Toronto-based LGBTQ champion, businessman and visionary philanthropist Mark S. Bonham was this year’s recipient of Outstanding Philanthropist at the Association of Fundraising Professionals annual luncheon in Toronto on November 21, 2018.

Here are some of Bonham’s accomplishments:

·         Mark has dedicated almost two decades to supporting Casey House including his pivotal contribution of $2.5M toward the HIV/AIDS specialty hospital in 2000.

·         He helped raise more than $10M towards the Egale Centre – a new building dedicated to homeless LGBTQI2S youth.

·         Mark’s generosity to this community also enabled Inside Out, Canada’s largest presenter of LGBT film and the world’s third largest LGBT film festival.

·         He established the Bonham Scholarship for Rotman School of Management students at the University of Toronto (U of T).

·         The Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies at U of T was established in 2005 through his generous $1M endowment. Today, it is the largest degree-granting program in the world in the subject of sexual diversity and includes an undergraduate and collaborative MA/PhD program with over 350 students.

·         Mark also serves on the board of directors and fundraises for We Are the Villagers, which financially assists children from low-income homes in northern Ontario to participate in recreational and cultural extra-curricular programs.

Bonham commented, “I am truly honoured and thrilled to have been named the 2018 Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).   To be recognized by one’s peers and all those involved in the charitable and philanthropic community is a true privilege and honour.  I would like to particularly thank all of the individuals in the various endeavours I participate in who work so hard for the causes and organizations.  We all contribute so magnificently to making our world that much better for our communities.”

Visit Bonham’s website to learn more about this amazing individual.

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.