An Essential Grace: Funding Canada's Health Care, Education, Welfare, Religion and Culture

Robert W. Sexty is a commerce professor at the Memorial University of
Newfoundland and author of Canadian Business: Issues and Stakeholders.

This is Professor Martin’s second book on humanistic institutions, his first being Financing Humanistic Service (McClelland and Stewart, 1975). An Essential Grace reports on the findings of a three-year study funded by the University of Western Ontario’s School of Business, where Martin teaches, and business corporations such as John Labatt’s Limited and Union Gas Limited.

The book is divided into two sections entitled “To whom much is given...” and “…much is required.” The first section, comprised of six chapters, discusses what humanistic service is, its history, changing public attitudes towards it, the rationale for giving, and altruism. Included in the second section are discussions of statistics on giving, the motives for giving, fund raising, corporate philanthropy, and charitable foundations. Statistical data are included in appendices. Although footnotes provide references, a bibliography would have been a useful addition.

The book is about Canada’s over 50,000 humanistic organizations, hospitals, universities, school boards, family-service agencies, churches, theatres, and fraternal societies. According to Martin, $70 billion flowed through the humanistic sector in 1980, $9 billion of that from the private sector. This represents 31 per cent of Canada’s national income, a significant portion of the economy.

By reviewing the humanistic sector and discussing the issues involved, the book provides valuable insights about “who gets the money, who gives it — and why.” Those involved in giving or receiving will learn about the future of fundraising and how they might be affected.