The David Foster Foundation Announces a New Chapter
The David Foster Foundation
VICTORIA, B.C. — August 2026 — The David Foster Foundation marked its 40th anniversary in Victoria with its final black-tie gala and concert—a fitting celebration of four decades of giving hope to families of children awaiting life-saving organ transplants.
Founded by 16-time Grammy Award-winning music producer and philanthropist David Foster, the Foundation has provided millions of dollars in support to over 1,600 families across Canada. Its mission is to help families with all the non-medical expenses associated with a child’s transplant journey while raising awareness about the critical need for organ and tissue donors throughout Canada and the United States.
The Foundation’s final gala, described as a “Love Letter to Victoria,” raised an extraordinary $14.5 million, bringing its 40-year fundraising total to more than $80 million.
Over the years, the Foundation has also used major partnerships and high-profile events to advance organ donation awareness. In 2011, its partnership with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar Racing helped promote the message “Be a donor, save a life,” reaching millions worldwide during the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.
A New Chapter
Following four decades of successful fundraising, the David Foster Foundation has built a substantial endowment designed to provide long-term support to transplant families. As a result, the Foundation is now transitioning from a primarily fundraising-focused organization to a stewardship-focused foundation.
The new direction will place greater emphasis on the long-term well-being of transplant children and their families—providing meaningful support, building lasting relationships, and ensuring families have the resources they need throughout their transplant journey.
After 40 years of extraordinary fundraising and community support, the David Foster Foundation is entering its next chapter with the same purpose that has guided it from the beginning: providing financial assistance to children and families through the transplant process and creating a better awareness and education of the need to become registered organ and tissue donors.
Wings and Wheels Foundation (TeamWWF)
The Wings and Wheels Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping talented, diverse young drivers overcome financial barriers to enter motorsports, has had a very active racing season.
In 2011, the David Foster Foundation partnered with The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Racing series to promote “Be a donor, save a life.” This major partnership promotion created awareness and education of the importance of becoming a registered organ donor. The promotion was a tremendous success due to the involvement of Indy Car drivers who lent their voice for this important cause along with the generous gift from Chevrolet of the #1 Series off the assembly line of the Camaro Pace car. The promotion winner received the 2011 Pace Car and was also given the thrill of riding in the pace car on the parade lap for the 100th Anniversary of The Indianapolis 500 race where David Foster, Kelly Clarkston, and Seal performed the Nation Anthem in front of untold millions worldwide.
The David Foster Foundation and the Wings and Wheels Foundation share a common goal of helping those in need and have worked together for each organization’s success since 2022.
Wings & Wheels Foundation and the David Foster Foundation announced a mission-aligned partnership and promotional collaboration in 2022 centered on a shared interest in helping emerging talent—specifically, young racing drivers.
How the Relationship Began
The public announcement, dated March 1, 2022, stated that the David Foster Foundation was forming an alliance with Wings & Wheels Foundation and Future Star Racing. The stated plan was for the organizations to work together to promote each foundation’s mission during 2022.
The collaboration was logical because of David Foster’s longstanding connection to racing: his uncle, Billy Foster, was an IndyCar driver, and the David Foster Foundation had previously worked with Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar in 2011 on its “Be a donor, save a life” donor-registration awareness campaign.
David Foster’s involvement added both his public profile and his personal interest in developing talent. In the announcement, he compared supporting young racers with his history of mentoring musicians, calling the motorsports effort an extension of that work. The David Foster Foundation had previously worked with Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar in 2011 on its “Be a donor, save a life” donor-registration awareness campaign.
Mike Ravenhill, CEO of the David Foster Foundation, described the partnership as a fit because David Foster, Al Unser Jr., and the Wings & Wheels team shared a love of racing and an interest in mentoring “future stars.” Wings & Wheels continues to feature that endorsement on its website.
Who Is David Foster?
The David Foster photos and promo graphics are copyright © 2026 David Foster Foundation. All rights reserved. Use by permission.
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The Wings and Wheels Foundation is a 501c3 charitable organization • EIN: 93-1688394
