Creating a Ripple Effect
Welcome! We are a non-profit foundation that strives to generate a ripple effect in our communities and around the world through targeted initiatives in education, health, and community projects with a focus on nature conservation and learning.
The Baker Family Foundation was established in 2012 with a 1% pledge of personal equity and funding by John Baker, Founder of D2L, and extended Baker family.
Some of our initiatives in
Education
The Baker family believes that education creates a ripple effect — from one person to the next, from one generation to the next, through our communities, companies, and society — improving the human condition and helping to solve the grand challenges of our time.
We’ve created or supported a number of scholarships and endowed bursaries with:
- University of Waterloo
- University of Guelph
- Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador
- Baker McCall Huron County Scholarship and Finalist Award, in partnership with the McCall McBain Foundation
- College of the North Atlantic
- Western University
- Dalhousie University
- New Brunswick Community College
- Cambrian College
- Algonquin College
- Canada’s National Ballet School
Health
The following are some of the health partners that have been supported by the Baker Family Foundation:
Emmeline’s Closet
This was a special project to support the creation of a program called Emmeline’s Closet at Grand River Hospital — providing premature babies and their families with urgently needed and hard to find preemie clothing and supplies
Clinton Public Hospital
A series of donations helped to improve the emergency room equipment, training, and provided a pandemic response back-stop for emergency supplies for the region.
Community
A few of the stories of how the Baker Family Foundation is partnering with local champions to build stronger communities and to embrace the environment
Building More Caring Community and Honouring Veterans
Baker Family Foundation and the Doris Susan Sheppard family supported a veterans wall and artistic stained glass to remember the contributions and sacrifices of local community members
Cormack, Newfoundland
Supported veterans suffering from PTSD to participate in life-changing expeditions with the True Patriot Love Foundation.
Canada
Supported town hall heritage society
Bayfield, Ontario
Playgrounds for kids
Supported community splash pad for families to enjoy throughout the summer
Bayfield, Ontario
Supported school playground equipment
Waterloo Region and Bayfield, Ontario
Conservation of Nature
Supported community purchase and development of the Bayfield River Flats to protect the quality of the environment, build public trails, and the naturalness of the land will be protected in perpetuity by the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy
Bayfield, Ontario
Future updates
Follow John Baker on LinkedIn for updates on the Baker Family Foundation, D2L, and other initiatives.
About the Baker Family Foundation
Our charitable foundation was established in 2012 with a 1% pledge of personal equity and funding from D2L founder John Baker and with the funding and support of his family and the extended Baker family, including Paul, David, Heather, Patricia, and Stephen and their families.
The foundation strives to generate a ripple effect in our communities and world through targeted initiatives in education, health, and community (with a focus on care, nature conservation, and learning).
Baker Family Foundation 