Foundation behind former largest Canadian gift in history to end partnerships, transition to ‘personal philanthropy’
The McCall MacBain Foundation funds scholarships for students of McGill University, as well as those in the founders’ hometowns of Niagara Falls and Huron County in Ontario.
Why It Matters
Having once provided the largest philanthropic donation in Canadian history, the McCall MacBain Foundation’s announcement on May 4 that it would cease active grantmaking could reduce financial support for students at all levels.
A Canadian foundation known for its educational scholarships to students announced on Monday that it would be winding down its active grantmaking operations and transitioning into a “vehicle for [the directors’] personal philanthropy.”
The McCall MacBain Foundation, established as a “time-bound effort,” plans to cease granting by the end of 2027. It will announce major gifts to a few existing partners, after which it will look to conclude partnerships, they said in the statement
Founded by John and Marcy McCall MacBain in 2007 after the sale of a media company, the foundation also focused on funding environmental and health initiatives.
In 2019, it made the largest philanthropic gift in Canada at the time of $200 million to McGill University, launching a scholarship for McGill’s graduate students that has continued to this day.
The pair then signed The Giving Pledge, promising to give the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes. According to Monday’s announcement, they will have fulfilled that commitment in 2028.
According to CRA filing, the McCall MacBain Scholarships Foundation had reported identical revenue and expenditures in the reporting period ending December 2024. The McGill-specific fund reported $14.2 million in revenue and $5.7 million in expenses, including charitable programs, in the reporting period ending April 2025.
Alongside the McGill scholarship, the foundation funded scholarships for young people from Niagara Falls, Ont. and Huron County, Ont. Also available was funding for study abroad opportunities, and to support masters and doctoral students at Wadham College at the University of Oxford.
In April, the foundation made a $10 million investment in scholarships for frontline healthcare students at Toronto Metropolitan University, such as those studying nursing, midwifery, social work, public health and nutrition.
Future of Good reached out to the McCall MacBain Foundation for comment, asking about further details and impacts on staff, grantees and partners like McGill University. The foundation said it had no additional comments beyond the public announcement.
Future of Good also reached out to McGill University, and was referred back to the foundation.
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