local communities.
Waterloo alumni attend the Perfect Pitch 2024 event, from left to right: Daniel Hussey (BES '10), Amanda Verhoeve Stevens (BSc '08), Jessica Bondy (BA ’08 and MA ’11), Dave Kroetsch (BASc ’02 and MASc ’07), Mike Pereira (MEDI '23), and Matt Stevens (BASc '04 and PhD '08). With Bondy's student, Dylan, from Oak Bridge Academy in the front.
“One of the things that we do at Social Venture Partners is we believe in a model where we donate time, talent and treasury,” said Daniel Hussey (BES ’10), a board member at SVPWR and a managing partner at Hussey Philanthropic Consulting.
In 2019, Hussey was looking for a way to get reconnected within the Waterloo community after moving back from Toronto. He discovered the Perfect Pitch event and since then, Hussey has been co-facilitating all the coaching sessions for charities at SVPWR and is a proud sponsor of this year’s event.
“You can give back through your talent, so that could be your skill set — the thing that you do professionally or as a hobby. Most charities need help within the areas of HR, finances or events, and would need volunteers. Lastly, you can make a financial contribution. Everybody has different financial circumstances and truly it's about giving what you deem as meaningful.”
Eight local charities and their impact in the community
Oak Bridge Academy (audience choice award)
Jessica Bondy (BA ’08 and MA ’11), executive director of Oak Bridge Academy, explained how more than 10,000 autistic children and youth live in the Waterloo region, and only one in five of those children will receive their high school diploma due to the lack of resources.
Oak Bridge Academy is working to provide services for children with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and other related learning exceptionalities. With more than 100 students currently on a waitlist, Bondy is certain that with additional funding, they can get more children off the waitlist and into a classroom where they have a chance to flourish academically, socially and emotionally.
The audience voted Oak Bridge Academy as the recipient of the audience choice award, where they will be receiving additional support from the main sponsor, BDO Canada.
Strong Start Charitable Organization
Strong Start® Charitable Organization is a registered Canadian charity that involves working with children directly and providing resources for families to support the development of strong literacy skills.
For more than 20 years, Strong Start has been able to support nearly 57,000 children across Ontario through partnerships with schools, community centres, educators and volunteers. Together, Strong Start are helping young children reach their potential while strengthening communities.
Nutrition for Learning
Established in 1997, Nutrition for Learning is a registered charitable organization that provides student nutrition programs in schools for children in kindergarten to grade 12. Currently, Nutrition for Learning has 183 student nutrition programs in 175 schools across the Waterloo region, serving approximately 23,000 students daily.
In partnership with youth and educators, staff and volunteers at Nutrition for Learning continue to strive to elevate the experience of universal food access at schools, in ways that promote optimal well-being, healthy relationships and food literacy.
Alzheimers Society Waterloo Wellington
Today, in the Waterloo and Wellington counties, there are 41,000 people with dementia or caring for someone with dementia. The Alzheimer Society Waterloo Wellington provides counselling and education for persons living with dementia and their families.
Their therapeutic program, Mind in Motion, combines physical exercise, social interaction and cognitive stimulation — three factors that have been discovered to slow the progress of dementia by at least 10 years. The Alzheimer's Society offers the program free of charge for their clients and count on the community to support their mission.
Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo
At Community Healthcaring, they project 8,000 births will occur in 2024, with Kitchener-Waterloo being one of the fastest growing regions in Canada. Through the Breastfeeding Buddies Program at Community Healthcaring, staff and volunteers provide women and families with resources in their own language and one-on-one support via text, phone or in-person, where they can feel supported in their choices and not feel alone in the process.
For more than 20 years, Community Healthcaring is all about investing in the future by providing accessible health care and supports to those facing barriers within local communities.
Shelter Movers Southwestern Ontario
Shelter Movers is a national, volunteer-powered charitable organization providing moving and storage services at no cost to individuals and families fleeing abuse. Since December 2020, volunteers at Shelter Movers have helped more than 475 moves, by removing financial, emotional and safety barriers to ensure the well-being of survivors.
Currently, Shelter Movers are helping 20 families on average every single month across the region. They collaborate with local businesses and community agencies to support people, primarily women and children, as they transition to a life free of violence.
Adventure4Change
Adventure4Change is a hub located between Waterloo and Wilfred Laurier University, offering as a space that is fully accessible and available to all members of the local communities.
In 2022, Adventure4Change worked with a local basketball coach to start a basketball youth program. The program started with seven troubled youths and since then, Adventure4Change has been able to support 25 children across three different neighbourhoods in Waterloo. The children are given the opportunity to learn how to make better choices while playing a sport they love. Today, a few of the kids have graduated high school and obtained jobs.
Adventure4Change offers multiple programs that are designed to make an impact on communities and inspire change. Their goal is to help prevent poverty and enable kids, youth and moms to make meaningful contributions to society.
Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council
For more than 25 years, Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council (WRSPC) has been focused on increasing suicide awareness and supporting suicide prevention through education.
In 2023, WRSPC had three staff members deliver 182 presentations to more than 4,400 community members, providing them with practical tools and skills to identify someone who might be thinking about suicide, and where to connect them with suicide first aid resources. Their mission is to reduce suicide rates and its impact through collaboration, education, training and building a sense of belonging.
About SVPWR
SVPWR is a group of changemakers who supports 68 not-for-profit organizations across Waterloo region and is fueled by the skills of volunteers. The organization invests their talent and time to help empower and scale innovative organizations within the region to become sustainable.
Whether it’s through volunteer or philanthropy, Waterloo students, staff, faculty and alumni can visit the SVPWR website, where they can help you connect with people and organizations that share your passion for creating lasting social impact.
