Judith and Wilson Rodger
Judith and Wilson Rodger
Doing Philanthropy Responsibly
Montreal native Judith Rodger moved to London with her husband, Dr. Wilson Rodger, when he joined the faculty at Western University. Decades later she admits there was some culture shock (“There were only a handful of restaurants in those days!”), but says the move was a good one.
“We’ve had really interesting lives here,” she says. “Because the city is smaller, it’s easy to become involved in various community groups.”
She has certainly done that. As a volunteer at the city art gallery, Judith had an opportunity to interact with art and artists as the London Regionalism movement led by Greg Curnoe and Jack Chambers gathered steam. Eventually that experience led to a job at the London Regional Art Gallery (LRAG) as director of public programmes, and then as chief curator. After her time with LRAG, she spent several years working at the Art Gallery of Ontario and completing a master’s degree in art history. She also chaired the LCF Board from 2002 to 2004.
Judith has spent decades making London and Middlesex County a more vibrant place – through her volunteering and professional work, through a Community Fund honouring her late parents, Mildred and Alexander Maclean, and also through the thoughtful granting she and Wilson undertake each year with their Donor-Advised Fund.
Supporting the arts is a priority, along with many others – the environment, heritage, housing, the injustices faced by Indigenous peoples locally and across Canada, and the Medical Global Opportunities Award at Western, which Judith established in honour of Wilson’s 80th birthday to help medical students gain international learning experience.
“Judith has the rare ability to keep the larger community picture in view, even as she works with and supports specific projects,” says long-time friend and collaborator Madeline Lennon, Professor Emerita, Department of Visual Arts, Western University. “I see connecting links across the breadth of Judith’s work, and one is her deep care for the state of the community – in London, in Ontario, and across Canada.”
A donation of stock in December 2019 helped fuel the Rodgers’ giving during COVID-19. “We were able to double our funding for arts and environmental organizations,” says Judith. “The arts always suffer in a downturn, but the pandemic has taught us how important they are to sustaining our spirits.”
Wilson and Judith have continued to support LCF throughout the pandemic, with additional flow-through giving to local charities selected in consultation with Foundation staff. Judith notes, “Rather than paying tax on half the capital gains, it makes sense to donate stocks. The team at LCF are very good at creating awareness and giving suggestions about where the greatest needs are.”
She adds, “We’ve been very fortunate, and we feel we need to give back and support other people. It isn’t always easy doing philanthropy responsibly. I’ve learned a lot at LCF that continues to inform our giving.”
