St. George’s Society Toronto is a historic Toronto-based non-profit founded in 1834 that supports local charities and higher education. Funded by member donations and fundraising events, it provides annual grants to Toronto-area organizations in education, social services, health, and the arts, and maintains major endowments that award bursaries to postsecondary students. View St. George's Society Toronto's website for more information.
St. George’s Society Toronto is one of the city’s oldest charitable institutions, established in 1834 to assist immigrants and residents in need. Today it acts as a philanthropic funder focused on Toronto, channeling member donations and event revenues into financial support for charities and students. The Society is a registered not-for-profit organization and maintains a significant portfolio of charitable grants and higher education endowments.
Through its Charitable Trust and annual fundraising—anchored by events such as the Red Rose Ball—the Society donates to more than 20 organizations each year. Its priorities span four main fields: education, social and community services, health, and the arts. Beneficiary organizations include shelters, youth-serving agencies, arts organizations, community service providers and other local charities working with vulnerable populations across the city.
A key pillar of the Society’s work is long-term support for higher education. Since 1921 it has created and grown endowed funds at several universities and colleges in Toronto. These endowments collectively exceed several million dollars and generate bursaries and awards for undergraduate, graduate and international exchange students in areas such as British history, physical education, nursing, health sciences, public policy, theology and art and design.
Named funds at institutions including the University of Toronto, York University, OCAD University, Toronto Metropolitan University and Wycliffe College provide financial aid to students with demonstrated need or specific fields of study. The Society also helped found an entrepreneur fund at Brampton Venture Zone by TMU to support new Canadians and visible minorities in launching ventures through training, mentorship and dedicated programming.
Beyond endowed funds, the Society runs an annual charity funding program for Toronto-area organizations. The “Our Charity Work” framework specifies that it helps fund charities in its four priority sectors and currently offers one-year grants. Eligible groups must be located in the Toronto area and submit electronic applications addressed to the Charitable Trust Committee.
Applications require a concise proposal explaining the impact of the requested funds, organizational background, governance details, staffing overview, donor lists and audited financial statements. Funding decisions are generally made in August or September, with an application deadline of July 31. An evaluation rubric is published to guide applicants on how proposals are assessed.
Through this combination of direct grants and endowed bursaries, St. George’s Society Toronto supports a broad range of beneficiaries: homeless and at-risk youth, seniors in care, refugees and newcomers, families in crisis, veterans, artists, students and entrepreneurs. Its grants strengthen frontline social services, arts and cultural programming, community development initiatives and educational opportunities, while its long-term endowments create a lasting legacy of financial support for future generations of students and innovators.