Building Vibrant Communities

Mission

The Hal Jackman Foundation supports a wide range of philanthropic activities in line with the Jackman family's long-standing commitment to education, the arts, and human services. Our mission is to provide support to programs that foster vibrant, inclusive and engaged communities.

Funding Priorities

Arts & Culture

The Foundation seeks to invest in organizations and cultural institutions that nurture innovation and exceptional creative practice in all its forms. We believe in the power of arts to build human connection and transform the way we see the world.

Health & Development

The Hal Jackman Foundation supports projects that promote wellbeing and address a wide range of human needs including healthcare and global development. We invest in programs that provide access to care and support mental health initiatives.

Education

Education continues to be a central focus of the Jackman Family’s philanthropy with an emphasis on the humanities. The Foundation supports scholarship that contributes to a cross-cultural understanding of our shared history and our global artistic heritage.

Grant Policy

The Foundation awards grants to institutions and organizations. It does not make grants directly to individuals. We take a proactive and strategic approach to grantmaking and are not accepting unsolicited proposals or letters of inquiry. Grant requests are by invitation only.

Trustees & Staff

Hal Jackman Portrait

Hal Jackman

Hal Jackman was born in 1932, the son of former Member of Parliament Harry Jackman and philanthropist Mary Rowell Jackman. He was educated at Upper Canada College, University of Toronto Schools, Victoria College, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and the London School of Economics. He later became Chairman of the Board of National Trust Company and the Empire Life Insurance Company, as well as several other prominent Canadian corporations.

In 1991, Mr. Jackman was appointed Ontario’s 25th Lieutenant-Governor. In this role he was patron to over 150 organizations in the arts and other charitable arenas. In 1995, he established The Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for the Arts, which awarded over $2.5 million to 84 arts organizations across the province.

Mr. Jackman served as Chancellor of the University of Toronto between 1997 and 2003. He endowed the university with $30 million towards the establishment of the Jackman Humanities Institute – the largest gift to the humanities ever received by a Canadian university. Mr. Jackman is also the largest benefactor of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. The Jackman Law Building opened in 2016 on Queen’s Park.

Over the years, Mr. Jackman has participated in countless charitable endeavors involving the arts and education. He served on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Heritage Foundation, Historica Foundation, Stratford Foundation Festival Fund, The Council for Business and the Arts, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum, Shaw Festival and the Corporation of Roy Thomson and Massey Hall. He was President of the Canadian Opera Company and the Ballet Opera House Corporation, and Chairman of the Ontario Arts Council. In 2008 he was selected for the prestigious Edmond C. Bovey Award, in honour of his outstanding contribution to the arts in Canada.

For his many exceptional achievements, Mr. Jackman has earned the title of Officer of the Order of Canada, Member of the Order of Ontario, and nine honorary doctorates.

Trustees

  • Henry N. R. Jackman, Chairman
  • Consuelo Jackman
  • Duncan N.R. Jackman
  • Henry J. D. Jackman
  • Maruja D. Jackman
  • Trinity Jackman
  • Mark M. Taylor

Staff

  • Victoria Jackman, Executive Director

Contact Us

Hal Jackman Foundation
165 University Avenue
Toronto, ON
M5H 3B8