An anonymous donor has stepped forward with a generous gift of $5,000 to establish the Lower Similkameen Community Fund with the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen.
“Community Funds are a great way for local citizens to help build a legacy for the community they care passionately about,” said Sarah Trudeau, Regional Development Coordinator for the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen. “The Lower Similkameen Community Fund ensures that all grants made from the fund will be used to support projects in the communities of the Lower Similkameen region. Donations made in these communities stay in these communities and continue to provide support forever.
The Foundation has been working with communities throughout the South Okanagan and Similkameen to develop committees that support local granting and fund development under the Smart and Caring Communities program, an initiative of Community Foundations of Canada.
In March of 2013 the Lower Similkameen Community Committee formed to advise the Community Foundation on local grant applications and fund development. “The committee has been working hard to educate local citizens about the benefits of having a community fund that would support all areas of need in the Lower Similkameen area,” said Wilfrid Mennell, chair of the Lower Similkameen Community Committee.
“The anonymous donor is familiar with the work of the committee (Lower Similkameen Community Committee) and sees the donation as the first step in bringing local citizens together to imagine how they can make their community more ‘Smart and Caring,’” said Trudeau.
The Community Foundation of the South Okanagan | Similkameen has served our region for over 21 years, working with donors to create lasting impact in the areas of greatest need for the communities we serve. Grants are distributed from income earned on investments, preserving the endowment capital to ensure a perpetual stream of funds.