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Community Foundation celebrates $2 million milestone

The Cranbrook and District Community Foundation (CDCF) has reached $2 million in permanently invested funds and recently celebrated this major milestone.
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Casey Hanemayer, donor and dedicated supporter of the Cranbrook and District Community Foundation, and Neil Cook, founding CDCF Board member, joined in the celebrations marking the CDCF’s $2 million milestone in permanently endowed funds. (Photo courtesy Lynnette Wray)

The Cranbrook and District Community Foundation (CDCF) has reached $2 million in permanently invested funds and recently celebrated this major milestone. The CDCF’s “community nest egg” produces interest which comes back to the community, every year, forever, to support local programs and projects that help local people.

“It is truly amazing to see the growth in the Cranbrook and District Community Foundation,” said Dave Struthers, CDCF President. “From an organization that started with conversations around kitchen tables and in coffee shops, we are so pleased to be celebrating this $2 million milestone. We would like to take this moment to share our very special thanks with Neil Cook for the pivotal role he has played as a founding member of the CDCF and for his on-ongoing commitment to the growth and development of the Community Foundation.”

According to Lynnette Wray, CDCF Executive Director, “It is an honour and a privilege to recognize all our endowment fund holders, donors, corporate partners, community supporters, and board members who have helped the CDCF reach $2 million in permanently invested funds. In particular, we would like to thank Casey and Corrine Hanemayer for their commitment to and significant investment in the Community Foundation.”

East Kootenay Community Credit Union was one of the first organizations to establish an endowment fund with the CDCF. Jean-Ann Debreceni, long-time Credit Union board member and current board chair, said “East Kootenay Community Credit Union is a member-owned and community-based organization. We recognized that the Community Foundation could benefit our members and our community, not just for one year but every year, forever.”

Debreceni continued, “It was our pleasure to establish the East Kootenay Community Credit Union Fund to provide an annual grant to the Salvation Army food programs. We have also been very pleased to contribute to the Fernie Community Fund and the Sparwood Community Fund. We are absolutely thrilled to join the CDCF in celebrating this $2 million milestone.”

David Hull, Executive Director of the Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce, added “People come to our community to work, study, or retire, but what makes them stay are all the activities and opportunities that are supported by non-profit organizations such as the Cranbrook and District Community Foundation.”

The Cranbrook and District Community Foundation currently holds 27 permanently invested endowment funds covering a wide range of interests, including arts and culture, sports and recreation, history, healthcare, and the environment. The CDCF is very proud to have recently established Community Funds benefitting the communities of Fernie and Sparwood. The CDCF also supports local projects such as the homeless shelter project with the Salvation Army, an indoor soccer facility project with the Kootenay East Youth Sports Association (KEYSA), and support for competitive climbers with the East Kootenay Climbing Association (EKCA).

The Cranbrook and District Community Foundation celebrated their $2 million milestone with friends and supporters on Monday November 27th in the lobby of East Kootenay Community Credit Union. This celebration was made possible through the generous support of the event sponsors: Rella Paolini and Rogers, East Kootenay Community Credit Union, Symphony of the Kootenays, and Max’s Place.

The development of the CDCF began in 2000 with an estate gift from of a community donor, which led to a local fundraising drive as well as matching grants from the Columbia Basin Trust and the Vancouver Foundation.

The Cranbrook and District Community Foundation is a CRA-registered charity and was federally incorporated in 2003. The CDCF is governed by 13 volunteer board members and employs one staff person.

To donate online to the CDCF, please visit www.cranbrookcf.ca or www.facebook.com/cranbrookcf and click on the donate button. Donations can also be made via cheque, cash, investment vehicles, or estate gifts by contacting Lynnette Wray, Executive Director, by phone (250-246-1119) or email (Lynnette.wray@cranbrookcf.ca).

For more information about the CDCF, please visit our website at www.cranbrookcf.ca and like/share our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cranbrookcf/.