Aqueduct Foundation

What Aqueduct Foundation does

Aqueduct Foundation is a registered Canadian public charity (BN 86608 7034 RR0001) founded in 2006 and headquartered in Vancouver with a secondary office in Toronto. It operates donor advised funds as a bridge between high-net-worth donors and registered charities, qualifying donees, Canadian non-profits, and international charities. The foundation manages three core fund products (Donor Advised Funds, Legacy Funds, and Charity Funds), an Exceptional Gifts program covering lifetime gifts, estate gifts, and complex property donations (private shares, real estate, art), and four charitable programs (community-based scholarships, ecologically sensitive land, art collections and artist foundations, and charitable purpose real estate). It also administers the Conservation Bridge Fund and the Rachel Horne Prize for Women's Research in MS.

The foundation's underlying technology is a database and grant management system with a secure donor-facing Fund Portal (hosted at fcsuite.com) launched in March 2024, achieving over 80% donor adoption. Fund custody and trust administration are delegated to Scotiatrust, while donor referrals flow primarily through a Channel partnership with Scotia Wealth Management and a broader network of wealth managers, lawyers, accountants, and estate planners.

Economically, Aqueduct is a non-profit; its primary inflow is charitable gifts, with $123M CAD received from 618 donors in 2024 against $113M deployed across 4,777 grants. Total assets under management reached $1.089B in 2024, crossing the $1B threshold for the first time after $1B+ in cumulative grants over 20 years. The foundation employs approximately 10 people, operates with a bilingual English/French presence, and is governed by a Board of Directors under Executive Director Malcolm Burrows.

Name

Aqueduct Foundation

Legal name

Aqueduct Foundation

Website

https://aqueductfoundation.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aqueduct Foundation is a registered Canadian public charity operating donor advised funds, acting as a bridge between high-net-worth donors with complex assets and registered charities across Canada and internationally. It manages $1.09B AUM across roughly 1,500 active funds, specializing in exceptional gifts, estate planning, and charitable programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Donor advised funds
• Charitable giving
• Estate planning
• Philanthropic fund management
• Complex asset donations

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Gifts and Donations: Aqueduct Foundation receives irrevocable gifts from donors, primarily high-net-worth individuals and families. Donors contribute various asset types including cash, public securities, private company shares, real estate, and art collections. The foundation issues immediate charitable tax receipts.
2. Fund Management and Granting: The foundation manages donor advised funds, handling legal and administrative work while donors focus on giving. Revenue derives from managing and deploying donor funds to registered charities and qualified donees across Canada and internationally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Aqueduct Foundation is a registered Canadian public charity that operates donor advised funds as a bridge between high-net-worth donors and registered charities. Donors make irrevocable contributions of cash, securities, private company shares, real estate, or art, receive immediate charitable tax receipts, and then recommend grants over time to qualified Canadian donees, non-profit organizations, and international charities. The foundation also administers legacy and charitable-purpose funds, scholarships, land conservation programs, and the Rachel Horne Prize.

Product overview

Aqueduct Foundation is a registered Canadian public foundation offering a unified charitable giving platform centered on donor advised funds. The core offering consists of three fund types (Donor Advised Funds, Legacy Funds, and Charity Funds) that enable donors to make immediate charitable tax-receipted gifts and then recommend grants to registered charities over time. Exceptional gifts programs support lifetime gifts, estate gifts, and complex property donations including private shares, real estate, and art. Charitable programs span community-based scholarships, ecologically sensitive land conservation, artist foundations, and charitable real estate. The foundation also administers the Conservation Bridge Fund and the Rachel Horne Prize for Women's Research in MS. Over 20 years, Aqueduct has deployed more than $1 billion in charitable grants and programs, serving as a bridge between donor intent and community impact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Donor Advised Funds: Personal charitable foundations designed to support thoughtful, ambitious philanthropy with funds having names, missions, and donor backing.
• Legacy Funds
• Charity Funds
• Horne Family Charitable Fund
• Conservation Bridge Fund

Products and services

• Donor Advised Funds

Quantifiable outcome

• $1 billion+ in charitable grants deployed over 20 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and potential.

• Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia (LTABC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Aqueduct Foundation joined LTABC as a member in August 2024. Aqueduct has experience collaborating with land trusts in protecting ecologically-sensitive land. As an interim owner, Aqueduct's goal is to preserve land until land trusts can purchase at cost for long-term conservation. The membership expands Aqueduct's ability to help protect ecologically-significant land in British Columbia.
• ScotiatrustcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerScotiatrust serves as Aqueduct Foundation's agent, handling fund management and trust services. The partnership provides professional investment management and fiduciary services to support Aqueduct's philanthropy operations.
• Habitat for Humanity CanadapotentialStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentioned in white paper as a potential partner for affordable housing initiatives. Habitat for Humanity Canada has national scope with over 40 local affiliated charities, making them a potential partner for housing development projects.
• Scotia Wealth ManagementcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAqueduct works with Scotia Wealth Management advisors who refer high-net-worth clients to Aqueduct for philanthropy planning. The foundation provides resources for advisors working with non-Scotia Wealth Management donors as well.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Make-A-Wish Canada Foundation: National registered Canadian charity with similar scale and donor stewardship practices; an ecosystem peer that frequently receives DAF grants from Aqueduct-managed funds and shares the CRA-registered charity operating context.

Direct peers

• Foundation Source: US-based provider of administrative and philanthropic services for private foundations and donor-advised funds; serves high-net-worth families with complex assets, closely mirroring Aqueduct's exceptional-gifts positioning.
• Calgary Foundation: Major Alberta-based community foundation offering donor-advised funds and legacy giving options. Comparable in core product mix (DAFs, endowment, planned giving) and operating model to Aqueduct.
• Toronto Foundation: Community foundation in Toronto providing donor-advised funds and endowment services; direct competitor given Aqueduct's Toronto office and shared high-net-worth donor segment in Ontario.
• Vancouver Foundation: Canada's largest community foundation, also based in Vancouver, offering donor-advised funds and discretionary grantmaking across British Columbia. Overlaps directly with Aqueduct on DAF products and regional grantmaking.
• National Philanthropic Trust: One of the largest independent DAF sponsors in the US, with tens of billions in AUM; offers donor-advised fund services to high-net-worth donors globally, including Canadians seeking cross-border giving vehicles.
• Charitable Impact Foundation: Canadian public charity operating a donor-advised fund platform focused on accessible everyday giving and tech-enabled donor experience; comparable in mission to Aqueduct's DAF business, though typically serving mid-market rather than complex-asset donors.

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Charitable: Largest DAF sponsor in the US with over $100B in AUM, part of Fidelity's broader financial services platform. Competes for Canadian high-net-worth donors who use US giving vehicles and sets industry pricing benchmarks.
• Schwab Charitable: Major US DAF sponsor affiliated with Charles Schwab; serves high-net-worth investors with integrated brokerage and giving solutions, providing a competitive alternative for Canadian donors with US brokerage relationships.

Regional players

• Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto: Toronto-based community foundation managing donor-advised funds, endowments, and legacy gifts within the Jewish community; comparable in operational model but focused on a defined constituency and region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aqueduct-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aqueduct Foundation