Ian Bird

Ian Bird is a co-founder of the Chelsea Commons and proprietor of the Henry Burrows Community Tavern (est 1861), two local projects aimed at putting the community at the centre of Chelsea’s local economy and social fabric. When not engaged in local efforts, Ian volunteers as the chair of Canada’s Child and Nature Alliance, and as a director with the Community Forward Fund and the GFCF. He recently concluded a decade of collaboration with philanthropic networks and community foundations in Canada and around the world, including roles as the President and CEO of Community Foundations of Canada and Executive Director of the Rideau Hall Foundation. Previously, Ian played a catalytic role at the Sport Matters Group, an “un-organization” which fostered the development of the Canadian sport sector during the run-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver in 2010. In 2023 he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Community Foundations Australia.