Building Trust, Not Just Transactions – Rethinking Corporate–Nonprofit Partnerships

In this episode of Let’s Imagine, host Bruce MacDonald sits down with Andrea Barrack, SVP, Sustainability & Impact at RBC, and Claudia Hepburn, CEO of Windmill Microlending—a charity that helps skilled immigrants and refugees leverage their talents and build successful careers in Canada.

Together, they unpack the evolving relationship between companies and nonprofits, exploring how authentic partnerships—rooted in trust, flexibility, and shared purpose—can drive meaningful community impact. Andrea offers an inside look at RBC’s approach to community investment, including its strategic focus on seeding, scaling, and sustaining community-led solutions. Claudia shares how Windmill’s work is transforming lives and what RBC’s recent $5 million donation—their largest corporate gift—means for the future of skilled newcomers in Canada’s healthcare system.

Drawing on key findings from the Bridging Perspectives - Nonprofit Views of Corporate Social Impact in Canada report published by Imagine Canada’s PRISM, this episode challenges the idea that dollars alone make the difference. Instead, it highlights how long-term relationships, non-cash support, and a deep understanding of nonprofit needs are what truly enable lasting social change.

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