Celebrating Renewal on Our Board of Directors and a $1M gift from The MacMillan Family Foundation

The Samara Centre for Democracy is excited to announce that Zain Velji has been appointed Chair of our Board of Directors. A seasoned political and engagement strategist based in Calgary, Zain Velji joined the board in 2022 and has been integral to advancing the Samara Centre’s renewal as Chair of the Governance and Nominations Committee. 

Our co-founder Michael MacMillan will continue on the Board as Chair Emeritus where he will focus on diversifying and deepening the Samara Centre’s philanthropic position. In the spirit of this new focus and to underscore continued support for the organization, The MacMillan Family Foundation is providing the Samara Centre with a $1 million gift that will be disbursed over the next four years. 

“I’m absolutely delighted to see the Samara Centre where it is today,” said Michael MacMillan. “It is meeting this critical moment in Canada’s democracy with insight and relevance. We have strong leadership in Sabreena as CEO and vital knowledge and energy from Zain as our new Chair. In their hands the next chapter for the Samara Centre is bright and I’m glad to see that philanthropic organizations are stepping up to support it.”

“This is a period of uncertainty for Canada,” said Zain Velji. “The MacMillan Family Foundation has chosen to respond with financial certainty for the Samara Centre. This generous support will bolster our efforts to address polarization and strengthen the civic connection of Canadians. The Board expresses deep gratitude to Michael for his vision and immense contributions to the Samara Centre.” 

“A ‘samara’ is a seed that falls from a maple tree - our organization’s name reminds us that from small seeds, big ideas can grow,” said Sabreena Delhon. “Today the Samara Centre is thriving and our growing community is flourishing because of the seeds that Michael planted when he co-founded the Samara Centre with Alison Loat in 2007. Our team is excited to warmly welcome Zain as our Board Chair and we are so grateful for Michael’s continued support.”

The Chair transition and the generous gift from the MacMillan Family Foundation marks a significant milestone for the Samara Centre, fortifying our work in a period where our mission has never been more urgent. We want to take this opportunity to thank our the funders, partners and other members of our community for supporting our recent work including VERIFIED, our democracy and technology project, and our newly launched podcast Group Chat, which features a wide range of active citizens diving into topics central to this political moment, such as diaspora politics, use of the notwithstanding clause and whether technology can support democracy. 

Click here to learn more about the Samara Centre for Democracy’s Board of Directors  

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Photo: Zain Velji, Sabreena Delhon and Michael MacMillan on June 2, 2025 at the Samara Centre Spring Reception. (Photo: Michael Pereira)