Inspired by their parents, Aubrey Dan and his wife, Marla, founded the Aubrey & Marla Dan Foundation (AMDF) in 2002.
Aubrey, an active trustee of the foundation, is a Canadian businessman, philanthropist, Tony Award-winning producer (Memphis), and principal of the Dancap Family Investment Office.
Marla, also an active trustee, focuses on leadership development and volunteerism. She served as president of Canadian Hadassah-WIZO (CHW) Toronto Centre from 2007-2009 and as National President of CHW from 2009-2014.
Together, they share a strong belief in supporting inclusive, community-based initiatives, alongside larger philanthropic projects aimed at making a meaningful difference in the lives of young people across Ontario. These include initiatives around mental wellness and access to safe housing.
Here, the couple discuss their philanthropic and investment activities, and how they emphasize the importance of wealth stewardship and philanthropy to their children.
How did your foundation come about and what was your inspiration?
“[Both of us have been] deeply inspired by our parents’ commitment to giving back. Aubrey’s parents, Leslie [founder of Novopharm] and Judy Dan, were notable for their extensive philanthropic efforts, both financially and through volunteer work. Similarly, Marla’s parents, Reuben and Donna Cipin, were actively engaged in supporting various not-for-profit organizations within the Edmonton community.
Motivated by our parents’ legacies, we decided to formalize our own philanthropic efforts. Transitioning from simply writing cheques at the kitchen table, we established a registered charitable foundation with the Canadian government, ensuring proper governance and transparency. Thus, the Aubrey & Marla Dan Foundation (AMDF) was born.
AMDF embodies Marla’s philanthropic spirit by building inclusive and engaged communities, supporting positive and successful development of women and youth, and fostering healthy lifestyles to improve people’s overall well-being.”
What is the focus of the family’s philanthropy?
“We believe that everyone has the right to positive mental wellness and access to safe housing.
To make this a reality, we nurture collaborative relationships with our community and charitable partners – our AMDF Family – approaching youth mental health and youth homelessness with effective solutions and compassionate care.
Focusing on early intervention and prevention, our goal is to create personalized, community-focused, and sector-wide transformations that eliminate barriers for young people across Ontario to achieve successful and healthy lives.”
How did you set up your foundation, and did you involve advisors?
“We initially established the foundation as one of the many entities within the Dancap Family Investment Office, appointing trustees to oversee its operations.
Eventually, we brought our daughter Alyse on board as our Executive Director. Alyse is a graduate of the DAN School of Drama and Music at Queen’s University and later earned her Master of Management from the Schulich School of Business at York University.
Our team expanded with the addition of our first administrative employee, and, recognizing the need for further expertise, we enlisted an outside advisor from Chicago who had previously assisted Oprah Winfrey in setting up her charitable foundation.
This decision proved to be one of the smartest moves we made, as the advisor significantly helped us professionalize and enhance the operations of our foundation. We’ve subsequently added a few more positions to the team, broadening our breath and depth.”
How did you decide on the financial structure of the foundation?
This approach allows us the flexibility to determine our donation budget each year based on current needs and priorities.”
How did you involve your children in your philanthropic initiatives?
“We are very fortunate to have a daughter who is deeply passionate about our family foundation. Her enthusiasm and insights have significantly influenced the direction we have taken over the years. Thanks to her input, we have chosen to primarily focus on addressing youth homelessness and youth mental health, especially in Ontario.
In addition to these key areas, we have also supported initiatives in education, health, and community development.
Our son Myles is gradually becoming more involved, attending various events and engaging with our charity partners, further strengthening our family’s commitment to philanthropy.
While our daughter is not directly involved in the investment decision making process of our extensive family investment office, she is exposed to it as passive observer. She attends our weekly investment meetings, gaining valuable insights and understanding of our financial strategies.”
What are you most proud of, looking back on your family’s philanthropic initiatives as they’ve evolved?
“We take immense pride in our philanthropic initiatives, particularly in the profound impact we have had on the end users and the countless lives we have helped transform for the better.
Our collaborative relationships with our charity partners are equally significant. We do not merely provide financial support to these organizations; we are deeply invested in their success. Their success is our success, and together, we strive to make a positive difference.”
Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
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