Hugh and Lorna Guthrie Fund
(donor advised fund)
Hugh and Lorna Guthrie were modest and very private people. Having both grown up in Guelph they loved the City and believed deeply in everyone’s responsibility to contribute to the community. Throughout their lives they did just that in various pursuits which included business, a legal practice, political involvement, sports, volunteerism and philanthropy.
Now, the Hugh and Lorna Guthrie Fund continues to reflect their many interests and extends their commitment by creating grants in the fields of the arts, environment, sports and recreation, and architecture… forever.
“They loved the city and its built environment. Mom would talk about what it was like downtown when she was young and Dad would recall his boyhood haunts. There were a lot of beautiful buildings and they wanted to see them – and local history- preserved,” said daughter Ann.
Beyond honouring and preserving the past, the Guthries also believed in nurturing the present and a vibrant future through arts, sports and recreation. True visionaries, they deliberately created a fund with a broad mandate to provide latitude for unforeseen challenges in the future.
Having served on the Guelph Community Foundation board of directors for ten years, Hugh was very familiar with the organization’s commitment to sound investment and prudent stewardship and saw first-hand the impact of community grants. “Mom and Dad both believed in the GCF and its ability to make a difference. They had great faith in the knowledge and expertise of the staff and the Board of directors and were confident the fund would be invested wisely and granted thoughtfully,” their daughters explained.
When asked why leaving a legacy was so important to her parents, daughter Ann said: “Legacy seems like a bigger, more public, term than what they would have used. Mom and Dad would think of it as a donation or contribution – as more of an extension of their families’ involvement in Guelph.”
From their children’s perspective, it’s nice that their parents will be remembered because their connection to the community will last forever.