Capital Campaign gaining strong momentum with “naming opportunities” as next phase of reaching out to donors is launched
An exceptional opportunity to help create a dynamic future for our community has been launched as the Capital Campaign for the new International Estonian Centre (IEC) enters the next phase.
Potential donors who might consider gifts in the $10,000 to $100,000 range are invited to become the centre’s Viru Vanemad and make their mark in this exciting phase of the IEC’s future. This group of donors will form a dynamic legacy by having their family name attached to a portion of the centre.
The campaign got off to a vibrant start by approaching - and subsequently confirming - donors in the $100,000-plus category. Pledges totaling in excess of $5 million came in from this group, including a very significant $3 million gift from the lead donor. This level of the campaign outreach continues.
Now, the next phase of the campaign is on track to get underway.
Riina and Allan Hess are the co-chairs of Viru Vanemad. “We are so pleased to be part of this exceptional opportunity for the Estonian community and to lead this important phase of the campaign.”
“Supporting the development of the new centre will help ensure a bright and vigorous future for our community.”
“We have put a lot of thought into this strategy, and it has worked really well. People are excited to find out about the naming opportunities and are responding in strong num-bers,” said campaign consultant Mark Gryfe, President of Gryfe Philanthropic Solutions.
“Conducting the campaign in phases is a ‘tried-and-true’ method for fund-raising in these types of projects,” he ex-plained.
The IEC project team is delighted to have the participation of Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Former President of Estonia, who is Honorary Chair of the Capital Campaign and Toomas Lukk, Estonian Ambassador to Canada.
Architect Alar Kongats (a three-time recipient of the Governor-General’s award) leads the design team and is the creative force behind the IEC’s Nordic-inspired aesthetics, which will include weaving in Estonian-sourced materials where appropriate.
The Capital Campaign team has been working hard to as-semble lists of potential donors to get involved in develop-ing the new centre. Special events for donors who are in-terested in becoming Viru Vanemad are in the works.
If you or a family member are interested in giving at this level, and would like to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime chance to help build a strong future for the Estonian com-munity, please get in touch with Urve Tamberg at
The IEC, anticipated to open in 2021 in downtown To-ronto, will be a dynamic hub showcasing our rich heritage and promoting Estonian innovation. It will be a vibrant gathering place for Estonians of all generations and back-grounds to connect, celebrate, and share our culture and achievements with each other and the world.
For more project information
• Check out our website – it is updated regularly: www.estoniancentre.ca
• If you haven’t already done so, please sign up for our email newsletter through the website.
• Follow us on Facebook: @EestiKeskus
Estonian Centre Project Update #45
The design development process for the new International Estonian Centre (IEC) is progressing smoothly, and the project team is gathering valuable information from ongoing consultations with organizations representing a broad range of interests in the Estonian community.
Two meetings were held last week to report back on refinements made to the centre’s design based on user group input during the first round of consultations.
The meetings included representatives from music, arts, film, theatre and business and special interest groups and clubs. Topics and needs discussed included space for performances and practices, acoustics, office space, technology, display space for artwork, parking, storage and accessibility issues.
The Estonian community has a rich and broad range of interests, and there are a number of groups that are active and committed to advancing our culture and meeting community needs. The meetings with community user groups play an important role allowing as many voices as possible to be heard from during this phase of the design development.
The project team would like to thank all those who took the time to attend and provide this valuable and thoughtful input.
For more project information
• Check out our website – it is updated regularly: www.estoniancentre.ca
• If you haven’t already done so, please sign up for our email newsletter.
• Follow us on Facebook: @EestiKeskus
Important reminder: Mark your calendar for March 27!
Please come to the Community Engagement Session on March 27 to learn about the latest design developments for the new IEC. The session will take place at the Estonian House, Crystal Hall, from 7 – 8.30 p.m. The project team, including architect Alar Kongats, will present details on how the design process is progressing.
If you can’t attend in person, tune in to the meeting live via Facebook at 7 p.m. on March 27. Go to @EestiKeskus and be part of the action. You can submit your questions during the session via Facebook as well.
