Betsy Kline
Castlegar News
Several years of planning and hard work culminated Thursday evening with the official launch of the Community Foundation of Castlegar and District.
Having been provincially incorporated and having received Charitable Status from Revenue Canada, the new foundation is now in the position to accept donations and grant applications.
Foundation President Bob Jackson addressed the crowd that gathered for the event.
“In the long term, the foundation should become a reliable source of funding for community projects,” he said. “We will give sympathetic consideration to applications that fit within our broad mandate to support social programs, education, programs for the needy, amateur sports and recreation, arts and culture, historical and environmental preservation and other projects that generally contribute to the well-being of Castlegar and areas I and J.
“In short, we want to promote what is commonly known as a healthy community. The Community foundation is based in the community it serves. So our priorities are in this community.
“Directors are volunteers who live or work in the area and are sensitive to its needs.”
Initial funding for the foundation came through donations from Kootenay Savings Credit Union, the BC Seniors Games and Castlegar United Way.
Kootenay Savings CEO Brent Tremblay was on hand for the launch. After explaining the history behind the company’s $157,000 donation he stated, “We are absolutely thrilled to see it up and running. We believe it fits our social responsibility mandate to be active in our communities. Local community foundations can really do a lot of things.”
Members of the Board of directors are Brian Miller, Roberta Hamilton, Craig McFadden, Nicole Beetstra, Chris Bell, Caroline Kavaloff, Tammy Verigin-Burk and Cord LaFond.
The foundation would like to give everyone an opportunity to contribute to community health through regular donations, life insurance donations and bequests, individual donations, the offering of expertise or by volunteering.
Donations of any size are welcome.
The foundation has an opportunity to receive a matching grant from Columbia Basin Trust if they can raise between $25,000 and $50,000 within the community.