In “Two-Eyed Seeing” (Episode 4, Season 1 of our PhilanthroThink Podcast), tells hosts Megan Skyvington and Emily Goodwin how Indigenous-led approaches are reshaping philanthropy and how we need trust-based philanthropy, community engagement and “two-eyed seeing.” Wanda is co-founder of the and co-founder of . Driven by a passion for collaborative solutions, Wanda bridges gaps between diverse stakeholders, specializing in creating partnerships that drive positive social impact while promoting cultural respect and reciprocity. Listen or watch on (also available below), or .

Chapters:

00:00 Intro and Indigenous Acknowledgment
02:25 Wanda BrascoupĂ©’s Journey into Philanthropy
05:23 Decolonizing Philanthropy: Rethinking Power Dynamics
07:09 Indigenous-Led Initiatives: Changing the Philanthropic Landscape
12:54 The Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund: A Case Study
20:09 Trust-Based Philanthropy: Building Relationships with Communities
24:40 Grounding in Community Values
27:23 Daily Reflections on Philanthropy
29:56 Building Trust in Philanthropic Processes
31:51 Engaging with Indigenous Communities
34:07 Humility and the Future of Philanthropy
36:34 Hope for the Philanthropic Sector
38:43 Encouraging Trust-Based Philanthropy
40:17 Learning from Past Experiences
44:13 Looking Ahead: Questions for Future Generations

Host and Co-hosts: and .

Production: .

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe wherever you listen—Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube—and leave us a review. Let us know what topics you’d like us to explore next. Help us create insightful stories by sharing this episode with fellow nonprofit enthusiasts and changemakers.

The PhilanthroThink Podcast is a series that complements our PhilanthroThink discussion series from ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University’s Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (MPNL) program. In each episode, we sit down with wealth creators, philanthropic leaders and innovative thinkers to dig into the challenges, opportunities and strategies shaping the sector both at home and abroad.

Banner photo is courtesy of David Gomez.

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In this extraordinary podcast, “What Makes a Philanthropist” (Episode 3 of Season 1 of the PhilanthroThink Podcast), talks to and about her early memories and philanthropic motivations, offering insights from her journeys in the business, public and nonprofit sectors. Manjit reflects on a defining moment early in her career when she was first called a “philanthropist” and how she wrestled with the label. Listen or watch on YouTube (below) — or via “PhilanthroThink” on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

This is Manjit at 9:10 of the podcast:

“I’m an immigrant in Canada. My father was living in Vancouver. He emigrated in 1959 or 1960… My parents had seven daughters; I’m the youngest of seven. Once my father could afford a house, which was not until 1968 — I think I was two, no, I was one and a half — all of us came, so that we could move here and build a life here. To make a long story short, we were a blue-collar family. My father was a sawmill worker. It’s not easy to support seven girls, in a culture, also, that was more patriarchal; so, there was some energy around what it means to take care of the girls.”

“That first summer, we arrived in May, and by June, my mother, with her five youngest girls — we were living in cabins in the Fraser Valley, and I was basically a migrant berry picker, even at almost two. My mother would tell stories of how I would be crawling behind her in the rows of strawberries. There was a lot of hard work, and there was a lot of sacrifice. And to come from there to be able to go to at a place where you feel so lucky to be able to contribute — and understanding that we can actually contribute at any level. But yet, not thinking that I want to be known, that I’m able to contribute, was a really interesting dichotomy to work through.”

“My first sense of what it means to be generous and to be kind, and to not be judgmental, was in those farm communities. It was mostly immigrant South Asian women, who were living there without their partners, with their children, in their own cabins, sleeping on bunk beds and things, but that was the only privacy you had. There was the communal kitchen, the communal bathroom. I remember these women singing, my mother included — stepping up for one another to feed one another if one wasn’t doing as well one week. I also remember my mother saying she would let one of the daughters who was old enough take care of sick kids, because she didn’t want other women to not have an income that day. There was this beautiful community that was rich and vibrant in support, in cooperation and in lifting each other up. That’s never left me. For me, that has been one of the key foundations of driving whatever I do: how do we bring people together to be more human together?”

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In the Episode1 of Season 1 of our PhilanthroThink Podcast series, hosts Megan Skyvington and Daniel H. Lanteigne sit with Linsey Sherman-Zekulin, a dynamic nonprofit leader, philanthropist and co-founder of , a private charitable foundation in Ottawa, and , a femme-focused travel and advocacy brand. At Happy Roots, Linsey is championing a trust-based approach to philanthropy and grant-making, something she discusses in Episode 1. You can find it below or on ,Ěý ´Ç°ůĚý.

Rethinking Trust-Based Philanthropy: A Conversation with Linsey Sherman-Zekulin

At the start of the interview, the hosts ask Linsey to share her journey into philanthropy and the key experiences that shaped her approach. She explains that the transition into philanthropy became more personal in 2019, when a shift in her family’s circumstances—and an entrepreneurial spark from her husband—paved the way for founding Happy Roots Foundation. This private charitable foundation is dedicated to a trust-based approach to grant-making, especially in the realm of infant and early childhood mental health. Linsey explains that by choosing this focus, she was able to connect her professional passions with her desire to make a tangible difference in the community.

She also highlights the importance of being flexible in her approach. Rather than relying on lengthy reports, Linsey says she prefers regular, informal conversations with her partners, which allows them to adjust their strategies in real-time. This approach not only builds stronger relationships but also ensures that the funding makes an impact.

At the end of the discussion, we understand that trust is at the centre of the foundation’s work, as it gives grantees the room to do what they do best—help others.

Linsey also discusses navigating respectively and thoughtfully the philanthropic landscape, knowing that there has been a longstanding power dynamic between funders and recipients.

The conversation later touches on the entrepreneurial elements of her Foundation’s work: “I do think there is something entrepreneurial about it. And I never considered myself particularly entrepreneurial, although, in the last couple of years, I’ve sort of dipped my toe into entrepreneurial life and learned a lot about it. And there are some really exciting things that come about when you kind of embrace that mindset.”

Lindsey also says that she hopes more people embrace the entrepreneurial spirit, particularly when considering higher-risk projects to support. With that mindset, there’s an opportunity to take risks in solving complex problems that might otherwise not be solved.

Thank you to IG Private Wealth Management for a grant to make the PhilanthroThink Podcast series possible.

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Megan Skyvington is a designated Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) with more than 12 years of progressive experience in higher education advancement, community building in the arts and equity-focused healthcare.

Currently, Megan is the , at the University of Toronto. The Munk School is a leader in interdisciplinary research, teaching and global engagement.

Before that, she was the Senior Director of Philanthropy and Corporate Partnerships at Women’s College Hospital Foundation (WCHF), in Toronto. WCHF is Canada’s leading academic ambulatory hospital and a world leader in women’s health.

Megan has spent significant time championing the Centre for Wise Practices in Indigenous Health, the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Care Centre, and the Crossroads Refugee Clinic.

She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Drawing and Painting from OCAD University in 2011. As a lifelong artist and participant in the creative economy, her time at OCAD honed her abilities as a storyteller. Her work also allowed her to evolve as an advocate through understanding her lived experience with trauma, seeking to carefully connect with and support others with a similar lived experience.

After graduation, Megan launched her art and community organizing efforts, establishing Women King Collective with two of her closest collaborators. Eventually, she found herself drawn to the nonprofit sector for altruistic reasons and because she sought work that fit into an increasingly complex world that needs the support that nonprofits provide.

Megan is committed to exploring how fundraising can do better as an industry. This includes removing barriers, centring equity, and creatively approaching best practices in fund development. She looks forward to using her time in the MPNL program to dive into these areas and more.

In 2025, Megan was the lead host of the PhilanthroThink Podcast series.

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