Why I Give
Michael Royce says United Way funding is essential today and tomorrow
Michael Royce at Jessie’s Centre for Teenagers, one of many United Way agencies that offer the Success by Six® program, partially made possible by The Tomorrow Fund™, United Way’s endowment.
One of Canada’s leading medical malpractice lawyers, Michael Royce of the boutique firm Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP doesn’t often have trouble with words. But there was one little word he couldn’t bring himself to utter when, many years ago, he was first approached to help United Way—’No’. “You just can’t refuse United Way,” he says.
This perspective has proven helpful in Michael’s hard work as a long-time member of the Major Individual Giving Cabinet. “With so many other charities, someone can say, ‘If I give to that charity, in that particular niche, then why not another?’” says Michael. “But United Way encompasses all needs. Quite simply, there is no valid objection.” That’s why his firm has chosen to make United Way the single focus of their fund-raising efforts. “It’s the one campaign that we as partners support, and we encourage our employees to follow suit. And they do.”
Despite its relatively small size, the firm generated over $100,000 through its 2006 campaign.
Michael applies this generosity at home too. He and his wife Sheila have given over $93,000 to the annual campaign since 1993, and in 2006 the couple established a family endowment within The Tomorrow Fund™ with a $100,000 gift. The Tomorrow Fund™ allows United Way to sustain programs such as Success By Six®, a program that is dedicated to providing all children with a good start in life. It helps to ensure that children ages 0 to 6 develop the emotional, social, cognitive, and physical skills they need as they enter school.
“Day-to-day United Way funding is absolutely essential for meeting today’s needs,” he says. “But there are a lot of improvements within our community that require long-term vision and planning. That’s where The Tomorrow Fund™ fits in.”