November 9, 2007

Northwestern Ontario’s two leading healthcare Foundations are exploring the benefits of integration. The Boards of Directors for the Northern Cancer Research Foundation (NCRF) and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation are conducting thorough investigations to determine the advantages of integrating the two organizations.

Both Foundations work to help save lives and improve the quality of life for the residents of Northwestern Ontario. “We see the potential to provide donors with even more value for their contributions and increase the Foundations’ capacities to fund those projects that matter most to the people of our community,” says Ken Bittle, Chair of the Health Sciences Foundation Board of Directors.

The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation and the Northern Cancer Research Foundation enable individuals to financially support areas of importance to them. “Each of our donors will always have the ability to designate their gifts to a specific area or project,” says Brian McKinnon, NCRF Board Chair. “Just as in the past, funds raised for breast cancer will always support breast cancer and prostate cancer gifts will support prostate programs, and cardiac funds will always support cardiac care. Essentially, nothing will change for our donors.”

“There are obvious advantages to the two successful Foundations operating together,” says Bittle. “We are examining the opportunities to increase staff specialization, maximize resources and decrease administrative costs.”

More information will be released as the Foundations’ Boards of Directors’ investigations develop. In the meantime, the Health Sciences Foundation and NCRF continue to pursue their respective missions to the benefit of the people of Northwestern Ontario. Past and present funds donated to each of the Foundations will remain in the specific donor-designated areas of support for those Foundations.