About
VISION
Inuit communities are healthy and confident, and have what they need to thrive.
MISSION
To deliver funding and support that strengthens Inuit values, skills, and worldview in a manner that encourages lifelong learning and nurtures collaborative community relationships.
VISION
Inuit communities are healthy and confident, and have what they need to thrive.
MISSION
To deliver funding and support that strengthens Inuit values, skills, and worldview in a manner that encourages lifelong learning and nurtures collaborative community relationships.
Annauma’s Story
Annauma Community Foundation is the first community foundation in Nunavut.
Inuit communities know the best solutions to the issues they are experiencing, and Annauma connects caring philanthropists, corporate partners, funders, and governments with opportunities to invest in inspired community-based action.
Annauma is short for Annaumakkaijiit which is an Inuktitut (Inuit language) word meaning “helping people to stay ahead”. Annauma was created to help Inuit continue to realize their dream for Nunavut.
Team
Annauma is led by a committed local board of directors who are dedicated to community-delivered action in Nunavut.
The Board of Directors includes Inuit and non-Inuit leaders from business, education, government, health policy, Inuit policy, and community development who are recognized for their high ethical standards and commitment to community wellbeing. Their role is to govern the foundation, set policy, raise and invest funds, and direct and oversee grantmaking.
Past board members have included Lori Idlout and Robyn Campbell.
Current board members
Udloriak (Udlu) Hanson
Udlu was born and raised in Iqaluit. As a founding member of Annauma Community Foundation, Udlu brings a wealth of both professional and community experience. Udlu led the development of Qaujisaqtiit Society, Nunavut’s first charitable consortium of Inuit not-for-profits. She is also the Director Emeritus with the Rideau Hall Foundation.
Udlu is the Vice-President of Community and Strategic Development at Baffinland Iron Mines. She is the former Deputy Minister of the Department of Economic Development and Transportation (Government of Nunavut), and previously she held the roles of Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Negotiator for Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, the land claims organization representing Nunavut Inuit.
Udlu holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Okanagan University College and a Bachelor of Education from Brock University.
Gwen Healey Akearok
Gwen was born and raised in Iqaluit. As a founding member of Annauma Community Foundation, Gwen draws on her experiences in her home community, as well as her professional experiences, to continue to strengthen capacity in Nunavut. Gwen is currently Canada’s Representative to the Arctic Human Health Expert Group of the Arctic Council, is the former Vice President of the Canadian Society for Circumpolar Health; and a former member of the Ikpigusunirmut Foundation.
As the co-founder of Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre (QHRC), Gwen is the Executive and Scientific Director, identifying community strengths to address local health concerns. Through this work, Gwen knows the importance of conducting health research in a supportive, safe, culturally-sensitive, and ethical environment. It is this knowledge that guides her work for the Foundation.
Gwen received her PhD in Public Health from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.
Shawn Lester
Shawn is the Managing Partner of Baker Tilly Arctic Inc (formerly Lester Landau CPAs). He has worked in Nunavut since 2000 focusing on Inuit organizations, not-for-profit organizations and public sector entities. A strong believer in giving back to the community, Shawn has been involved with his church and as a volunteer board member with numerous organizations.
In 2012, the Iqaluit Rotary Club presented Shawn with the Paul Harris Fellowship Award for his contributions to the community. In 2016, he became a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. In 2024, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award during the Qikiqtani Business Achievement Awards in Iqaluit. And, in 2025, he received the King Charles III Coronation medal for his contribution to Canada.
Currently, he is the Vice-chair of the Nunavut Planning Commission and a board member of two Chambers of Commerce in Nunavut.
Management Team
Danielle Gibbie
Executive Director
Danielle is responsible for the leadership, management, and operations of all activities of Annauma.
Danielle is an accomplished leader with a depth of expertise in the non-profit and charitable sector, where she has developed a keen interest in gender equity and global health. Danielle has a natural ability to bring people and ideas together to generate sustainable and scalable impact.
Most recently, Danielle was the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Operation Eyesight Universal. In this role, she led the institutional funding strategy to secure long-term funding for the organization, and worked in close collaboration with the programs team to generate innovative approaches to strengthen its impact.
Danielle earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Mount Royal University with a minor in social innovation and non-profit management. In 2017, she completed the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) Investment Management training, covering all aspects of investing in small and growing businesses with a focus on emerging markets.
Danielle enjoys spending time hiking and camping, being in nature brings her peace. She likes to cook for friends and family, and is an avid board game player.