Media Release

For immediate release
March 9, 2006

The Banff Centre and Investors Group join forces to support
Manitoba not-for-profit leaders

Through the generous support of Investors Group, The Banff Centre is pleased to be able to offer a limited number of full scholarships for Manitoba-based leaders of registered charities to attend Leadership Development programs at the Centre. The new Investors Group Scholarships for Not-For-Profit Leaders will provide a total of $126,000 in funding, with six scholarships awarded annually for leadership and management courses.

“The creation of the Investors Group Scholarships for Not-For-Profit Leaders is a tremendous vote of confidence in the calibre of leadership programming at the Centre and a remarkable investment by Investors Group in the organizations and communities that the contribution will benefit” says Sarah Iley, vice-president, programming at The Banff Centre.

The individual scholarships valued at $4,200 each cover the full cost of a week-long program. The funding is directed at senior staff of Manitoba-based not-for-profit organizations or registered charities. Access to the Centre’s leadership programs allows them to gain practical knowledge in areas including leading teams, coaching and communicating, managing change, and inspiring creative leadership. For not-for-profit organizations the ability to send key leaders to these programs is critical for the success of both the individual as well as the organization.

“Leadership is a vital asset in our communities, particularly in the not-for-profit sector,” says Richard Irish, Investors Group Assistant Vice-President, Community Affairs. “Investors Group is committed to helping communities grow and become stronger.”

Details of the new partnership between Investors Group and The Banff Centre will be presented at a luncheon on Friday, March 10, 2006 at 11:30 a.m. at Red River College’s Princess Campus, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The lunch will also provide the opportunity for executive directors from a broad cross-section of Winnipeg’s not-for-profit community to connect.

Leadership Development at The Banff Centre offers customized and public programs in the corporate, government, Aboriginal, arts and not-for-profit sectors that enable and support fundamental transformation in individuals, organizations, and communities. Program participants are mid- to senior-level leaders and decision-makers in their fields.

The Investors Group is a founding member of Imagine Canada, a national organization that champions corporate citizenship and encourages partnerships between charities, not-for-profits, and businesses in order to build stronger Canadian communities. As one of Imagine’s “Caring Companies,” Investors Group contributes at least 1 per cent of their average annual pre-tax income to charitable and other non-profit organizations across Canada.

For more information on Leadership Development programs offered by The Banff Centre: http://www.banffcentre.ca/departments/leadership/