About Us
The Lethbridge Community Foundation is a public foundation dedicated to developing a permanent community endowment which is continually being expanded by generous donors so that the investment income will forever support charitable organizations in all the communities of southwestern Alberta.
- The Lethbridge Community Foundation was established as a charitable public foundation in 1966 through an Act of the Legislature of Alberta.
- This permanent endowment has been built by the community spirit of many donors and now exceeds $10 million in assets.
- The foundation provides a flexible way for all donors to contribute to the endowment funds so that they may permanently give back to their communities.
- The endowed financial assets are prudently managed to achieve the maximum return on investment, while sound financial practices ensure that our donors' legacies are respected in perpetuity.
- Investment income is returned to the community each year in the form of grants to registered charities so that important community issues may be addressed.
What is A Community Foundation?
Community foundations bring together people who care about their communities. They are independent, volunteer-driven, charitable organizations that aim to strengthen their communities by facilitating philanthropy, by partnering with donors to build permanent endowments and other funds from which they support community projects, and by providing leadership on issues of broad community concern.
Founded on trust, community foundations help donors achieve their charitable goals and invest financial capital in their communities. But they also stimulate and nurture the relationships that link us to others and that create our sense of belonging to a community. Social scientists call these vital connections "social capital" and have found that they are linked to many measures of community and individual well-being. Community foundations, experienced in building financial capital for their communities, also have a leadership role in building social capital - the glue that holds communities together.
All community foundations combine three main roles:
Endowment building and flexible, comprehensive donor services
Broad and effective grantmaking
Inclusive community leadership
but every community foundation is unique in the way it fulfills these roles and in the priority it places on each area. The emphasis on each role can also vary at different times in a community foundation's development. As they work toward fully implementing all three roles, individual community foundations will reflect each role to a different degree.
Founded on trust, community foundations help donors achieve their charitable goals and invest financial capital in their communities. But they also stimulate and nurture the relationships that link us to others and that create our sense of belonging to a community. Social scientists call these vital connections "social capital" and have found that they are linked to many measures of community and individual well-being. Community foundations, experienced in building financial capital for their communities, also have a leadership role in building social capital - the glue that holds communities together.
All community foundations combine three main roles:
Endowment building and flexible, comprehensive donor services
Broad and effective grantmaking
Inclusive community leadership
but every community foundation is unique in the way it fulfills these roles and in the priority it places on each area. The emphasis on each role can also vary at different times in a community foundation's development. As they work toward fully implementing all three roles, individual community foundations will reflect each role to a different degree.
What Makes a Community Foundation Special?
The first community foundation in Canada was created in 1921 in Winnipeg. The Lethbridge Community Foundation followed the lead of Calgary (established in 1955) and became a charitable foundation in 1966. Many more foundations have been established across Canada as people realize the special benefits of a community foundation:
Permanence: Gifts to a community foundation endowment meet community needs in perpetuity.
Community-based, personalized donor service: Uniquely equipped to help donors on an individual basis, community foundations provide in-depth knowledge of community opportunities.
Commitment to community service: Provides opportunity for collaborative leadership that transcends "special interests" and reflects the interests of the community at large.
A broad perspective: Community foundations make effective grants and develop networks across all sectors. With in-depth community knowledge, they can identify opportunities in many fields and build on existing community strengths. They are also well placed to make simple, but often powerful, connections between people and organizations in the community.
A long-term view: By building permanent endowments, community foundations can tackle long-term community challenges and immediate needs.
Accountability: Their values and way of working, not just their work, can be a powerful tool for building social capital. As responsible members of the voluntary sector, they strive for flexible, transparent governance and leadership practices.
Permanence: Gifts to a community foundation endowment meet community needs in perpetuity.
Community-based, personalized donor service: Uniquely equipped to help donors on an individual basis, community foundations provide in-depth knowledge of community opportunities.
Commitment to community service: Provides opportunity for collaborative leadership that transcends "special interests" and reflects the interests of the community at large.
A broad perspective: Community foundations make effective grants and develop networks across all sectors. With in-depth community knowledge, they can identify opportunities in many fields and build on existing community strengths. They are also well placed to make simple, but often powerful, connections between people and organizations in the community.
A long-term view: By building permanent endowments, community foundations can tackle long-term community challenges and immediate needs.
Accountability: Their values and way of working, not just their work, can be a powerful tool for building social capital. As responsible members of the voluntary sector, they strive for flexible, transparent governance and leadership practices.
Search the LCF site
Updated March 2010
www.lethbridgecommunityfoundation.ca
403.328.5297 office@lethbridgecommunityfoundation.ca 404 8th St South
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