The Purpleville Foundation
The Purpleville Foundation’s support for health and innovation has helped improve public health policy, saved lives in Kenya, increased access to mental health services and supported students who will lead these fields in the future.
Launched in 2002, the Purpleville Foundation is a noted charitable champion of the arts, health care, and the power of education. Purpleville’s generosity to the University of Toronto, with gifts of more than $5 million, reflects its vision of a healthy, strong civil society accessible to all.
For example, the foundation has contributed $1.6 million to AMPATH-UofT, a dynamic public health-care collaboration with a network of 35 clinics providing obstetrics, nutrition, disease prevention, physician education and cancer care services in Kenya.
Nearly $3 million of the Purpleville Foundation’s giving to the University has supported the Dalla Lana School of Public Health’s partnership with the Results for Development Institute, both allowing the project to launch and catalyzing a 15-fold investment from other donors. The Institute supports low- and middle-income countries in developing economically viable health-care systems, and has raised funds for pneumonia treatment in Ethiopia, analyzed global nutrition needs, and advised Ghana’s new national health insurance plan, among many other important impacts.
Other gifts have also had far-reaching impact in the areas of health and civil society. For example, the Purpleville Foundation supported important public policy research into reducing youth unemployment, which was adopted by the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services. Its support for the School of Cities is also funding a series of workshops to help cities deliberately create mixed-use building projects — a type of land use that demonstrably promotes diversity and civil society.
The Purpleville Foundation also helped the Faculty of Arts & Science create a global health specialist program for biology students, and is supporting Faculty of Medicine work on mental health interventions online and via social media, helping to reach people in need who may not be able to access standard treatments.
The Purpleville Foundation is a far-sighted partner on important projects that are not only helping people around the world but ensuring a firm foundation for the future of global public health.