Submitted by the Creston-Kootenay Foundation
November 15 marked Philanthropy Day across our country, which aims to recognize the contributions of philanthropic work to the enrichment of our communities.
The Creston-Kootenay Foundation (CKF) could not be more honoured to continue to serve. The CKF is a charitable organization dedicated to improving the quality of living in the community from Yahk to Riondel, including Creston and the East Shore of Kootenay Lake.
CKF was founded in 2005 with a mission to “steward the contributions from within our communities for the lasting benefit of our communities” and a vision “to help improve the quality of life for as many people within the foundation’s geographic region as is possible.”
We accomplish this by pooling the charitable gifts of donors to create endowment funds and using the investment income to make grants to local charities and non-profit groups. To date, our endowment fund has grown to over $5 million dollars.
During COVID-19, many individual donors continued to offer support, which in turn has created a deeper connection and allowed our local community groups to weather these difficult times.
In 2021, we were able to grant funds to the Wynndel Playground, Creston Valley Arts Council, TAPS, Therapeutic Riding and several others.
CKF has started a grant recipient video series to highlight the impact of these grants in the community, posted on our website at www.ckfoundation.com.
It can be daunting to think about where to donate your money. Luckily, CKF has a wide range of dedicated funds as well as a community fund that can be used as a general, flexible way for someone to give back to the community.
Currently, funds support:
● Arts, culture, and heritage
● Children, youth, and families
● Environment and animal welfare
● Health, wellness, and recreation
● Literacy, education, and employment
● The community as a whole
There can be many benefits to philanthropy outside of the financial realm. Recently, data from the Gallup World Poll, which gathered responses from over one million people from 2009 to 2017, indicated that donating money to charity and volunteering one’s time is associated with greater life satisfaction in most countries around the world.
Throughout the month of November and onwards, take some time to think about what you can do to give back to your community to continue to bring peace and prosperity locally.