The North Toronto Collegiate Institute Foundation has been operating in one form or another since 1972. 

It started as a Project Fund and was revised in 1987 to become the NTCI Foundation following the seventy-fifth anniversary celebrations for the school.

The Foundation is governed by a volunteer Advisory Board made up of alumni, the school’s Principal, and two student representatives in their graduating year. The student reps are appointed by the Principal and provide valuable input on what is going on in the school and what matters to students. Three former student reps have been elected as full directors following their graduation. Two of those grads were key promoters of the first, successful Speakers Series event that was held in September.

Director graduating years range from 1964 to 2020. This helps the Foundation represent each generation of people who have passed through NTCI. This is also important in identifying class representatives who will start the organizing process for major grad celebrations, such as 5-, 10-, 25-, 30-, 40-, and 50-year anniversary events. 

At our November 2021 meeting re-election of directors took place for a two year period, and we elected a new director who offered to help out. The newly elected directors then appointed an Executive, consisting of the Chair – Ron Wakelin (’64), Vice-Chair – Barbara Szelinger (’82), Treasurer – Stephanie Jones (’08), and Secretary – Brian Maltman (’71). 

The range of career and life experience among directors allows us to discharge all the duties of the Foundation with professionalism and bring diverse points of view to our work. Backgrounds of directors include teaching, publications, business management, accountancy, law, fundraising, creative production, and entrepreneurship. That expertise is put to work in the Advisory Board teams, including Archives, Communications, Fundraising, Grants, and Finance.

Serving on the Foundation’s Advisory Board is rewarding and meaningful. Directors collaborate with a dynamic group of people who bring rich experience to offer alumni communication and support to a school that has had a significant role in shaping who we are. It is a great way to give back.