Calgary’s Van Wielingen family foundation pivoted to mental health

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Calgary’s Van Wielingen family established Viewpoint Foundation as part of an overall wealth stewardship strategy through their family office and investing firm, Viewpoint Investment Partners.

Mac Van Wielingen is a founder of ARC Financial Corp., a major Canadian private equity investment management firm focused on the energy sector, and also a founder and past chair of ARC Resources Ltd.

Viewpoint Investment Partners was founded in 2016 to offer a unique and innovative investment philosophy to families, with an emphasis on technology and data science.

Viewpoint Foundation was established in 2001, since when the Van Wielingen family have committed almost $16 million to more than 100 charitable organizations.

Here, family member Cat Van Wielingen, along with the foundation’s director, Karen Macdonald, and their research assistant Jessica Ratushniak, collaborate on how the foundation’s goals have developed to today’s emphasis on mental health.

How do you carry on founder Mac Van Wielingen’s vision?

“We honour Mac’s vision for the family by striving to be a model family enterprise, and by maintaining a high level of engagement between family members, family office staff, and the community.

This extends through all areas of the enterprise, including investment management, finance, administration, compliance and in philanthropy.

Through Viewpoint Foundation, this engagement leads to an active understanding of the priorities of the community and the nurturing of lasting relationships with the organizations that we work with.
In addition to this, Viewpoint staff are encouraged to champion their individual passions through discretionary funds they are allotted each year.”

What philanthropic initiatives have become important to you and your foundation?

“All the philanthropic initiatives and organizations that we support through the foundation contribute to positive and meaningful change in the lives and wellness of our community.

When it was first established, the foundation focused on two areas of interest. The first was to support organizations to enhance capacity building, governance, and organizational health. We wanted to enable strong organizations, so they were able to do good work. This progressed into engaging with organizations that promoted ethical leadership (an example of this being CCAL, the Canadian Centre for Advanced Leadership at the University of Calgary).

The second area of interest was driven by the passions of two family members, being music and the arts. We are proud to support, among others, organizations such as the National Music Centre, Honens [piano competition and festival], and CKUA Radio Foundation.

Although the foundation continues to support both of these mandates, the focus is moving towards supporting organizations in the mental health-care sector in Calgary and Alberta. In this regard we have been working closely with the City of Calgary’s Community Investment Table, the Natural Supports Leadership Table, United Way, and the Centre for Suicide Prevention.

We would love to highlight two areas of importance to us. The first being initiatives that promote and teach natural supports, [unpaid or informal roles] for family members, friends, teammates, colleagues, etc., which play a significant role across the continuum of mental health-care.

From preventing people from needing formal services, to working alongside formal care, to supporting the transition out of formal care, natural supports are the tools and knowledge that individuals can rely on when experiencing mental health distress. An excellent example of a natural supports initiative that we support is the Buddy Up campaign from the Centre for Suicide Prevention. Buddy Up is a communication campaign for men, by men, promoting authentic conversations amongst men to destigmatize discussions around feelings, and mental-health issues. This program is free of charge, and as of April, 2023, over 800 champions from across Canada and some from around the world participate in the campaign.

The second area of great importance to Viewpoint Foundation is suicide respite care. Respite care is a community-based alternative to the emergency department for crisis response, offering stabilization and support for people experiencing a deterioration in their mental health and/or are considering suicide. Respite centres are staffed by peers and crisis support workers, with clinical oversight, and are fully integrated into the community, relying on a network of partners to provide smooth transitions for guests to other resources. Programming is available to help guests build skills, manage their suicidality, and promote their recovery. We are currently working with various groups to bring respite care to Calgary, hoping to bridge this critical gap in our health-care system.”

Are there ways in which philanthropists can provide support beyond making one-time, large donations?

“Yes, there are. We believe that philanthropists can create lasting change and have a significant impact on the world, providing wealth stewardship beyond one-time, large donations, by taking a strategic and thoughtful approach to giving.

Those who have the privilege of wealth also have the privilege of influence, where communities and organizations can be convened and energized around important issues. This ability to influence requires intention and effort to nurture trusting, transparent, and lasting relationships. By investing in organizations that have a long-term goal, philanthropists invest in the impact of that goal. The same is true when funding research and development or engaging in advocacy or policy work. Philanthropists can leverage their wealth and influence to engage others, and support innovative solutions, advance knowledge, and create lasting change to complex social problems.”

Can you offer any advice for UHNW families who might feel uncertain about discussions related to wealth stewardship?

“We believe that UHNW families should strive to manage capital in a professional, efficient, and thoughtful manner. This applies equally to the family’s private and philanthropic financial capital, as well as the social, intellectual, and human capital.

Strategies such as open and honest communication with family members around concerns and goals for the future, seeking professional guidance to help with managing investments (either within the family office or externally), creating a shared vision for how the wealth will be managed and used, and educating the next generation about the responsibilities and opportunities that come with wealth stewardship can help navigate discussions around wealth management in a productive and respectful way.

Seeking out trusted family enterprise advisors who can help the family navigate what can sometimes be difficult and complex conversations, is also encouraged.”

Do you have any suggestions for family foundations that are uncertain about how to establish their first philanthropic initiatives?

“Before beginning to give, it is important to have a clear understanding of what you hope to accomplish and what values you want to uphold. Taking the time to discuss your family’s shared goals, values, and priorities will help you to make informed decisions about which causes to support. Once these have been established, there needs to be research and due diligence done on organizations to ensure that they align with your mission and values. Remember that there are many resources such as online databases, philanthropy networks, and think tanks to aid in your research.

There are many organizations in need of funding, which can be overwhelming. Sticking to the mission and values that you created as a family, and building relationships with those organizations that align with them, will help to organize your giving strategy.

These relationships will also help you understand the organization’s needs, and the impact your donations have.

Also, we have found that involving the next generation in your philanthropy from an early age can not only help ensure that your family’s mission and values are carried forward, but also acts as an excellent introduction for younger family members to the family office, investment management principles, and governance principles.

Working together as a family on philanthropy from a young age can help establish working relationships between family members that can extend into broader business or investment initiatives.

Establishing your first philanthropic initiative can be daunting. Having an open and curious mindset, a willingness to commit to a process – but being open to learning and adaptable – is important. As is getting to know the community, and seeking out potential funder collaborations, so you see a range of perspectives and can provide the best help.
It’s okay to make mistakes and adjust course as you go. With careful planning and a commitment to learning, you can make a meaningful impact on the causes you care about.”

Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

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