Awards & Recognition

We’re proud to have been recognized as one of Greater Toronto Area’s Top 100 Employers, a distinction we have received for several years now. In 2017 we were also named as one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures, a recognition for having a culture that has helped us enhance performance and sustain a competitive advantage. Our culture at United Way sets us apart from other organizations. Through our peer to peer recognition program, we reward our employees who demonstrate excellence in our cultural behaviours.

At United Way Greater Toronto, a high-performance culture is foundational to who we are as an organization. We recognize that the daily leadership, creativity, motivation, and dedication of our employees allow us to achieve success and create a positive impact on our community. We are happy to recognize our employees’ amazing work!

Paul is recognized for the design, development, and co-leadership on the Black-focused Employment Social Enterprise Idea Accelerator, which is an initiative making the Toronto Enterprise Fund more accessible to organizations led by and serving the Black community.  Paul reached out to Black leaders to understand barriers Black social entrepreneurs were facing, and how best to dismantle those barriers. He incorporated the feedback and suggestions from the consultation process, made new connections and relationships, and worked hard to incorporate equity into the redesign of the workshop and process. Through feedback from the co-facilitator and Accelerator participants Paul learned how best to adapt our processes, as well as what the core pieces that should remain unchanged. The Black-focused ESE Idea Accelerator was a success with 83 applications received across the region, and 20 accepted. 

Ronni is commended for her leadership and mentorship in building the capacity of residents and stakeholders in place-based investments in both Regent Park and York Region. Ronni built a strong rapport within the community sector and achieved many successes over the past year. She was instrumental in the design, implementation, and support to launch the new Quick Action Grants for resident groups in York Region. Additionally, Ronni strengthened UWGT’s role in collaborative funding through the roll out of a new way of place-based investments alongside residents through the Regent Park Social Impact Investment Fund (SIIF). The SIIF initiative has led to about $1M being invested in 13 resident projects and has allowed UWGT to re-establish and build new relations in the neighbourhood, collaboratively work on solutions, continue investing in resident initiatives, and showcase our relevance in local communities in partnership alongside community groups and residents.

The team is recognized for their collaborative commitment and consultative approach to representing the communities we serve, setting and embodying a future model, and driving forward a future of philanthropy built in solidarity with our communities and each other. Their direction and foundational approach is bringing important alignment across constituent donor and community positioning. The group went beyond by building a clear transformational plan including asset-based narratives, strategies of equity and inclusion, and measurable outcomes developed to achieve and pave the way in our own equity work, and more broadly in the UW movement and across the sector. The team is recognized for their aim, effort, and steps taken to improve both the composition of and conversations within and beyond UWGT. They let go of problematic and oppressive practices to improve and influence the donor experience by focusing on systemic barriers, systems change, continuous training, and conversations that incorporate an equity-based lens. The team created a safer, supportive, and inclusive space within their department and has been essential in fostering an organizational culture of belonging, retention and representation of equity deserving groups.