Who We Help

Watermark works with individuals, couples, and multi-generational families, as well as private foundations and companies, including those new to philanthropy and those already savvy givers.  We’re positioned to provide expert counsel to family offices, enterprise and wealth advisors, management consultants, and donor advised fund (DAF) providers.

Sharilyn also provides leading governance and leadership support to operating charities and nonprofits.

We are discrete about the individuals and families we work with, but select references are available to ensure your confidence.

who we help

“Sharilyn has been a trusted and valuable philanthropic counsellor to our firm. She clearly understood our goals, and deftly navigated our team in helping us implement our corporate philanthropic strategy.”

Burgundy Asset Management

My family worked with Sharilyn who helped us define our family philanthropy vision, mission & values. We are a large group with a wide range of ages, stages and philanthropic interests. Sharilyn was upbeat and energized, kept us focused and was able to find our crossover interests which allowed us to move forward.

Donna Green, Trustee
Greenrock Charitable Trust and Founder of Stella’s Place

“Sharilyn has been an inspired strategic partner in the revitalization of our foundation and board, and we are better and stronger as a result.”

Lisa Gibbs, Executive Director (former)
Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix Life Foundation

“Sharilyn is organizationally savvy and consistently provides tremendous value. Her counsel, informed by experience and research, has brought significant insights and helped us leverage new opportunities.”

Paulette Senior, CEO
Canadian Women’s Foundation

“Sharilyn’s work is timely and transformational in rethinking social and economic development through philanthropy across the Caribbean region. She has greater understanding than most about the associated challenges, and the critical support role of philanthropists and investors.”

Shaun Ingraham, CEO
One Eleuthera Foundation

“I can’t thank Sharilyn enough. We have implemented new and vibrant governance strategies that fit who we are, and we also have the policies and systems in place to support them effectively.”

Ekua Asabea Blair, CEO
Abiona Centre for Infant & Early Mental Health

“Sharilyn is a trustworthy and effective philanthropic guide.”

Private Philanthropy Client
Toronto, Canada

“I engaged Watermark to assist with a deep dive into the current private and corporate structure of our foundation, and to provide options for a strategic and multi-generational future. We discussed the balance between honouring our family legacy and historic nature, and what philanthropic and funding strategy would be beneficial as an intergenerational shift is occurring.  Working with Sharilyn was thought provoking and extremely beneficial, as she provided a confident, factual and evidence based sounding board to review my questions and ideas. Our foundation has a long history of community engagement and generosity, and Sharilyn honoured that and respectfully offered recommendations and findings to allow us to gain clarity and determine a future direction.”

Christina Sorbara,
Sorbara Group of Companies & The Sam Sorbara Charitable Foundation