Philanthropy, especially through community foundations, is a powerful catalyst for strengthening communities in Canada. Community Foundations and their board members are interested and engaged in finding ways to make their community a more vital place to live, work, and play. Foundations also strive to build stronger communities through philanthropic leadership. Community foundations throughout Manitoba are diverse, representing a large cross section of communities in urban, rural, and northern areas. Manitoba is unique with a disproportionately high number of community foundations in relation to Canada. Of the 164 community foundations in Canada, 40 community foundations are in Manitoba representing urban, rural, and northern communities.
This project enhanced the understanding of the diversity that exists among Manitoba community foundations. The project achieved an increased understanding of community foundations, their organizations, their structures, their endowments, their community grants, and local benefits. Opportunities and challenges of community foundations, both current and anticipated, were captured. Information generated assisted community foundations, government policy and programming, and academic institutions concerned with community development.
Project Resources
- Diverse, Dynamic, and Dedicated. Scan of Manitoba’s Rural and Northern Communities (2009). Gibson and Shanghvi.
- Community Foundations Innovative Vehicles for Rural and Northern Development (2010). Presented at the Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development’s Synergy Series, St. John’s, NL. Gibson, R.
- Understanding Manitoba’s community foundations: Preliminary analysis (2009). Presented at the Community Foundation of Canada Regional Meeting, Brandon, MB. Gibson, R. and Annis, R.
Website
http://www.brandonu.ca/rdi/projects/community-foundations-in-manitoba/
Funders
The Winnipeg Foundation, 2008-2009