New bars being set for corporate giving.

Something's happened in this province in the last few months. Our approach to philanthropy has changed.

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This place has always been known for generosity, our innate willingness to help others in need or to kick in a few bucks to a worthy cause. But, historically, the emphasis has always been on the few bucks. Now, all of a sudden, we've taken it to a new level.

Undoubtedly the current economic buoyancy has played a role in this new development. The economy is doing well and so are the enterprises that operate here. And the owners of these businesses feel its time to share the wealth a bit.

But there are other aspects to the story worth noting. One is the influence our ex-pats are having on this development and secondly, it fits hand-in-glove with significant public policy discussions currently underway. And, after all, you just can't talk about anything in Saskatchewan without the required examination of the policy implications.

But first the ex-pat influence.

Without question the one individual exerting the most influence on this province's corporate giving patterns is Brett Wilson. A Calgary business figure, he grew up in the Battlefords and has recently begun showing up at major Saskatchewan fundraisers with a message of giving. If you want to see him in action, he's the new player on the CBC television show Dragon's Den.

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After he and his partners blazed the trail in establishing a Canadian equity base for Alberta's oil patch, he turned his attention from financing oil wells to financing local charities. Basically, he's shifted from making money to giving it away.

His modus operandi is straightforward. He gives his money on a matching basis. In other words, don't ask him to be your sole sponsor but he will entertain matching contributions made by others. The idea is to get the concept of giving a boost. You give a dollar and he'll make it two.

Earlier this year he delivered the keynote address at the annual Raj Manek Trust Fund dinner and was fairly straight-forward in his approach as he told the assembled business audience that the corporate community shoulders a heavy responsibility in building the communities they operate in. And then he challenged a few well-known business figures in the audience to pony up $1,000 a piece for a book he was peddling. Ten did. Then he matched it.

He turned up in the province again in June when professional golfer Mike Weir came to Saskatoon in support of a children's hospital. In large measure this was the Dube family's event with David Dube, now heading of the Concorde Group that his parents founded, taking centre stage as the event's primary sponsor. But Wilson too was there, offering up a six figure contribution for an auction item. All told, the Weir event raised $1.2 million in two days for the children's hospital, a level of fundraising unprecedented in Saskatchewan history because, unlike TeleMiracle which usually raises far more money, this one was done in a single community and didn't, for the most part, involve the general public making donations. This was corporate Saskatchewan's event.

But it didn't just set a new high-water mark, it seemed to create a sense of momentum as late August brought another Saskatoon-based fundraiser for a local hospital. This one, featuring an old-time rock and roller, raised $1.5 million in one night.

The point here is Saskatchewan's corporate community appears to have found its stride when it comes to supporting local events or causes. A few years ago, organizers would have been happy if they raised a few thousand dollars in a live auction event. Now it's a few hundred thousand.

The bigger question is ... what's caused this to happen? No doubt the strength of the economy is a big factor as there is simply more money to go around. But it also points to something that has recently become a part of the policy conversation in these parts.

Not so long ago the premier was musing that we needed a head office policy in the province, a strategy to bolster the size of the commercial community and, more particularly, to attract and retain corporate decision makers. The impact of successfully implementing such a strategy is evident in these recent fundraisers - having decision makers in your community opens the door to bigger contributions for important local infrastructure pieces.

Individuals do make a difference. Brett Wilson is an example. But, instead of having this Saskatchewan-raised guy coming back from Calgary to help, it would be nice to have dozens like him right here.

Paul Martin is heard daily on 980 CJME and 650 CKOM as well as on the radio stations of the Golden West Broadcasting network in Saskatchewan.