The Comox Valley Community Foundation (CVCF) hosted a virtual community celebration on January 27th to recognize recent grant recipients and the work undertaken by the many non-profit organizations in our community in support of children and youth, seniors, the environment, adults with diverse abilities, arts and culture, and our community’s most vulnerable residents.

32 organizations and projects received close to $375,000, with a strong focus on the larger systemic issues facing our community, such as housing insecurity and homelessness, food insecurity, addictions, and early years development.

As part of this year’s granting program, many of the decisions were made by the organizations themselves, as part of CVCF’s efforts to shift decision-making and power to our community. The work done by these community decision-making tables has provided CVCF with a model of success for moving forward.

“During this fiscal year CVCF will distribute over $750,000 in the form of grants and scholarships. We are very proud of this achievement, but we know more work and money is needed as many worthy and deserving projects were not funded,” said Christine Helpard, CVCF’s President. “We are incredibly thankful to the individuals and organizations who directly serve our community and are pleased to be considered a partner as, together, we work to change systems and change outcomes.”

As part of the celebration, attendees heard from several organizations and individuals, who spoke of their programs and services and the impact of their work for our community. The Comox Valley Early Years Collaborative’s Building Connections project shared highlights of their work in the north Courtenay area, which is bringing neighbours and families together around children’s play and common interests. Vancouver Island Society for Adaptive Snowsports shared experiences from the perspectives of both instructor and student about their program which offers ski instruction (alpine and nordic) for people with physical disabilities and cognitive challenges. Vickey Brown spoke of her experience applying for and receiving a Neighbourhood Small Grant to create a pollinator pathway in her Cumberland neighbourhood. The Walk with Me team described their community action approach and provided hope for change in relation to the ongoing toxic drug poisoning crisis. The Comox Valley Hospice Society shared information on their programs and volunteers, including their upcoming move to their new facility as they work to ease the journey of dying and grieving.

The list of grant recipients follows:

Since 1996, CVCF has awarded $5 million to over 175 local non-profits and 250 students in the form of grants and scholarships. As a funder, we support all not for profit and charitable organizations in our community so that they may respond to the pressing and ever-evolving needs and priorities of our residents. For further information about how you can help build our community’s fund, please visit www.cvcfoundation.org or call 250-338-8444.

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CVCF Announces Neighbourhood Small Grants Recipients

 The Comox Valley Community Foundation is pleased to announce that a total of 18 projects were recently funded through the Neighborhood Small Grants (NSG) program.

NSG is based on a simple but powerful idea: when people feel a sense of connection and belonging in their neighbourhood, they are more likely to be engaged in activities that make it a better place to live and when people are active in the life of their neighbourhood, our community is strengthened from the ground up. Fall 2021 marked the third time the NSG program was offered in the Comox Valley and the community response was outstanding.

“We continue to be amazed and delighted by the community’s response to the NSG program,” said Christine Helpard, CVCF’s President. “It’s a testament to the community we live in – so many people are initiating creative projects to engage with their neighbours and are ultimately making the Comox Valley a stronger and more connected community.”

The following projects received funding:

Since 1996, CVCF has awarded more than $4.2 million to over 170 local non-profits and 230 students in the form of grants and scholarships. These dollars have supported children and youth, seniors, the environment, arts and culture, adults with diverse abilities, and our community’s most vulnerable residents. For further information, please visit www.cvcfoundation.org or call 250-338-8444.

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The Comox Valley Community Foundation is excited to have been a part of making LUSH Valley Food Action Society’s dream of owning its forever home a reality. Working together in the spirit of partnership, and with a joint commitment towards positively impacting community outcomes, in this case the achievement of food security within our community, CVCF and LUSH Valley reached agreement on a $75,000 impact loan towards the down payment for LUSH’s new space.

“Our new location offers certainty to our organization at a time when a lot is uncertain. We see this new space as a community food asset, and our role as taking responsibility to steward this asset for the greatest benefit of the Comox Valley community. We are honoured to be the first recipients of the CVCF’s impact investment program – and take pride that we will be supporting both social and financial gains towards more good work across the region.” – Maurita Prato, Executive Director of LUSH Valley. 

“Over the past two years, LUSH has demonstrated its ability to support our community during a time of crisis, offering over 1000 meals and healthy food deliveries each week through their healthy student meal, good food box and hot meal programs. It is most remarkable that this was accomplished while operating out of multiple spaces, often at the same time. We look forward to watching what can be achieved now that they are operating out of a single facility.”  – Christine Helpard, CVCF President

CVCF’s impact loan to LUSH Valley Food Action Society will generate a blended value return, providing both a financial return (interest paid on the loan) and a social benefit to our community. The interest LUSH Valley pays will be subsequently re-invested in the community through grants to local charities, similar to the income CVCF earns on its traditional investments.

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An Estate Planning workshop will be held on November 18, from 10am-12noon, at the Crown Isle Resort Ballroom. The workshop is free to attend, but as this is an in-person event, you are asked to register in advance. Limited seating will be available, and all health protocols will be followed. Please register by visiting: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/204054290877 or by calling 250-338-8444 or 250-331-5957.

The Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation and Comox Valley Community Foundation have joined together to offer this workshop to encourage people to start or review their estate plans, as having an up-to-date Will is truly the best gift you can leave your loved ones.

The workshop will offer an overview of topics to think about as you develop your Will and estate plans, such as choosing an executor, specific matters to consider as you plan your estate, tax implications, planning and managing your investments, and the importance of talking with your family about your wishes. There will also be plenty of time for questions. More sessions will be planned based on feedback received and further estate planning related topics of interest to the community.

The Comox Valley is served by many stellar professionals who can assist clients with estate planning. We are pleased that three of them will be presenting on the 18^th:

• Sasha Nowicki, Lawyer, Swift Datoo
• Lara Austin, Investment & Wealth Advisor, RBC Dominion Securities Inc.
• Donna Cloutier, CPA, CA, Cloutier Matthews

Sasha graduated from UBC’s Faculty of Law in 2002, after which she articled and practiced with a major national law firm in their Calgary office. She joined Swift Datoo in the spring of 2013 and focuses her practice on estate planning, elder law, and working with executors and administrators in applications for grants of probate and administration.

Lara has more than 18 years of experience as an Investment Advisor helping retirees, pre-retirees, business owners, busy executives and philanthropists ensure they are on track for a successful retirement. She works in partnership with her clients, based on transparency, trust, and diligence to detail.

Donna has over 15 years’ experience in the accounting industry. Her expertise includes both public practice and the working industry side for a publicly traded company. Donna has become a trusted advisor, helping clients grow their business, increase their profitability, acquire assets, minimize taxes, and increase their business value.

Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation raises funds to enhance quality healthcare in our community, focusing on three interconnected areas of healthcare delivery: acute care at the Comox Valley Hospital, Island Health delivered community healthcare, and non-profit long-term care homes in our region. Donations to these areas of care support our healthcare system for everyone in our community. Since 1993 we have actively worked with donors and the broader community to raise funds for healthcare priorities in our community, including vital hospital equipment, staff training, and community healthcare initiatives. For further information, please visit www.cvhealthcarefoundation.com or call 250-331-5957.

For the past 25 years Comox Valley Community Foundation has worked with generous donors from all corners of our community to create a lasting legacy. We now hold more than $15 million in assets on behalf of all residents of the Comox Valley and direct our resources to address the ever-changing needs and priorities of our community. Since 1996, we have awarded more than $4.2 million to over 170 local non-profits and 230 students in the form of grants and scholarships. These dollars have supported children and youth, seniors, the environment, arts and culture, adults with diverse abilities, and our community’s most vulnerable residents. For further information, please visit www.cvcfoundation.org or call 250-338-8444.

Media contacts:

Jessica Aldred, Executive Director
Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation
250-650-9928
Jessica.aldred@islandhealth.ca

Susan Auchterlonie, Executive Director
Comox Valley Community Foundation
250-898-1063
executive-director@cvcfoundation.org

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Susan Auchterlonie (CVCF) presents Maurita Prato (LUSH) with a $75,000 impact loan towards the down payment for LUSH’s new space.

The Comox Valley Community Foundation (CVCF) is excited to have been a part of making LUSH Valley Food Action Society’s dream of owning its forever home a reality. Working together in the spirit of partnership, and with a joint commitment towards positively impacting community outcomes, in this case the achievement of food security within our community, CVCF and LUSH Valley reached agreement on a $75,000 impact loan towards the down payment for LUSH’s new space.

“First of all, congratulation to LUSH Valley, its dedicated board members, staff and volunteers for their tireless efforts to secure a permanent home,” said Christine Helpard, CVCF’s President. “We are delighted to be involved and thank LUSH Valley for reaching out and trusting us as we developed a new program to support impact investments in the Comox Valley.”

“Over the past two years, LUSH has demonstrated its ability to support our community during a time of crisis, offering over 1000 meals and healthy food deliveries each week through their healthy student meal, good food box and hot meal programs,” added Helpard. “It is most remarkable that this was accomplished while operating out of multiple spaces, often at the same time. We look forward to watching what can be achieved now they are operating out of a single facility.”

“Our new location offers certainty to our organization at a time when a lot is uncertain”, says Maurita Prato, Executive Director of LUSH Valley. “We see this new space as a community food asset, and our role as taking responsibility to steward this asset for the greatest benefit of the Comox Valley community. We are honoured to be the first recipients of the CVCF’s impact investment program – and take pride that we will be supporting both social and financial gains towards more good work across the region.”

CVCF’s impact loan to LUSH Valley Food Action Society will generate a blended value return, providing both a financial return (interest paid on the loan) and a social benefit to our community. The interest LUSH Valley pays will be subsequently re-invested in the community through grants to local charities, similar to the income CVCF earns on its traditional investments.

Impact investing is not new but has recently found momentum as community and private foundations across Canada and North America explore and undertake new ways to invest their capital for local, community impact. Impact investing refers to investments in charitable or nonprofit social enterprises with the intention of producing a social or environmental impact. The loan is repaid to the investor, often with a financial return, but more importantly, the investor expects a social impact resulting from their investment.

Impact investing is just one more way CVCF supports the Comox Valley community. Up to 5% of CVCF assets will be made available for impact investing purposes, allowing CVCF to offer debt financing to registered charities within the Comox Valley.

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The Comox Valley Community Foundation (CVCF) is pleased to announce that over $275,000 will be available in the form of grants for registered charities and not for profit organizations in 2021-2022.

“We have taken a very deliberate approach to our granting program this year – the pandemic has exacerbated the inequities experienced by many in our community, and we plan to add our support and voice to the many organizations working to address these complex issues,” said Christine Helpard, CVCF’s President.

“Our intent is to direct our community’s funds where they are most needed, and we are thankful for the honest and forthright advice we received from individuals who are witnessing first-hand the immense challenges our most vulnerable neighbours continue to face,” she added. “We are also committed to incorporating principles of community-based decisions and trust-based philanthropy within our granting program.”

Earlier this summer, CVCF hosted conversations with representatives from local charitable and not for profit organizations to understand their needs and priorities for the coming year, as well as to hear their thoughts on the major issues facing the community as a whole. In response to what we heard, CVCF will be adopting a four-pronged approach to granting for 2021-2022:
• $75,000 to address housing insecurity and homelessness
• $20,000 to assist with charitable/not for profit sector development and sustainability
• $50,000 to support recreation and social programming for adults with diverse abilities
• $130,000 directed to Community Enrichment Grants

Further details about the granting program follow:

Housing insecurity, housing affordability and homelessness were identified as the most important issues facing our community at this time. To that end, CVCF is committing $75,000 to address housing insecurity, and is working the Comox Valley Coalition to End Homelessness to identify a process to best tackle this issue. Information on this process will be available in the coming weeks.

CVCF also heard that charitable and not for profit organizations continue to struggle as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the charitable sector, as a whole, is in need of training and development for staff and Board members. CVCF is committing $20,000 to support a series of training opportunities beginning October 2021, as well as the resources to organize the training and coordinate informal gatherings to promote the sharing of information and collaboration within the sector.

CVCF is committing $50,000 to support recreation and social programming for adults with diverse abilities. The Developmental Disabilities Fund was established in 2013 to promote the well-being and enrich the lives of adults with diverse abilities living in the Comox Valley. That fund now realizes over $30,000 in income annually and CVCF has contributed additional funds to bring the total amount available to $50,000. Grant amounts will be determined by the organizations who deliver recreation and social programming for this adult population.

Finally, $130,000 will be available through CVCF’s regular Community Enrichment Grant program. Applications will be accepted through to September 23, 2021. As mentioned above, grant requests related to housing insecurity and support for individuals who are unsheltered, as well as for social and recreation programming for adults with diverse abilities will be addressed outside of this granting process. Click here for more information and to apply.

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CVCF Announces New Executive and Board members

Christine Helpard, CVCF’s new President

The Comox Valley Community Foundation (CVCF) is pleased to announce the election of Christine Helpard as CVCF’s new President. Past President Matt Beckett will continue to serve on the CVCF Board through to 2023.

Born and raised in the Comox Valley, Christine holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Alberta and a Master of Business Administration degree, with a major in Finance, from the University of Iowa. Christine returned to the Comox Valley with her husband Paul to establish Shoreline Orthodontics and to raise their own family. She is an active community volunteer, serving on many Boards and as a coach with Special Olympics and the Vancouver Island Society for Adaptive Snowsports.

Also elected to executive positions were Dr. Debbie Wright (Vice President), Summer Matthews (Treasurer) and Rob Wolfe (Secretary).

Two new members were also elected to the Board. Jeff Lucas has lived in the Comox Valley for the past 22 years, working in the hospitality and beverage industry. He is currently in his tenth year as General Manager with Cascadia Liquor. Jeff spent seven years on the Board of the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce, including one as President, and is a member of the Comox Valley Rotary Club. He also volunteers as a mentor with North Island College’s Business program and with the local theatre and dance community.

Craig Rennison is a fifth generation Comox Valley resident and second generation CVCF Board member, following the example of his mother Audrey Craig, a CVCF Past President. A Commercial Broker at Waypoint Insurance, Craig is also actively involved with the Rotary Club of Courtenay, having only just concluded his term as President in June 2021.

“I joined CVCF to give back to this community that has been so good to our family. During my time with CVCF, I have gained a new perspective and appreciation for the amazing work that so many not-for-profit organizations do in this community,” said Christine Helpard, CVCF President. “I look forward to working with the Board to discover new ways to better support the community.”

 

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The Comox Valley Community Foundation is pleased to announce that a total of 20 projects have been funded through the Spring Neighborhood Small Grants (NSG) program.

The NSG program is based on a simple but powerful idea – when people feel a sense of connection and belonging in their neighbourhood, they are more likely to be engaged in activities that make it a better place to live. Spring 2021 marked the second time the NSG program has been offered in the Comox Valley and the community response was outstanding.

“We were completely blown away by the number of applications and the creativity of the projects, all of which demonstrate the program’s guiding principle of strengthening the social fabric of our community through active engagement,” said Matt Beckett, CVCF’s President. “It was also great to see so many new project leaders submitting applications. Of the 20 approved applications, only one project leader had received a grant before.”

Many of the approved projects will take place outdoors, including the planting of pollinator plants in Cumberland and Comox, the creation of a community seed library in Cumberland and the establishment of a community cupboard for fruit and flowers in Courtenay. Several of the projects will be delivered online, including expressive arts, online engagement tools for seniors and a movement sequence.

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Volunteers pack LUSH Valley’s Good Food Boxes.

The Comox Valley Community Foundation is pleased to announce that it recently distributed $134,170 in the form of grants to 11 organizations to assist with the community’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.

The 2021 COVID-19 Emergency Response Grants will assist those most impacted by the ongoing pandemic, through promoting food security, supporting initiatives to address homelessness, and boosting resources available for children and youth.

“The need in our community remains great and our agency partners continue to work tirelessly to provide programs and services to the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Matt Beckett, President of the Comox Valley Community Foundation. “The pandemic has exacerbated the fundamental inequalities that exist in our community, and we are very thankful for the Comox Valley Regional District’s continued support in addressing these issues.”

The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) contributed $100,000 from its Provincial Safe Restart Funds and the Comox Valley Community Foundation funded the balance from the Robert & Florence Filberg Fund for child welfare.

Recipients of the $134,170 include:

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The Comox Valley Transition Society recently established an Agency Fund with the Comox Valley Community Foundation, to provide the organization with discretionary revenue in the future.

“As an organization that is reliant on government and grant funding, creating additional, stable revenue streams is one of our strategic goals,” said Beth Regehr, President of the Comox Valley Transition Society. “Creating an agency fund allows us a secure source of permanent income that we can use at our discretion to address our most pressing priorities, each and every year.”

“Establishing an agency endowment fund with the Comox Valley Community Foundation is a simple and efficient way to build sustainable and secure income for charitable organizations,” said Matt Beckett, President of the Comox Valley Community Foundation. “The Foundation looks after administering and investing the funds, allowing local charitable organizations like the Transition Society to focus on their missions. We thank the Transition Society for the confidence they have demonstrated in us through establishment of this fund.”

Agency funds can be established with a minimum contribution of $10,000. The Comox Valley Community Foundation also assists charitable organizations in creating fundraising program resources to inform their donors of the opportunity and to encourage donations now or through a bequest in the future.

The Comox Valley Transition Society supports women, children and families in the Comox, Cumberland, Courtenay areas and beyond (including Denman and Hornby Islands), who are experiencing or fleeing abuse, overcoming trauma, working toward/through recovery, and those who are unsheltered and/or struggling through poverty. For more information, please visit: https://cvts.ca/. If you are in immediate need of safe refuge from an abusive relationship, please call the 24-hour crisis line at 250-338-1227 or text 250-218-4034.

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