SERVING THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
- ABOUT THE BARTENDERS BENEVOLENT FUND
Mission
Connect and inspire past, present, and future hospitality workers through advocacy, programming, financial support, and fundraising to foster a healthy, equitable, and thriving community.
Vision
Empower Hospitality.
Created in 2013, the Bartenders Benevolent Fund is a nationally registered non-profit and financial resource for hospitality professionals in Canada.Although we have some operational costs, we are mostly powered by volunteers from across the country, who help us to provide support and resources to hospitality professionals throughout Canada.
We provide funding for those who have fallen under serious financial hardship, and programming to elevate our industry and those within it.
The Bartenders Benevolent Fund’s mandate is to offer support to the hospitality industry, by the hospitality industry: our funds are awarded anonymously by local hospitality professionals from each market.
CORE VALUES
Our core values are deeply rooted in Selfless SERVICE:
- Supporting one another during troubled times
- Empathy to your situation
- Recovery assistance
- Value the bartending community at large
- Inclusion - Offering an inclusive application process to those in need
- Community minded non-profit, serving those who serve us all
- Earnest - The Bartenders Benevolent Fund works in earnest to support our hospitality community at large during times of hardship
A MESSAGE FROM OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Considering the current impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry, we are continuously working with community members and organizations to develop inclusive and empowering programming, while continuing to update organizational policies, funding criteria and code of conduct.
Our administrative costs, which includes salaries for one full time and three part-time roles, are below our target number of 13%.
Philanthropic organizations that have an administrative target of 13% are well regarded in the non-profit industry, and so we aim to match them with our own organization. We as a board are therefore pleased to report that we have met our target of keeping our administrative costs below 13% throughout F2020/21.
In addition, the Bartenders Benevolent Fund, its directors, staff members and volunteers pledge to:
- Understand, support, and promote the Core Values of the Bartenders Benevolent Fund.
- Conduct ourselves with honesty, integrityand fairness.
- Ensure a diverse, inclusive and intersectional staff at all levels of our organization.
- Respect the dignity and rights of clients, partners, vendors, associates, and peers regardless of race, creed, religion, gender, physical disability, or sexual orientation.
- Not engage in sexual harassment, disrespectful or abusive behaviour in connection with professional duties.
- Conduct business and professional activities in a reputable manner so as to reflect honourably upon the Fund.
- Engage with working bartenders, servers, and FOH and BOH support staff to learn new and innovative ways to improve how we may best serve the industry.
ALEXIS GREEN
(SHE/HER)
Alexis is the Senior Marketing Manager at Fever-Tree Canada, a Certified Specialist of Spirits, holds a WSET II in Spirits, and has worked in the food and beverage industry for more than 20 years. She has held numerous positions, from head bartender to general manager, marketing manager, event planner, brand ambassador and sales manager. She holds an honours bachelor's degree in Graphic Design from York University and has been living in Montreal since 2010.
DR. ANDREW TOPLACK
(HE / HIM)
Andrew is one of the most encouraging and nurturing bar flies you’d ever have the good fortune to have visit your bar. A medical doctor and psychotherapist by day, Andrew can be found hosting Toplack Tuesdays by night; a series professional talks that give bartenders a platform to teach each other. He is also able to boast to being the first to import the then niche — now global — brands El Tesoro Tequila and Del Maguey Mezcal into Canada. His passion for sharing incredible new spirits with bartenders, and his impulse to engage with and develop the hospitality community is what led him here: as the co-founder of the Bartenders Benevolent Fund alongside Jonathan Humphrey back in 2013.
DANIELLE YOON
(SHE / HER)
Dani has over a decade of experience working in restaurants and bars, including starting her own cocktail consulting agency. Her passion for social progress fuels her work in the spirits marketing industry — using her brands as a platform to help support positive change. During the pandemic, she created 'A Toast from Coast to Coast', a cocktail book raising funds in part for the Bartenders Benevolent Fund and to promote local restaurants and bars across Canada. She loves exploring new cultures through flavours and appreciating the diversity of spirits, wine, food and people; and she hopes to bring that perspective to the fund. you can find her @dani.drinks on social media.
DONNIE WHEELER
(HE/HIM)
For more than two decades, Donnie has worked in some great and fun cocktail bars and restaurants across Canada and been an boozy educator and national brand ambassador in previous roles. You’ll find that he is a continual student with certifications in Wine and Spirits anxious from WSET & Bar 5 Day. For over a decade now, Donnie has been hosting an industry holiday celebration for restaurant industry workers that can’t get a holiday meal or be home for the holidays. These days you’ll find him working as a spirits specialist for Dandurand Wine & Spirits.
HUGO SILVA
(He/Him)
With close to three decades of hospitality industry under his belt, Hugo has run everything from 5 star hotels to nightclubs and large international events. Hugo believes that hospitality is about empathy, compassion and inclusion, as there is no one that doesn’t like to be heard and understood. Hugo likes being able to listen to others, be it guests or industry colleagues. His believe is that everything in life is about perspective and solutions, and there definitely is strength in numbers.
MAT SAVULESCU
(HE / HIM)
Mat joined us as Executive Director in 2021, having worked with several notable not-for-profits focusing on workforce development programs, such as Dixon Hall Neighbourhood Services, The Career Foundation, and most recently at Rise, a national organization that empowers Canadians with mental health and addiction challenges to achieve greater economic and social inclusion. Mat’s experience in the not-for-profit world and managing programs supporting racialized youth, newcomers to Canada, Aboriginal, homeless, LGBTTIQQ2SA+; as well as his compassion and enthusiasm has made him an excellent addition to our team at the BBF.
- VOLUNTEERS
The Bartenders Benevolent Fund operates thanks to our volunteers who donate their time, experience and insight to keep the BBF moving.
- Donnie Wheeler, Ontario
- Chris Cho, Saskatchewan
- Kolbi Morely, Nova Scotia
VOLUNTEER WITH US
Have any questions about your application or guidance on how to apply? Send us a message and we would be happy to answer your questions.
The Bartenders Benevolent Fund values diversity in our make up. We provide equal volunteer and employment opportunities for all applicants and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status, disability or any other characteristic protected by local and federal law.
CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES
There are not currently any openings, but new opportunities will be posted here.
- POLICIES
The Bartenders Benevolent Fund actively works to maintain inclusive and empowering organizational policies, funding criteria and code of conduct. In addition, we treat applicant privacy with the highest regard, through responsible management, use and protection of personal data.
CODE OF CONDUCT
The Bartenders Benevolent Fund, its directors, staff members and associates pledge to:
- Understand, support, and promote the Core Values of the Bartenders Benevolent Fund
- Conduct ourselves with honesty, integrity and fairness
- Ensure a diverse, inclusive and intersectional staff at all levels of our organization
- Respect the dignity and rights of clients, partners, vendors, associates, and peers regardless of race, creed, religion, gender, physical disability, or sexual orientation
- Not engage in sexual harassment, disrespectful or abusive behaviour in connection with professional duties
- Conduct business and professional activities in a reputable manner so as to reflect honourably upon the Fund
- Engage with working bartenders, servers and FOH support staff to learn new and innovative ways to improve how we may best serve the industry
PRIVACY POLICY
Additionally, we take privacy extremely seriously. As such, the Bartenders Benevolent Fund pledges to:
- Comply with all applicable laws and regulations concerning our non-profit and partners
- Conduct business and make funding decisions in a fair and ethical manner
- Strive to provide confidential and objective evaluations of all funding applications
- Be alert to situations that might cause, or have the appearance of, a conflict of interest and provide full disclosure when a real or potential conflict of interest arises
- Not knowingly misappropriate, divert or use monies, personnel, property, or equipment belonging to others for personal gain or advantage
- FOR THE COMMUNITY. BY THE COMMUNITY.Stay up to date on the Bartenders Benevolent Fund news and follow us on our social channels. For any and all questions please feel free to reach out to our team by email.
Please note the Bartenders Benevolent Fund is a volunteer run organization; please allow us some time to respond to all enquiries.
ABOUT THE BBF
Created in 2013, the Bartenders Benevolent Fund is a nationally registered, volunteer powered, non-profit financial resource for hospitality professionals in Canada.
The Bartenders Benevolent Fund is a nationally registered non-profit - Registration #921977-3.
