The change she hopes her philanthropy will bring: A greater awareness of me, us, and all of us.
Susan Wright is many things to many people – an author, teacher, Integral Coach, and a matriarch to many. She is also a Fund Advisor who conducts her philanthropic giving through a Donor Advised Fund at MakeWay.
Susan’s story holds many threads: a childhood in northern Ontario alongside Cree neighbours, the experience of building schools in Central America, late-in-life theology studies, the creation of a new gathering place she calls Circles in the Square, and her deep commitment to reconciliation activated through the Right Relations Collaborative.
At first glance, these experiences might appear to be separate chapters. But for Susan, they are bound together by a single through-line: the expansion of consciousness.
A Path That Began by Simply “Showing Up”
While Susan has a Donor Advised Fund at MakeWay, she resists the word philanthropist. Her giving began not with a large gift but with a hammer in her hand. Through SchoolBOX, she and her then-husband joined others to physically build schools in Nicaragua.
“I could contribute,” she recalls. “But more than that, I wanted to be engaged. Not just, ‘here’s a cheque’… I wanted to show up.”
That instinct later made participating in the Right Relations Collaborative feel inevitable. Beyond dollars, it asked her to bring her story, her time, and her recognition of privilege. “The minute I heard about the framework, I knew it was my work to do,” she says. “In some ways, my childhood experience was a coming full circle.”
The Right Relations Collaborative brings funders and Indigenous partners together to reimagine philanthropy in the spirit of reconciliation. It challenges funders to show up with authentic support that trusts community wisdom and addresses the inequities of conventional philanthropy. For Susan, joining the Collaborative was a way to show up beyond money, to listen, and to walk alongside Indigenous communities. It connected deeply to her early experiences in northern Ontario and gave her philanthropy a place where relationship and consciousness are as important as dollars.
Theology and Unexpected Enlightenment
At seventy-nine, Susan is wrapping up a three-year study program at the Vancouver School of Theology. A self-proclaimed “non-religious” person, Susan unexpectedly started studying theology out of curiosity and a desire for ongoing learning. Her studies deepened her sense of purpose in unexpected ways. She describes her personal theology as “love in action” and often speaks of the “One and the All”, the human expression of “the sacred” alongside the vastness of everything.
She connects her learning to the urgency of today’s world. “We’ve always had complexity, uncertainty, and change,” she says, “but now it feels like it’s on high speed.” While phone calls from her grandson at university help to slow her down, bring her joy and remind her why awareness and presence matter in the rush of modern life, theology studies have expanded her sphere of consciousness and love for the human experience.
Circles in The Square
Theology studies led her to her next project, the establishment of a community hub. When a field placement for her theology program fell through, a deflated Susan walked past an empty storefront in her South False Creek neighborhood in Vancouver. The “For Sale” sign felt like a summons specifically meant for her.
Today, that space has become a community hub called Circles in the Square, a place for conversation, reflection, and collective action, open to any member of the community to use as a gathering place. Neighbours host memoir circles and book clubs. Environmentalists meet to plan creek clean-ups. Indigenous leaders share traditional stories over feasts catered by local First Nations chefs. Elders gather to talk about the experience of aging.
“Every person who comes in this door is sacred. My job is to love them into action,” says Susan. She calls it her un-church – a sacred but informal place where spirituality, justice, art, and community overlap.
Having a Buddy Matters
Through these years, Susan says that MakeWay has been a practical and steady partner. She appreciates the simplicity: “You make it easy to give where I want to give,” she says. The infrastructure removes barriers, but just as important are the relationships. Staff have connected her to initiatives like the Right Relations Collaborative, introduced her to peers, and helped her stay close to the communities her heart is connected to. “You need a buddy in this work, someone to check in with, to connect with, to open doors. I’ve had that at MakeWay.”
When asked what she would say to those just beginning their philanthropic journey, Susan is clear: “Don’t wait. I wish I had started sooner. Giving is not only about money, it’s about time, attention, and wisdom. Find your wisdom and share it.”
As she approaches her eightieth year, she shows no sign of slowing down. Circles in the Square is bustling, theology studies are nearly complete, and she continues to deepen her role in reconciliation and justice work.
Inspiration We Take from Susan’s Story
For women DAF Advisors, especially those who don’t see themselves in traditional philanthropy, Susan’s journey is an invitation: it’s okay to be intuitive, to experiment, to fail forward, to learn in community. It’s okay to start from where you are, to keep your giving close to your values and your neighborhood. And it’s more than okay to ask for a buddy.
At MakeWay, we’re honored to be that companion, offering the scaffolding, the stewardship, and the learning spaces that turn generosity into ‘love in action’.
This article launches our seasonal profile series. Each season, we’ll share one Fund Advisor’s story and the change they most hope their philanthropy will bring. If you’d like to be featured-or to learn more about starting a fund-reach out to advisedfunds@makeway.org