About CFC

Executive Profile

Monica Patten

President and Chief Executive Officer

As President and Chief Executive Officer of Community Foundations of Canada, Monica Patten has presided over a period of unprecedented growth in Canada's community foundation movement.

When she took the helm of the fledging organization for Canada's community foundations in 1993, it had 28 members with assets of $500 million. Today, those numbers have exploded to include more than 160 community foundations in cities, towns and rural areas all across the country.

In 2007, Canada's community foundations held $2.91 billion in combined assets and contributed $176 million to a vast array of charities - making the network one of the country's largest grantmakers.

Under Monica's leadership, Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) has earned a national and international reputation for innovation and generosity.

Monica firmly believes that 'growing the philanthropic pie' benefits everyone. As a result, CFC honours the true spirit of philanthropy by widely sharing its expertise with other philanthropic organizations. Monica has personally assisted in the development of community philanthropy around the world, including in Brazil, Mexico, Central and Eastern Europe, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand and Russia. She was a founder of WINGS (Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support) and served as its chair through 2004 to 2007.

Monica is well known for her leadership in Canada’s voluntary sector. In May 2005, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lawson Foundation in recognition of her "extraordinary accomplishments and leadership." Monica was also honoured by the Public Policy Forum in April 2002 for her contribution to public policy and Canada's voluntary sector. In 2007 Monica was appointed a Mentor with the Trudeau Foundation and more recently to the RioTintoAlcan Fund as a Director.

Canadian Activities

Monica serves as an advisor to many Canadian non-profit and philanthropic programs such as the Centre for Voluntary Sector Research and Development, a joint initiative of the voluntary sector and Ottawa's two universities and KCI Ketchums Philanthropic Trends .
An active volunteer, Monica has served on the Board of Equitas, formerly known as The Canadian Human Rights Foundation and on several Ottawa community organization boards. She chairs the Financial Management and Development Committee of the Anglican Church of Canada.

International Activities

Monica is very active on the international stage as well. She is a Senior Fellow to Synergos, a New York City-based organization that promotes the development of foundations and partnerships in the global south and chairs the Management Committee for the Global Fund for Community Foundations.

She is a former member of The Board of Directors of CIVICUS, an international alliance to nurture citizen action throughout the world, especially in areas where democracy is threatened and the International Committee of the Washington-based Council on Foundations.