The Garden has been named agency of record for Toronto Public Library Foundation (TPLF) on a one-year term after a competitive review process.

Part of the Humanise Collective, the independent agency, tells strategy that it will have a broad creative mandate, including communications and fundraising responsibilities, and that the first campaign will be in market next year. VML Canada previously supported TPLF after winning a mandate with the agency in November 2024.

Image courtesy of The Garden

Despite being one of the world’s busiest public-library systems, The Garden co-founder and CCO Shane Ogilvie says many of the city’s residents don’t realize the Toronto Public Library relies on charitable donations to expand its programming and services.

“Our role is to inspire people to donate and to understand the impact they can have,” Ogilvie says. The library, he adds, is not only a repository of books, information and educational resources, it’s also a central location for social connection, intellectual freedom and more.

“I think the opportunity for us is to breathe new life into a storied Toronto institution, while helping educate people about the incredible impact the library has on our city and galvanizing the support that will allow it to do even more,” he says.

TPLF VP of brand, marketing and communications Adrienne Clarke says the organization was looking for a partner capable of translating its broader mission into a fundraising platform.

“We were looking for a creative partner that understood both the tremendous impact of the library and the opportunity to inspire philanthropic support at a scale that is unmatched for Canadian libraries,” she says. “The Garden brings both a thoughtful, strategic approach and creative heft that matched our ambition.”