Philanthropist couple investing up to $2M in The Gathering Place — but it comes with strings

Elizabeth Whitten · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 26, 2025 2:10 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

The Gathering Place is getting an concern of up to $2 cardinal to help vulnerable radical get semipermanent and sustainable housing — but the St. John's shelter has to deed predetermined targets successful bid to person the donation.

The Gathering Place's enforcement manager Paul Davis says he's been successful talks for astir 3 years with the Northpine Foundation, a Toronto-based backstage philanthropic enactment funded by joined mates Cathy and John Phillips.

"The statement with Northpine is up to $2 cardinal successful an investment. And is truly based on, arsenic we location people, past the funds travel from Northpine to The Gathering Place," Davis told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show.

"It's a truly absorbing exemplary that Northpine has created wherever they don't put successful infrastructure per se oregon gardens oregon peculiar programs. They put successful organizations and they measurement the occurrence of those investments based connected outcomes."

In this case, the concern is going toward permanent lodging for structure residents. The Gathering Place presently employs housing managers that assistance radical find places to live, and conscionable opened an enlargement containing affordable lodging units, Mercy House, a fewer months ago.

Typically, guests commencement disconnected by staying within The Gathering Place's structure system. Once they're stabilized, they're moved into transitional housing, wherever they tin commencement gathering skills that volition assistance them go much autarkic and little reliant connected organizations.

"From determination you tin determination to our supportive lodging units, which are connected the 3rd and 4th level of Mercy House, oregon adjacent into the community," said Davis.

"Those changes are creating outcomes. And that's however Northpine operates — connected providing investments and organizations similar The Gathering Place, who can, successful turn, supply outcomes."

Those outcomes are tracked done a reporting mechanism connected the Northpine website. The Gathering Place volition beryllium evaluated connected the fig of radical who determination to an autarkic surviving arrangement, either astatine Mercy House oregon wrong the community.

If the non-profit doesn't conscionable that target, it won't person funding.

According to the Northpine Foundation website, wealth began flowing to The Gathering Place in May 2024.

As of January, its fiscal publication has helped 29 radical modulation to supportive and imperishable housing, according to Northpine.

Money enactment to use

John Phillips said he was an aboriginal capitalist successful Shopify, an Ottawa-headquartered e-commerce platform, which gave the couple a ample fiscal boost.

"That concern has, needless to say, rocketed and has fixed america these opportunities," helium told CBC News.

He besides said that concern was 1 of "several ships" that came successful for them. Cathy Phillips said they wanted to enactment that wealth to bully usage and assistance people.

"The intent of Northpine is to springiness backmost to our community. We came into this wealth. It's much than we need. We privation to get that moving to marque a quality to the radical who request it most. Basically, that's Northpine successful a nutshell."

John Phillips said they don't spot the funding as "donations" but arsenic investments and opportunities to springiness radical "a accidental to amended their lot."

"The Gathering Place is simply a superb opportunity to bash that," helium said.

Demand growing

Davis said the request for The Gathering Place's services has continued to rise.

"When I came present conscionable 4 years ago, 250, 280 meals a time was a lot. 300 meals was, 'Oh my goodness, we had 300 meals oregon 300 for lunch,'" helium said.

Now, helium said 300 is nary longer unusual, adding determination person been days erstwhile they've fed 600 people.

Davis added unit are besides seeing increasingly complex cases, too.

"The availability of cause proviso ... has changed nine and changed communities," helium said.

Download our free CBC News app to motion up for propulsion alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to sojourn our landing page.