Canada’s non-profit sector lost a giant this week with the passing of Jean Crawford. Her career lifted sector fundraising, governance, and management talent.
I have such wonderful memories of Jean. In the early 1990s, she hired me as Director of Annual Giving at the Toronto East General Hospital Foundation (now Michael Garron Hospital Foundation) after Sue Carruthers—another giant, like Jean, in Canadian healthcare philanthropy—introduced us. For the next five years, Jean generously shared her fundraising expertise with me and opened the door to the world of governance and community fundraising — she, quite simply, made the job so much fun.
In 1996, Jean launched crawfordconnect, one of the first executive search firms in Canada dedicated to the non-profit and charitable sector—a bold and novel step at the time. I moved on to capital campaigning, but we always stayed in touch. She remained a mentor, celebrated milestones with me—including my wedding—and built an incredible legacy supporting the non-profit talent needs across the country.
Jean was endlessly generous with her time and wisdom. Although she never claimed to “strengthen the non-profit sector,” that’s exactly what she did. She helped anyone who asked, even competitors, and taught so many of us through her leadership, guidance, and by example. I am grateful for everything she taught me.
By 2010, Jean was looking to slow down. At an AHP conference, I watched her deliver yet another insightful presentation. Immediately afterward, a conversation between us changed both our lives: she entrusted me with her flourishing firm, and I carried forward the legacy she built.
Thank you, Jean, for coming our way. You made a big difference and will be deeply missed.
Deborah Legrove
