The Graham Boeckh Foundation has a multi-faceted approach to achieving impact with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of those affected by mental ill health.
The Foundation works in collaboration with governments, philanthropic foundations, researchers and community service providers to co-develop and co-fund large-scale initiatives. The foundation has two primary areas of focus:
- Across Canada, building integrated systems of care for youth mental health and related issues
- Across the globe, developing collaboration and knowledge exchange in the mental health sector, particularly among mental health research funders
Insights gained over the past 20 years have enabled us to effect change through collaborative philanthropy. By connecting diverse stakeholders, we strive to break down silos and facilitate knowledge sharing to advance improved mental health care across Canada and throughout the world.
The documents linked below describe this approach, as well as the Foundation’s history, strategies and lessons learned.
Integrated Youth Services in Canada: A Portrait
July 2022
A new report has been released entitled Integrated Youth Services in Canada: A Portrait. The report covers a range of topics related to IYS, including a pan-Canadian overview, history, achievements, evidence, and future opportunities.
The GBF-Bell Partnership, which supports IYS across the country, commissioned the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) to research and write the report.
Portrait of the Graham Boeckh Foundation, 1990 – 2020
Dec. 2020
This portrait describes the Foundation’s historical phases, motivations and methods. A companion document provides a case study of GBF’s role in catalyzing Foundry, the BC Integrated Youth Services Initiative.
The report also explains GBF’s two distinguishing, high-level strategies:
- A long-term commitment to well-defined goals
- A focus on building collaboration and knowledge exchange
Portrait of the Graham Boeckh Foundation, 1990 – 2020: Read the report
Case Study on Foundry, the BC Integrated Youth Services Initiative: Read the report
Building Strength: Transformational research in adolescent mental health
Jan. 2020
This document describes the path-breaking public-philanthropic partnership and resulting call for proposals launched by the Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The goal of the partnership was to transform youth mental health care across Canada. The call was branded as TRAM (Transformation Research in Adolescent Mental Health) and was designed from the ground up to be an innovative, multi-sectorial process that would ultimately involve many hundreds of people from across the country. This call led to the funding of the ACCESS Open Minds Network and was instrumental in paving the way for the pan-Canadian movement now known as Integrated Youth Services. Read more
A Holistic Approach for Youth Mental Health
Feb. 2019
This brief report outlines the Foundation’s strategies and lessons learned from the development of Integrated Youth Services, a pan-Canadian movement to transform youth mental health, addictions, and related services. Read the report
Small Foundations, Outsized Impact: How Three Canadian Foundations Create Change
Sept. 2016
This report includes a description of how GBF achieves impact by prioritizing collaboration within clear areas of focus. Read the report