Jennifer and I recently photographed Lois Graveline at Impact Hub Ottawa for the InFrame project, and it turned into one of those conversations that stay with you long after the camera is put away.
What struck me most was the way Lois talks about the charitable sector. After more than three decades working alongside nonprofits and community organizations, she’s seen firsthand how many of the people doing some of the most important work in our communities are often the most stretched for time, resources, and support.
And yet they keep showing up.
Many of these organizations are led entirely by volunteers—people giving their energy, experience, and care simply because they believe in what needs to be done.
Rather than accepting that reality as "just the way things are," Lois kept asking herself a bigger question: how do we make it easier for smaller organizations to access the help, tools, and community they need?
That question eventually led to the creation of Project Launchpad, a collaborative initiative she co-created with Hatim Zavery of Telos One. Their goal is simple but important—to help grassroots charities spend less time searching for support and more time doing the work that matters.
Spending time with Lois reminded me that making a difference doesn't always begin with being the loudest voice in the room. Sometimes it starts by paying attention, noticing where people are struggling, and deciding to help carry a small part of the load.
© Dwayne Brown Studio / Lois Graveline photographed at Impact Hub Ottawa
Lois Graveline - What does making a difference mean to you?
“Making a difference, to me, has never been about scale. It's about showing up. I grew up in the Pontiac region of Quebec where we didn't call it philanthropy. It was just being a good neighbour.
This childhood instinct has never left me and in many ways, Harmonia Philanthropy seems like its natural evolution.
Today, I work to connect donors with Canada's smaller charities as much as possible. These are the organizations quietly doing extraordinary work with very little recognition and even fewer resources. They represent 77% of Canada's charities and nonprofits. They are my heroes and the backbone of so many communities across the country.
That connection takes many forms. Sometimes, it's a deeply personal philanthropic experience, guiding an individual or family to a cause that truly reflects their values. Sometimes, it's helping a corporation build a giving program that their team can truly get behind. And sometimes, it's working directly alongside a smaller charity to help them become the strongest version of themselves.
Over my career, I've learned that making a difference isn't about the size of a gift or the name on a building. It's about the will to help, and what happens when that will meets real human need. Thirty-four years in, I still believe helping others is the only work worth doing.”
Lois Graveline
Founder & CEO, Harmonia Philanthropy
www.harmoniaphilanthropy.ca
www.projectlaunchpad.ca
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