In our latest Purpose-Led CEO Interview Series, we spoke with Mitzie Hunter, President & CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation, about embedding purpose into strategy, fostering meaningful board engagement, and building trust with communities that have been historically underserved.
A powerful conversation on leadership, inclusion, intersectionality and the role governance plays in creating lasting impact.

Who inspired your leadership style?

My grandmother, Eva Hunter, was a matriarch and part of a family of entrepreneurs. That spirit shaped me early. I got my first job at 16, working for my aunt sorting receipts—it may sound small, but it helped me see myself as a leader and as someone who belonged in the world of work and business.

Along the way, leaders like Courtney Pratt and David Pecaut affirmed my voice and encouraged me to use it. Dr. Jean Augustine had a profound impact on me. When I was a manager doing community outreach, she pulled me aside and said, “Mitzie, when you get the call, you need to be ready.” That stayed with me. It helped me understand that opportunities might come before I felt fully ready—and that I needed to have the courage to take the risk. That mindset opened the door to different career paths and leadership roles.

How do you embed purpose in strategy and daily operations?

Our strategic vision is grounded in the work and advocacy of some of the most influential feminists in Canada. But it’s our team that brings that vision to life every day.

When I spend time in communities, I hear powerful stories about how support from the Canadian Women’s Foundation has changed lives. Our purpose is clear: we want to see an end to gender-based violence for women, girls, and gender-diverse people across the country. Gender equality and justice also include economic opportunities and systems change. The funds we raise are invested in small and medium-sized organizations that deliver programs directly in their communities.

This summer, I spent time in Inuvik with elders, youth, and our granting partners. Seeing the reach and impact of the funding firsthand was incredibly grounding. One young person said something that really stayed with me: “Stop studying us—and do. We know what needs to be done.” That’s a powerful reminder of how purpose must translate into action.

How do you define a purpose-driven board and align directors to the mission?

At a recent board meeting, we invited both board members and management to share their personal “why”—why they are committed to advancing gender equality in communities.

That exercise created a deep and meaningful connection around our shared purpose. It helped everyone stay grounded in the vision, mission, and impact we are working toward, and reinforced why alignment around purpose matters at every level of governance.

What are the hallmarks of an effective CEO–board relationship?

It’s an incredibly important relationship—and one that requires intentional effort.

I recently met with our new board chair to talk openly about how we want to work together and what we expect from one another. That early conversation created transparency and clarity, and it laid the foundation for a strong, respectful partnership. When expectations are clear, trust and effectiveness follow.

How do you engage your board in conversations about purpose, sustainability, and stakeholder outcomes?

Each year, we hold an in-person gathering the evening before a board meeting, bringing together board members, family foundations, major donors, and corporate funders.

What makes these gatherings powerful is that donors and grantee partners often share stories of impact directly with the board. These stories deepen engagement, reinforce alignment, and help everyone see how progress is unfolding—even when it’s not linear.

35 years of feminist change is an incredible legacy.

We’re also launching a new campaign for mid-level donors that centres these narratives, led by our local grantee partners, including messages like:

• When one woman is safe, she has choice—and her family has hope.
• When one youth is safe, they have opportunity.

How do you keep governance robust while enabling innovation and timely decision-making?

Having experienced people around the board table matters—because transformation takes time. Boards have a unique opportunity to invest in that long-term work.

We intentionally create space for conversations about innovation, transformation, and operational improvement. Those discussions help us decide where to focus our energy and resources. For example, we’ve explored ideas like shared granting models—where partners come together, pool funding, and collectively decide how resources are allocated. Governance that enables these conversations supports both innovation and impact.

If you were speaking with other purpose-led CEOs, what question would you ask?

I would ask: How can you help expand and amplify the cause you care about most?

For me, that’s ending gender-based violence. I’d encourage leaders to think about how they can use their influence, networks, and expertise to broaden impact—beyond their own organizations.

A question from Charles Brown:

How are you building trust with communities that have been historically underserved?

Come talk to us—this is what the Canadian Women’s Foundation does.

We intentionally create space for underserved communities to have a voice, and we work with a deep understanding of intersectionality. We are increasing funding in the North, engaging in trust-based and shared gifting approaches, and partnering closely with communities such as the queer community to ensure they are part of funding decisions.  We provide opportunities for donors to have a real social return on investment by seeing the impact that their funding makes.

We also look internally—asking our teams how they are building inclusive supplier networks. And we challenge ourselves to look around the room and ask: Who is missing? Then we take responsibility for inviting them in.