BC Children’s Hospital Foundation CEO Malcolm Berry on grief, giving and building a culture of care

After Malcolm Berry’s infant daughter passed away from blood cancer two decades ago, it inspired him to switch gears from teaching to fundraising for children’s hospitals. Now president and CEO of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, the province’s top-earning charity, he understands that modern philanthropy is about more than fundraising—it’s about creating brand advocates and building ecosystems of empathy. In a candid sit down, Berry opens up about his ambitious plans to position B.C. as a global pediatric care leader.

You’re four and a half years on the job. How’s it going?

I have the best job in B.C. I get to champion kids, be a partner with a really complex health system, work with extraordinary people—visionaries who are bringing ideas to life so kids can have better outcomes. How could you not love that?

Your foundation is the top charity in B.C. by revenue—can you break that down?

We have about $650 million invested, so we generate income from that. We have a lottery that nets about $15 million annually. And we raise about $80-plus million a year—roughly 20 percent from corporations, 45 percent from individuals and the balance from about 100,000 people making gifts of $100 a year or $20 a month. The common alignment is belief and purpose: belief in B.C. children, belief in the power of what could be.

The Crystal Ball is one of your biggest fundraisers, having raised more than $59 million since 1986. This year you’re fundraising for a new 3T MRI for B.C.’s only pediatric research MRI site (a $10M cost). Why is this so important?

This will be one of the highest fidelity MRI tools for kids in the country. We’re going to be able to use children’s brain scans to understand the impact of anxiety and depression in the moment, to then inform protocols to best care for kids. It will transform the way that we can treat mental health.

You spearheaded the “Small Is Mighty” campaign that features some of the hospital’s youngest patients. It’s so visually impactful—to show how even small donations can fund research and technology for B.C. kids. How did that come about?

We wanted a brand platform upon which campaigns sit. “Small Is Mighty” is the external rallying cry for our internal rallying cry, “power the possible.” Whether you’re a monthly donor making a $20 gift or you’re seed-funding innovation in the lab—microbes in a Petri dish—these things are small, but they are mighty.

How often do families who’ve been through the hospital become donors?

Probably more than we realize. Everybody has a story. What we underappreciate is the healing power of giving. I’ve been there where you can’t control your child’s blood tests or results. But you can control providing a mechanism for yourself or your community to be part of the healing journey.

You’re an avid North Shore biker and you have said both that it’s really grounding and that biking brings you closer to your daughter Paige.

Paige lived her life at SickKids [pediatric hospital]. She would be 20 today if she was still here. She sort of symbolizes hope. I think in the early days after she died, [mountain bike riding] was about being in community, too. Doing lots of community rides and being with family and friends and being on a bike—it could be a Ride to Conquer Cancer type of event where you have these amazing communities that come together. And so, for me, there was magic in that in the early days. I have a group of family members who still ride all over the place, you know, to this day. But I think often just even finding an hour up on [Mount] Fromme is healing.

What’s your goal for the next four and a half years on the job?

Frankly, I’d love to put myself out of business as a foundation. That’s never going to happen. But what will continue is to elevate our sights and think about what could be and then help make it happen.   

Quick Hits

First job: Minor hockey referee at the North Toronto Hockey Association.

Pet peeve: Apathy.

Recent binge: Anderson Cooper’s All There Is podcast and Andor season 2.

Most memorable concert: Miles Davis at Toronto’s Massey Hall in 1990, k.d. lang singing from her Hymns of the 49th Parallel and The Tragically Hip’s last show are stand-outs.

Favourite spot for a business dinner: I love the unrivalled patio, and the view of the city and North Shore mountains at Seasons in the Park.

Last book I read: Frances Weller’s The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief and The Knowing by Tanya Talaga.