Webinar | The rise of limited-life foundations: insights from the Ivey Foundation experience

The rise of limited-life foundations: insights from the Ivey Foundation experience

A conversation in English | simultaneous translation subtitles into English and French subtitles available

Webinar – April 16th 2026 – 11h to 12h30 – on Zoom

Introduction

Since their creation just over a century ago, philanthropic foundations have been institutions designed to operate in perpetuity, by growing their capital ad vitam aeternam. However, in a context marked by worsening social and environmental crises—combined with a desire among philanthropic actors to increase their impact and make a real difference—a growing number of foundations are now abandoning the dominant model of perpetuity. They thus expand (and normalize) the movement of limited-lifetime foundations, which are foundations that commit to spending all their assets and ceasing operations at the end of a given period or following the achievement of specific objectives

In this webinar, we offer a general introduction to this alternative movement of limited-life foundations, more commonly known as sunsetting foundations. First, research assistants David Grant-Poitras and Sacha-Emmanuel Mossu will draw on the results of a literature review to provide an overview of this philanthropic movement: its origins and history, the main reasons behind this trend, the most frequently cited advantages and disadvantages, and factors to consider when managing the closure of a foundation. Secondly, the CEO of the Ivey Foundation, Dr. Bruce Lourie, will present his organization's experience of winding up. After nearly 80 years of existence, this Toronto-based foundation has decided to spend all its capital between 2023 and 2027 with the aim of accelerating the energy transition in Canada. 

This webinar is intended for researchers and students interested in the transformations of institutional philanthropy, as well as practitioners who are seeking to determine the most appropriate time horizon for their foundation's objectives.

List of speakers

Introduction 

Elisabeth Robinot (Co-directrice du PhiLab, UQAM)

Moderator

PhiLab Member

Panelists

Bruce Lourie (President of the Ivey Foundation)

David Grant-Poitras (PhD Candidate in sociology at UQAM and PhiLab member)

Sacha-Emmanuel Mossu ((PhD Candidate in philosophy at Université Laval and PhiLab member)

Learn more about the speakers

Bruce Lourie : Dr. Lourie is one of Canada’s most influential experts on climate change and sustainability. Best known for his ability to rethink complex problems and develop solutions that benefit both the economy and the environment, he has been instrumental in creating more than a dozen organizations that play a critical role in Canada’s transition to a net-zero economy, including Canadian Climate Institute, the Institute for Sustainable Finance, Farmers for Climate Solutions, Efficiency Canada and The Transition Accelerator. His focus at Ivey Foundation is the Economy and Environment program, which provides funding to net-zero focused organizations. He initiated the largest climate action in North America, the phasing out of coal in Ontario, helped shepherd the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement and supported the establishment of the Ontario Greenbelt. He liaises with government, industry, academia, ENGOs and the business community to ensure Canada achieves net-zero by 2050 while remaining competitive.

David Grant-Poitras : David is a PhD candidate in sociology at the Université du Québec à Montréal. His thesis focuses on the roles and impacts of Quebec grantmaking foundations in the social and ecological transition. He has been working for several years as a research agent at PhiLab. There, he conducts various research activities focusing on the initiatives and innovations deployed by philanthropic players to reduce social inequalities and combat climate change. 

Sacha-Emmanuel Mossu : Sacha-Emmanuel Mossu is a doctoral student in philosophy at Laval University, jointly supervised by Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University. His research focuses on the role of philanthropy in achieving social justice and the democratic issues associated with it. He is a student member of the Canadian Partnership Research Network on Philanthropy (PhiLab), the Institute of Applied Ethics at Laval University (IDÉA), the Institute of Legal and Philosophical Sciences at the Sorbonne (ISJPS), and the Political Philosophy Laboratory (LPP) at Laval University.