The Reader’s Digest Foundation of Canada
Mission
The Reader’s Digest Foundation of Canada contributes financially to the support of university-level journalism education as well as national organizations, such as Magazines Canada and the National Magazine Awards, directly involved in advancing fundamental journalistic principles and standards.
As of December 2021, the Reader’s Digest Foundation of Canada has contributed more than $3,700,000 in grants to universities and national organizations that promote quality journalism in Canada.
The Reader’s Digest Foundation of Canada also has a matching donations policy, designed to encourage employee participation in charitable endeavors in which they have an interest.
Recent Grants and Bursaries
UQAM: The Reader’s Digest Foundation of Canada awarded $10,000 in Aontaiontenrohwe scholarships to an Aboriginal student studying journalism.
Concordia: The Reader’s Digest Foundation of Canada Scholarship, the Reader’s Digest Annual Lecture Series in Journalism, the Reader’s Digest Professional Skills Development Workshops and the Reader’s Digest Digital Internship at Concordia.
The Narwhal: Indigenous fellowship with funding from The Reader’s Digest Foundation of Canada. Recipients include Ramona Leitao, Alia Joussef and Robby Dick.
Testimonies From Past Recipients
Photo: Grady Mitchell
Megan Lau, Vancouver
“My internship at Reader’s Digest in the summer of 2010 gave me an invaluable opportunity to work with some of the best writers and editors in Canada. My placements on various editorial and marketing teams gave me a wealth of experience and training that I applied in roles in in the Canadian publishing industry and continue to use to this day. Though my career has evolved and I no longer work in magazines, I still believe that my internship and my freelance work with RD following the placement indelibly shaped my career and editorial sensibility.”
Photo: Erika Bisaillon
Erika Bisaillon, 29, journalist for Le Soleil
“In the summer of 2020, the scholarship and internship offered by the Reader’s Digest Foundation of Canada literally propelled my career in journalism. I came away from this unique experience with a lot of confidence and overcoming imposter syndrome.
I honed my skills with the ever-informative comments of my mentor, Nora Merola. I was also able to start developing a network of professional contacts and acquire multiple skills that will be useful throughout my career. An outstanding experience that I highly recommend to all young journalists!”
Photo: Dr. Gary Gould
Ryerson University
The Reader’s Digest Foundation funds have been instrumental in helping the School of Journalism freshen up and even re-develop some of our approaches to fact-checking throughout both the undergraduate and graduate programs. Workshops have been led by experts in the field like Rudy Lee from the New York Times, Jane Lytvynenko from Buzzfeed and Craig Silverman at ProPublica. Together they’ve introduced or elaborated on the latest digital verification techniques for hundreds of students. Their work also informed an entire fact-checking course that hadn’t been taught in years, resulting in many published articles in the capstone news website, the Ryersonian, and, similarly, just-in-time lessons for the Review of Journalism magazine as it went to newsprint.
Photo: Sheridan College
Sheridan College
“Thanks to the Reader’s Digest Foundation of Canada, Sheridan is able to recognize excellence and meet increasing student financial need, while building new supports for Black, Indigenous or racialized students in order to bring more diverse voices into the arts. I am grateful for the Reader’s Digest Foundation of Canada’s commitment to building our partnership to help more Sheridan students.” – Ted Gervan, EdD, Dean, Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design, Sheridan College
Photo: Alia Youssef
Photojournalism Fellowships at The Narwhal
Counting once again on the Reader’s Digest Foundation of Canada’s support, The Narwhal is excited to offer two new fellowship opportunities in 2022 for participants in Room Up Front’s mentorship for photographers who are Black, Indigenous or people of colour.
The 2022 fellowship offers two up-and-coming photographers the opportunity to work with mentors at Room Up Front to produce a photo essay for The Narwhal.
The Fellowship is made possible by The Reader’s Digest Foundation and the generosity of The Narwhal’s readers.
Carol Linnitt,
Executive Editor
The Narwhal
Contact the Reader’s Digest Foundation of Canada
RDCanadaFoundation [at] rd.com
The Reader’s Digest Foundation of Canada
BP 321
Saint-Edouard de Napierville, QC
J0L 1Y0
