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Did you know?Among those who give to charity in B.C., the average yearly donation
per person is $467.
In Canada, the average is $400.
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Eagle Valley Communities Fund |
 A special Sicamous gathering held at the Red Barn on Friday, May 7th was top of the agenda for the Shuswap Community Foundation.
Wine, refreshments and good company were part of an evening of raising the awareness of how an Eagle Valley Communities Fund, as part of the Shuswap Community Foundation, can benefit the Sicamous, Malakwa and Mara area. The 60 plus people who attended learned that there are many ways donations can be made to the Foundation. These assets are kept in the Foundation forever and the income from those donations is given back to the community. These gifts go on forever.
The Shuswap Community Foundation started in 1994 with $2000 in assets and has grown to four million dollars in 2010. The interest earned from that fund is distributed locally in the Shuswap in areas of health, environment, arts and music, sports, etc., and will continue to do so forever.
The Eagle Valley Communities Fund has already been started with a number of donations made that evening.
For more information contact Marilyn Brown at (250) 836-2502 or Alice Duck at (250) 836-3298.
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New Administrative Assistant The Shuswap Community Foundation is pleased to introduce Laurie Ankenman as its new Administrative Assistant.
Laurie joins the Foundation with a solid background in the non-profit sector. She has worked in both volunteer and paid capacities with organizations in Edmonton, Montreal, Winnipeg and Salmon Arm. Laurie has also worked extensively with older adults in wellness program planning, and holds national certification in Iyengar yoga.
Helping to keep individuals and their communities healthy, green and thriving is Laurie's passion. For her, the Shuswap Community Foundation exemplifies those human qualities that she embraces: deeply caring individuals sharing a cooperative vision to give back to their community in creative and lasting ways (like endowment funds!). Her dedication to sharing her knowledge and skills in support of a wider, vital, outstanding Shuswap community has found a new home at the Foundation.
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Grand Opening Celebration In just a short 15 years, Shuswap Community Foundation has grown its capital fund to almost $4 million, and it was clear it was time to move out of the directors’ home offices and into an office offering a presence in the community, accessible to everyone. A space was found, furniture and equipment appeared, and at 1pm on Tuesday, November 10 the official ribbon cutting ceremony was held.
Present to wield scissors were Salmon Arm Mayor Marty Bootsma, Columbia Shuswap Regional District representative Rhona Martin, Tom Brighouse, who first suggested the idea of a community foundation, Fred Busch, standing in for Sicamous Mayor McLeod, and Cindy Derkaz, foundation president. They were supported by an enthusiastic crowd of well wishers. Ms. Derkaz said a few words, thanking the community for the tremendous support given to this achievement, and the ribbon, created by recycling out of date foundation brochures, parted.
Following the ceremony, everyone admired the premises while enjoying home made treats provided by the foundation directors, and coffee donated by Tim Horton’s. The open house continued all afternoon, until 5pm.
Photograph courtesy of Shelsey Haines of the Lakeshore News
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Annual Community Meeting"Good News" Annual Community Meeting of the Shuswap Community Foundation
September 17 saw a capacity crowd at the SAGA Public Art Gallery enjoy an evening of good news as the Shuswap Community Foundation awarded grants to a wide-ranging variety of volunteer-run community organizations including food banks, seniors’ centres, children’s playgroups, athletics, theatre, and literacy programs. President Cindy Derkaz told the audience it had been an exciting, gratifying, challenging and scary year, but the foundation’s conservative investment strategy had enabled it to survive the meltdown of the financial system of last fall, resulting in a 4% return to distribute back into the Shuswap, although she admitted to a lot more grey hair, and many sleepless nights. She also said that some funding organizations had been unable to distribute grants this year, and is proud of the result the foundation’s investment committee obtained.
In light of the unexpected drastic cuts in funding announced by the BC government, the Foundation is particularly pleased to be able to provide local funding. Despite the economic downturn, the number of funds created by community-minded philanthropic individuals and groups throughout the Shuswap continues to grow, furthering the Foundation’s mission to "provide a vehicle for residents of the Shuswap to enrich their community in perpetuity." Since an initial amount of $70,000 donated by the Foundation’s Founders in 1995, the Capital Endowment Fund has grown to almost 3.8 million dollars.
In her thank you remarks Tracey Kutschker, Executive Director of the SAGA Public Art Gallery, pointed out how valuable having a local source of funding is for the many charitable groups in the Shuswap. SAGA initially requested funds to renovate the gallery’s bathrooms, but after finding out that their gaming funds grant (amounting to one-third of SAGA’s budget) had been cut, she had written the Foundation asking that they be permitted to use the Foundation’s grant money to fund "Be an Art Family" Saturdays instead. The Foundation’s board agreed to SAGA’s request, clearly indicating the benefit of a local, flexible source of funding, able to respond "in jig time."
In closing, Ms. Derkaz encouraged the community to "talk to us, invite us to speak to your organization, let us know how we can serve you" and invited everyone to stop in and say hello. The office located at 364B Ross Street NE and is open from 10am – 12 noon and 1pm – 3:30pm Monday through Friday. Phone (250) 832-5428.
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New Endowment Fund The Salmon Arm Savings and Credit Union has recently established the Salmon Arm Savings and Credit Union Community Endowment Fund with Shuswap Community Foundation, designating the environment as its field of interest. To inform and educate credit union staff, foundation President Cindy Derkaz gave a series of presentations to management and employees in both Salmon Arm and Sorrento.
As a token of appreciation for the timeliness of the presentations, Arne Chaddock, Manager of SASCU Insurance, presented Cindy and the foundation's first employee, Executive Administrator Jeanne Uwynn, with a clock for the foundation's new office located at 364B Ross Street NE in downtown Salmon Arm (behind Century 21 Lifestyles underneath EZ Rock). Telephone 250-832-5428. Everyone is welcome to drop in for a visit and learn more about the Foundation's mission to build legacy in perpetuity within the Shuswap.
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Arts Council Awards
The annual Community Arts Award was given to two Shuswap artists this year. Visual artist Cindy Whitehead received her award of $300 to go toward an en-plein aire pastel-painting workshop with Albert Handel that will take place in the summer of 2009. Choral conductor Mary Landers received $200 to go toward a BC Choral Federation Choral Director course – Masterclass. Mary has been conducting the Shuswap Men’s Chorus since the mid-90’s, and is co-founder of the Shuswap Children’s Choir.
This is the second year of the Blair Borden Memorial Arts Award. Blair’s vision was to support a musician in any stage of their career, because she believed that learning is life-long. This years award went to Nick Everett, who coincidentally played alongside Blair in the Salmon Arm Community Band when he was 15 years old. Now 19, Nick plans to attend University of Vancouver Island in the Bachelor of Music – Jazz Studies program. The $500 will go toward his first year tuition.
The Marie Manson Memorial Arts Award has been assisting artists in all genres for 27 years. This year marks a diversion in that the trustees awarded one of two awards to a group of artists. "Jade" is a group of five visual artists who embarked on a project to paint at Roderick Haig-Brown Park to document the park and bring attention to the potential loss of this natural wonder. "Jade" consists of Lin Maxwell, Lisa Figueroa, Miranda McLaws, Diana Pratt-Johnson and Tracey Kutschker. The award will help the group frame the works in preparation for an exhibition in July of 2009 at SAGA. The second recipient of the Marie Manson award is pastel artist Cindy Whitehead, who will put the award toward an en plein aire workshop with Albert Handel. Cindy will also use the award for purchasing a backpack-style pastel box, assisting the artist in her hiking to new and inspiring places.
The Foundation holds endowment funds for the Shuswap Art Gallery Association, the Marie Manson Memorial Arts Award and the Blair Borden Memorial Arts Awards.
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Changes to Our Memory Book
"We do not remember days; we remember moments."
~ Cesare Pavese, The Burning Brand
The Shuswap Community Foundation has collected compelling stories and memories over the past 14 years and they are stored in our Memory Book.
We found this a wonderful way to remember and honour those people in the community who made the Foundation so successful through their contributions, often sadly, after they had died.
More people are taking an active role in the distribution of their wealth and want to see it working for the betterment of the Shuswap and its citizens.
These Memory Book stories are our stories. So it seemed we should reflect that by re-naming it
"Our Stories."
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NEW DIRECTOR JOINS THE BOARD The Shuswap Community Foundation board welcomes new director Ineke Hughes. She will replace retiring director Marg Shand and will handle the Foundation’s media beginning July 1st. Educated in Salmon Arm, Ineke has a variety of employment experience and has lived in several locations in British Columbia before returning here to work at Piccadilly Terrace.
Read more about our newest director on the Foundation’s website under Meet the directors page.
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SAGA Receives Boost to its Endowment Fund It was a ‘good news’ winter for SAGA. First, the Gallery received a final grant of $9,847 from the BC Arts Renaissance Fund. This Provincial Fund is now spent. It started with 25 million dollars to support arts and culture with matching grants for endowment funds. It was a wonderful initiative by the BC Provincial Government.
The matching grants received by the Gallery, since the inception of this program in 2005, stands at $93,889. Four grant applications were made to the Vancouver Foundation who administered the program on behalf of the BC Government. This grant money as well as the dollars raised have been deposited into the SAGA Endowment Fund held by the Shuswap Community Foundation. Only the interest generated from funds is paid out—the capital is held in perpetuity to generate annual income.
The impact of SAGA’s fundraising efforts and the BC Arts Renaissance matching program have increased the already-established SAGA Endowment Fund by $189,940. The SAGA Endowment fund now stands at over $270,000.
This boost was only possible thanks to the support of our members and donors who recognized the opportunity this matching program provided. Heartfelt thanks go to you all.
The second cheque was a bequest by long-time Salmon Arm resident, Anne Lindsay, who left $25,000 to the Gallery in memory of her late sister, Mary Coles Michell. The SAGA Board chose to place this gift into the SAGA Endowment Fund.
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Anne Lindsay leaves a Legacy to Art GalleryBy Gabi Klein
 Long-time Salmon Arm resident, Anne Lindsay, left a bequest of $25,000 to the SAGA Public Art Gallery in memory of her late sister, Mary Coles Michell.
In 2002 Mary Coles Michell left a gift of $50,000 to SAGA, which was augmented by another $11,000 when the estate was finalized. The SAGA Board wisely set up an endowment fund with the Shuswap Community Foundation to build financial security.
This decision marked a positive step in planning for the future because the money is invested in perpetuity and only the interest is paid out annually. The SAGA Board decided to add Anne’s gift to the already established Endowment Fund.
Read about Mary and Anne in our Our Stories.
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