New board builds Dufferin Community Foundation
After two years of laying groundwork, the board of the new Dufferin Community Foundation held its first meeting at the Lord Dufferin Centre on Feb. 27. The goal is to help more community members from all walks of life to create a legacy of enriched community wellbeing in Dufferin.
“When it gets down to measuring success over the next five years,” says Gord Gallaugher, newly elected chair of the board, “we’ll be judged by our ability to build great partnerships with existing foundations and charitable groups to expand philanthropy in Dufferin. We’ll be working hard to establish and grow endowment funds, conduct and publish research on community needs, and start using the investment earnings to support worthy projects. ”
In 2018, treasurer Steve Doney notes, “Job number one is to set up our organization – lean and nimble – so that it’s sustainable.” And so, the board has big plans for community participation. They have already begun to build three solid footings for the future:
• Founders Circle – a group of individuals or families invest in the Foundation with a $2,500 donation and a role as ambassadors in the community.
• Corporate Circle – representatives from the Dufferin business community contribute $5,000 or more, provide sponsorships, and/or act as advisors to the board.
• Committees of the Board – in addition to directors, community members will be welcomed to join the finance (Funds and Grants) or the community outreach committee.
“As we deepen our investment base,” says Gallaugher, “non-profit organizations can apply to the Foundation for grants to support projects in the areas of arts and culture, citizenship, connected communities, education, healthcare and healthy living, heritage, and innovations in natural resources and the environment.”
Dufferin is just the latest community to create a foundation. More than 90 per cent of Canadian communities – large and small – have a community foundation. According to Community Foundations of Canada, these foundations boast more than $5.2 billion in assets and have put hundreds of millions of dollars back into the community over almost 100 years.
Contributed photo: New Dufferin Community Foundation board members (front row, from left) MaryAnn Lowry, vice-chair; Joan Waechter, director. Back row: Steve Doney, treasurer; Laura Ryan, director; Shirley Boxem, secretary; Gord Gallaugher, chair.
