We believe that generosity grows at the crossroad of faith and finance. Our mission is growing generosity among the members, supporters, congregations and institutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.
Charitus has a three-fold mission:
- to help congregations take care of and grow investments
- to help individuals leave gifts to the Church
- to grant money to Lutheran charities and other church-related projects.
Charitus has been managing church investments and helping people set up legacy gifts since 2008 (formerly under the name ELFEC). In those few short years our investment portfolio has grown to just over $85 million, and our investment partners have received handsome returns on their investments. Not only that; they’ve done so secure in the knowledge their money is invested in socially responsible ways.
Our other job as a charitable foundation is to grant money to organizations doing the hands-on work of making the world a better place. In our case we support charities and organizations associated with Canada’s Lutheran community. This money goes to congregations in need, youth and young adult ministries, scholarships, international aid projects, and much more. In fact, through the generosity and far-sightedness of our donors and investment partners, we’ve been able to give away over $30 million.
To meet each our missional objectives, Charitus operates in three different areas:
Lutheran Planned Giving
- Established in 1997
- Mandate: Encourage and assist people in making gifts to the Church
- The most common form of planned gift is a gift in your will
- Most estates can easily support a bequest gift, even after families are taken care of
- So far we’ve helped donors give $8.4M to the Church
Investment Management
- Fiera Capital is our Investment Manager
- There are 2 options for investment: Growth or Income and Security accounts
- Responsible investment policies
- Focus is on preserving capital, generating income and growing funds
- Over 70 congregations, families and faith institutions partner with us in investing
Grants
- Granting funds to support Canada’s Lutheran community.
- Funding congregations, youth ministries, scholarships, and international aid projects.
- Total donations exceeding $30 million.
- Fostering generosity and far-sighted investment partnerships.
- Making a positive impact on the world.
For more details about Charitus, please visit our link to our Annual Charity Return (T3010). Donor’s and investment partners are always at the centre of our organization, please read more for a full understanding of our commitment to services and our code of ethics we hold ourselves too.
Our Journey from ELFEC to Charitus
In 2006 a report prepared for the Synod explored the feasibility of establishing a foundation. In that same year the report’s conclusions were presented to the biennial Eastern Synod Assembly, and a motion gave approval to proceed with the necessary steps.
By 2009 Charitus was ready to accept transfers of assets from other parties. Two congregations entered into partner fund agreements by the middle of that year. Ten+ years later, Charitus has established over 90 additional funds with both congregations, individuals and families, bringing our assets under management to over $70 million.
Our dedicated Board of Directors is a team of seasoned professionals, deeply committed to upholding Charitus’ mission, vision, and values. With their wealth of experience and unwavering dedication, they steer our organization towards a brighter, more compassionate future.
For information on our Board of Directors, please email us.
Al Hansen
Chair (since 2024), Director (since 2020)
Board Experience:
Council (various positions) at Redeemer Lutheran Church | Drakar Enterprises Ltd. Secretary/Treasurer and Managing Director
Employment:
TMX Group (Toronto Stock Exchange) for 20 years
Rev. Dr. Marc Jerry
Director (since 2024)
Board Experience:
President, Saskatchewan Association of Historical High Schools | Founding Board Member, St. Timothy’s (Anglican) Theological College & Seminary | Advisory Board Member, Access Capital Management Group (Calgary)
Employment:
President and Vice-Chancellor Renison University College, Waterloo ON
Pr Eliane Boone, MDiv., PhD
Director (since 2021)
Board Experience:
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Belleville (Chair)
Employment:
Advent Lutheran Toronto | St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Kingston | Albert College, Belleville
Gary VanMoerkerke
Director (since 2020)
Board Experience:
Council (Vice Chair) at Mount Zion
Employment:
AgriWealth Strategies of Raymond James | Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management | Edward Jones Investments
Dr. Mogens Hansen, PHD Mathematics
Vice Chair (2024), Director (since 2023)
Board Experience:
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Council member (past Chair)| The Danish Lutheran Church of Vancouver (past President)
Employment:
Self-employed as a tutor in mathematics and physics | Technical writer at Infowave | Sessional instructor at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C.
Terry Norman
Director (since 2021)
Board Experience:
Director United Way of Halifax Region | Chairman 211 Information & Referral Society NS | Treasurer Lutheran Church of the Resurrection
Employment:
Our Partnerships
Although Charitus’ mandate is to serve the Eastern Synod of the ELCIC, we operate at arm’s length from the Synod. Read about Our History to gain more insights into our partnership with the Eastern Synod. Members of the Eastern Synod Council are also members of the Charitus corporation.