Our Founders
The parents of Seán Meehan established the Private Giving Foundation in 2017 for charitable giving and grants for philanthropic activities. All current contributions are through Seán’s parents, extended family and friends. Their goal, and if Seán was with us today, is to focus on supporting LGBTQ+ individuals and activities, children’s camps, to fight against homophobia and homelessness, promote awareness of mental illness, and to encourage continuous education.
We hope this website motivates readers to become liberated and develop, reach goals and achieve everything possible to live a full life of open-mindedness.
Fund recipients to-date:
- Pride Centre of Edmonton (2018)
- Camp FireFly of Edmonton, University of Alberta (2018)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing Award, MacEwan University (2019)
About Seán
Behind every person there is a story, each having various layers like the petals of a rose. As we unfold each layer we move inward towards the soul of that individual—exploring to understand their sense of self, exposing the experiences that shaped who they are or were.
Born in Alberta, Seán Meehan came from an artistic background. His childhood was filled with innovative ideas, natural inspiration, creativity, books and travelling. He had a passion for books and family stories from his parents, grandparents, surrogate mothers and numerous friends. Seán spent a great deal of time volunteering at Edmonton’s various food and entertainment festivals, especially the artful Fringe. He was an avid reader, excelled in linguistics, a generous supporter of local libraries and found solitude in writing and listening to music.
In his adult life, Seán was a third-year business student. He actively engaged with university business groups, a civic activist for LGBTQ+ community and Change.org campaign advocating rights and leadership. His charitable gifts centered around impoverished children who deserve a better education to move beyond the obstacles of adversity. This he developed from the love and nurturing of his maternal great-grandmother.
An extraordinary individual, Seán was very accepting, empathetic and open-hearted. One of his gifts was taking time to listen to other perspectives and viewpoints that differed from his own. He set aside differences and opted for a better future. Every person deserves to be happy. Every person deserves to have self-confidence and believe in themselves. When he saw someone in anguish, he acted in the spirit of generosity and support. He was thoughtful sitting beside a colleague without saying a word wrapping his arms around them. He loved—and showed love and kindness in return. Don’t allow media to be a dominant outlet for understanding the differences of others. The discourse is often toxic. Be inspired by great people and good friends.
Seán’s last unselfish act melted the hearts of many by texting four Facebook friends wishing them a Happy Birthday. He was considered a champion by many.
We hope this website motivates readers to become liberated and develop, reach goals and achieve everything possible to live a full life of open-mindedness.
Launch YouTube: The Value of Your Time