About
Altruvest
Altruvest BoardMatch™ recruits volunteers, trains them on their roles and responsibilities as a board member and matches them with a charity looking for someone with their skills and interests.
Vision
We envision a world where the board of every charity is strengthened with the best trained and talented volunteers, giving them greater capacity to achieve their missions.
Mission
We seek to be the trusted partner for charitable board leaders, leveraging our technology to recruit, train, and then deploy and support volunteers. We achieve this through best-in-class board matching and training services, provision of educational resources, and facilitating community connections.
Mission
Our
Story
In 1995, our Founder discovered that a large donation he had made to the local chapter of a prominent charity was not directed to the purpose he had been told. He brought together a group of volunteer consultants who successfully worked with the charity to resolve the problem.
Learning from this experience, Altruvest was then established to assist more charities - initially providing corporate consulting services to help them improve their effectiveness.
However, the team was quickly overwhelmed with consulting work for individual charities and we could not meet the demand. It was apparent that our model was effective but difficult to operate at scale.
One charity "client" had asked us to assist them in recruiting new members to their board and to train them in the roles and responsibilities of a board member, including education about the charitable sector. We were highly successful in the assignment.
At a strategic review in 1999, Altruvest's Board of Directors reviewed that case and concluded we could have a greater impact on the broader charitable sector by focusing exclusively on governance. We had found a way to scale.
We Created BoardMatch™
We developed two streams of training: a "light-touch" online version, and a more intense one-day session delivered in person to groups of up to 15 prospective board members. Since then, we have successfully placed more than 5000 volunteers on 1000-plus charitable boards.
About 800 of those volunteers were employees of corporate partners who sponsored them through the training and matching process. For our corporate partners, our process is seen as a way to gain board experience for high potential employees. For charities, it is a way to gain access to a diverse pool of corporate talent with a wide range of skill sets.
To date, most of our placements have been in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). An independent sister organization in Dublin (BoardMatch Ireland) was established 15 years ago with our encouragement and support.
In 2021, in the midst of the pandemic with charities struggling, it became apparent there was a broader need for BoardMatch to be delivered remotely across North America.
The Board adopted a new Strategic Plan to expand our services in selected cities across Canada and the US. We are making a significant investment in our software, our people and our training services to support greater scale.
Now we are seeking champions involved in the charitable sector in individual cities to lead local expansion.
Our
Strategy
We strive for excellence in three areas of focus.
Focus Areas
03
Community Focus
We support small- and mid-sized community-based charities.
Board Service
We offer a comprehensive range of services focused on improving governance for charities, including recruitment, training and matching of volunteers for board and committee positions, as well as support for continuous improvement.
Geographic Reach and Exponential Scale
We employ technology to leverage our content in multiple cities, enabling us to assemble localized databases of individuals wanting to contribute time, treasure, and/or talent.
Short Term Target
In the next five years we will expand across Canada and the US into 20 cities, growing partnerships with charities, regional advisors, corporations, candidates and donors.
Short Term Target
Long Term Target
By 2035 we will achieve global reach, serving more than 50,000 charities. We will develop 500 corporate partnerships and relationships with 500,000 individuals as candidates.
Board Of Directors
Rob Follows
Founder And Chair
Chairman and CEO, STS Capital Partners
Rob Follows
Rob is the founding Chairman of Altruvest Charitable Services. Rob has combined his education, ten years of entrepreneurial leadership and fifteen years of international corporate experience with his passion for helping people live their vision and founded STS Capital Partners in 2003.
He led Maritz's international operations as Chairman of Maritz Europa, Maritz Canada and Maritz Latin America.
Rob is currently Chair of the YPO-WPO (Young President's Organization/World President's Organization) Global Deal Network and founding Chair of the Barbados YPO Chapter. Rob was also founding Chair of the Executive Committee of the Social Enterprise Networks and has contributed to elevating the profile of philanthropy, humanitarian causes, social enterprise, sustainable business, economic development and sustainable communities at the international board level.
Other leadership contributions have included being on the Canadian Governor General’s Executive Committee for Canadian Leadership representing the nonprofit sector; Chair of the International Business Advisory Board at Kelly Business School at the University of Indianapolis; and Director, International Alumni Relations at Oxford University Business School.
In addition to his work and charitable accomplishments, Rob is also an extreme adventurer. When Rob summited Everest in 2006, he became part of an elite group of people who have climbed all Seven Summits.
Brad Kelly
Vice Chair
Partner, Global Governance Advisors
Brad Kelly
Brad Kelly is a Partner of Global Governance Advisors and has more than 20 years of experience in strategic and performance goal setting, as well as the strategic review, valuation and innovative design of executive compensation and corporate governance programs. Brad is certified in the assessment of leadership behaviors and skills and organizational governance effectiveness and is a principal course developer and lecturer for the (Canadian) Accredited Executive Compensation Program and the (United States) National NCPERS Accredited Fiduciary Program.
He holds a Masters in Public Administration from Carleton University. Brad is a dynamic public speaker and is frequently asked to present to Boards, professional groups, conduct media interviews, and has published numerous pieces in professional journals and magazines. Brad is a former faculty member of both the Directors College and Not-for-Profit Governance Institute, and the current Chairperson of Sesqui Inc.'s Board Directors. Brad has been on the Altruvest board of directors since 2012.
Akif Siddiqui
Treasurer
Partner, Pricewaterhouse Coopers
Akif Siddiqui
Akif is a partner in PwC insurance assurance group providing assurance in Property & Casualty insurance in public and private sector.
Akif has extensive experience as an external auditor in Property & Casualty insurance and has been involved in the review of both the design and operating effectiveness of internal controls and in assisting clients in complying with their policies and procedures. Akif's current and past clients include Aviva, Chubb, AIG Canada, Cigna Life and Health, City of Toronto, Echelon Insurance, Everest Reinsurance, Fairfax Financial, First Canadian Title Group, Northbridge Financial, Saskatchewan Government Insurance and Toronto Transit Insurance Company.
He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada and Pakistan and brings diversified experience from 19 years working in assurance and advisory services in Pakistan, United Arab Emirates and Canada. He is also the engagement leader on reciprocal insurance exchange, the Municipal Electric Association Reciprocal Insurance Exchange.
In addition to his role as Board Treasurer with Altruvest, Akif is President of the Pakistani Professional Forum, geared to help new immigrants and serves on a fundraising committee of a charitable organization.
Akif joined Altruvest’s board of directors in 2015.
Cindy McNichol
Director
Founding Partner, Lighthouse Nine Group
Cindy McNichol
A founding Partner of Lighthouse NINE Group, Cindy McNichol heads the firm's Culture & Engagement practice. She also supports clients in the areas of Change Management, Strategic Alignment , Leadership Development ,Talent Management and Coaching. Cindy develops strategies to connect and align people, process and plans to improve performance and deliver business results. Cindy's career has included various senior corporate leadership roles in Human Resources, Project Management, Customer Service and Operations. She has worked across Canada and in the US, UK, Australia and Mexico. A few of the corporations and clients Cindy has worked with include PowerCor Australia, TSN / Discovery Channel, Maritz Canada, ADT Security Services, PowerStream, Mother Parkers, Prism Eye Institute, Yum! Canada and Rodan Energy Solutions.
Professional accreditation includes Board Leader certification through Altruvest Charitable Services, Certified Management Coach through International Institute of Business Coaches, Certified Training Professional through the Canadian Society for Training and Development and is certified in numerous profiling assessment tools. She has been a frequent guest lecturer for the Niagara University MBA program.
When she finds spare time Cindy enjoys travel, golf and quality time with extended family and friends.
Bill Brown
Director
Managing Director, BCW Ventures
Bill Brown
Bill is the President and CEO of FMAV, the largest Canadian-owned audiovisual and event technology solutions provider. He is also the director of BCW Ventures a portfolio company providing advisory, interim management and angel investment services to start up and growth stage companies and he is an Advisor with MaRS Discovery Centre Social Innovation Hub. Bill has 30 plus years of experience in close-to-the-customer sales and marketing led organizations to hone strong business development and customer management skills. He has an analytic orientation and consilient thinking style providing a strong strategy and operations foundation.
Previously, Bill was Chief Operating Officer with Maritz (now Bond Brand Loyalty) and a Director with Xerox.
Bill holds an MBA, Information Systems from McMaster University and has been a board member with Altruvest since 2007.
Shamil Hargovan
Ex Officio Director
Director, Altruvest Charitable Services
Shamil Hargovan
Shamil Hargovan has served as CEO of Altruvest Charitable Services since 2021, appointed by the board to lead the organization's digital transformation and global expansion. Mr. Hargovan is also Managing at STS Capital Partners, leading sell-side M&A deals, supporting business owners and founders on their journey to a strategic exit. Shamil co-chairs the firm's Success to Significance™ pillar focused on enabling social impact and legacy potential.
He is a featured speaker and thought leader in the areas of Industry 4.0, blended physical-digital experiences, augmented reality and the future of retail and e-commerce. In 2016, he was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in Manufacturing and Industry -- and again in 2017 to the Forbes 30 Under 30 All-Star list. He has also been featured as one of Inc. Magazine's "50 Emerging Global Entrepreneurs to Watch."
In 2015, Hargovan co-founded Wiivv and as CEO grew the company to become one of the world's largest suppliers of custom 3D-printed footwear. Wiivv pioneered state-of-the-art digital manufacturing in the U.S. and Canada, based on measurements captured from a smartphone or retail scanner. He drove the award-winning commerce experience and led commercial partnerships with international governments leading brands, including Dr. Scholl's and Lululemon. He exited to a private, strategic capital group in 2020. As Founders Pledge signatory, decided to contribute to Altruvest to further its work in providing training and tools to improve the governance of community-based charities.
Shamil spent several years at HP Inc. on the executive team defining the company's additive manufacturing strategy, which ultimately led to the formation of its 3D printing business unit. He also product managed several highly profitable product lines that brought in over $3B in revenues, while directing major cross-functional customer experience and business transformation initiatives across the $60 billion printing and personal systems global business. Before working at HP, he was a management consultant at Clarkston Consulting. He started his career at SRI International (formerly Stanford Research Institute), incubating new ventures and strategic programs out of his college dorm room.
Hargovan holds a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) from Claremont McKenna College. His volunteer experience includes serving on the boards of nonprofit organizations and other community work, which has been recognized by Rotary International with Paul Harris Fellowships for his contributions to international service. Shamil has lived in North America, Africa and Australia, and resides in Seattle, Washington, with his family.
Global Ambassadors
These impact–driven luminaries have an exemplary history of charitable sector capacity building and community leadership; we thank them for endorsing our global vision and their continued support toward our cause.
Jenny Follows (Chair)
President, Fortitude Financial
Whistler, Canada
Praveen & Anuja Varshney
Board Member, Vancouver Foundation; Partner, Social Venture Partners
Vancouver, Canada
Stephen Ibraraki
Chairman REDDS Capital; Technology Advisor to Microsoft and the United Nations
Vancouver, Canada
