There are so many needs and never enough hands and dollars, but after 25 years in the giving business the Coquitlam Foundation can safely say it has made a difference in the lives of many local residents.
While larger organizations get attention for the big causes the Coquitlam Foundation, with $3 million in assets and which has delivered approximately $1 million in grants, scholarships and bursary aid over two and a half decades, is quietly working behind the scenes.
"There are larger groups, yes," says foundation chair Janet Toddington, a local lawyer. "But that's OK. We're working away providing to the residents of Coquitlam and the Tri-Cities, through the school district, with the help they need."
In recent months the foundation, overseen by nine community volunteers and three members required by statute (the Tri-Cities Chamber, School District 43 and Coquitlam council), distributed thousands of dollars through its 29 funds.
Five of the funds are foundation-directed and intended to serve broad community interests while 24 are donor-advised funds for particular issues in keeping with the donor's wishes. Many of the funds are setup for specific health concerns, such as support for kids struggling with juvenile diabetes. Others support the arts, help students with school or seniors in need.
Indeed, it seems that no cause is too small for the foundation, which calls itself the charitable heart of Coquitlam, and which started in 1992, growing in funds and support over the years.
Groups such as the Coquitlam Search and Rescue and the developer Wesbild, put their funds and trust in the foundation, which invests the money through a reputable bank, with the goal of using the interest to fund grants, scholarships and bursaries.
Coquitlam SAR used some of its funds to purchase a new mobile command centre for mountain rescues while Wesbild uses its fund to support scholarships for CABE students, School District 43's alternative school.
Sometimes a large donor, such as the federal government, will come forward and this year the Coquitlam Foundation has teamed up with Community Foundations of Canada to hand out grants of up to $7,000 for programs celebrating Canada's 150th anniversary.
In other cases, a personal cause becomes a legacy for the future, as when the family of Michael Coss — who was revived from a sixth-month coma by hyperbaric oxygenation following a car crash — creates a fund so others can have the same benefit.
There are times, too, when the foundation and its supporters can see first hand the result of the work they do.
In the summer, the foundation was able to raise $36,000 for victims of the Cottonwood fire who lost homes and belongings. With the help of the Coquitlam Firefighters Charitable Society, the funds were distributed to the gratitude and amazement of recipients.
"They said they'd been through much worse," said Toddington, who added that the foundation is now looking at establishing a permanent emergency fund.
Geoff Scott, whose Tri-Cities Community TV group received a grant from the foundation for new equipment, said the support has continued to pay off over the years and shows how the foundation is providing a lasting legacy.
"As a community-driven, ground-level organization, funding is hard to find to get your start and certainly the foundation was essential in getting the ball rolling to get funding and support," Scott said.
It's just the kind of small, but important, contribution that can make a huge difference, said Toddington, and the hopes are that more business and individuals will leave their legacy through the foundation.
"Our mandate is to look after the city of Coquitlam and that is where the money stays," she said, adding "If you want to be able to support a program or you want to donate, we can be a conduit for that."
WHAT'S HAPPENING
A 25th anniversary gala is set for 6:30 on Apr. 22 at the Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club. Tickets are $75 and the event will feature dinner and entertainment, including the Dueling Pianos, and a live and silent auction. More information at www.coquitlamfoundation.com and by emailing info@coquitlamfoundation.com
