The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation recently celebrated Desmond von Teichman, broker/owner of Royal LePage Locations North, with its most prestigious annual award: National Philanthropist of the Year. 

The award honours von Teichman for his philanthropic leadership, unwavering commitment to uplifting his team and his community through charitable efforts and his compassion and ongoing, generous dedication to the cause.

von Teichman expressed gratitude for the recognition, noting the collective efforts of the Royal LePage family in driving positive change: “Receiving this recognition was an extremely humbling moment. What I love about Royal LePage is how philanthropic the network is. When I found out I had received this amazing honour, my first reaction was feeling like an imposter. In a sea of so many worthy nominees and truly generous people, I was beyond proud to be acknowledged in this way,” he notes. “It was a very special day, indeed.”

Local and national efforts

von Teichman is deeply connected to supporting women and children fleeing intimate partner violence in the communities he serves by providing resources to local women’s shelters.

“The Shelter Foundation provides critical infrastructure to help us help those in our own backyards who are, most unfortunately, not safe in their homes. There is something truly inspiring about a real estate company that wants to ensure families can walk away from violence and abuse, and seek refuge at a shelter where they can then chart a new course,” von Teichman says.

“I am incredibly grateful that I do not have personal experience with intimate partner violence, and I am hopeful that the efforts of the Foundation can make this a reality for all families.”

He believes that direct involvement with local shelters is a personal investment in community welfare. Collaborating on various fundraisers and events, including the Collingwood Holiday Tour of Homes and Royal LePage Ski Day, von Teichman and his team ensure their local shelters have the resources needed to help women and children survive and thrive.

“We stay in touch year-round and want to work alongside them to help make our community a safer place. It would be easy to write a cheque once a year, but we believe that we can accomplish more when we work together,” he explains.

Education and prevention initiatives the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation funds nationally are also important for von Teichman. “We know that intimate partner violence is systemic, complex and often cyclical. While we cannot take our eyes off our local women’s shelters, we have to make sure we’re also seeing societal changes that help stop this senseless violence before it starts.” 

His advice: ‘Just start’

von Teichman embraces a culture of philanthropy within his brokerage and in his broader community by encouraging his team to participate in joint endeavours and celebrating each contribution and milestone.

The advice he offers those eager to make a difference? Just start, regardless of the scale. von Teichman believes every contribution counts, and collective action, no matter how big or small, has the power to make a significant difference in our communities.