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“We have a very hard-working and dedicated team in North America and the U.K. and over 100 staff leading our international development work overseas. We are grateful and thankful for the contribution they have made around the world.”
These changes come after months of intense public scrutiny of WE Charity, its affiliated for-profit organization, ME to WE, as well as the family ties between the WE organization and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau.
The federal ethics commissioner is investigating whether Trudeau and Morneau violated the Conflict of Interest Act over the Liberal government’s decision to hand the administration of the Canada Student Services Grant program to WE Charity.
Both the prime minister and finance minister have apologized for failing to recuse themselves when cabinet approved the recommended agreement.
Last month, WE Charity voluntarily suspended all of its Canadian corporate and school board partnerships after many announced they were cutting ties with the organization.
The charity has also cancelled all “WE Day” activities for the foreseeable future and is shifting its WE Schools learning programs to a digital-only format.
Al-Waheidi said the resulting hit to the charity’s financials, coupled with the effects of the pandemic, has prompted a need for a new and “refocused” vision.
The changes and staffing reductions mean office space for the organization will also need to be reduced, she said.
