About Manitoba Foundations

The Canadian community foundation movement began in Manitoba with the establishment of The Winnipeg Foundation in 1921. Today, with 48 community foundations, our province is home to approximately one quarter of all such organizations in the country.

Manitoba community foundations are members of Community Foundations of Canada (CFC), an umbrella organization that provides foundations with tools and resources to help them flourish in their communities.

What is a community foundation?

A community foundation is a charitable organization that provides financial support to causes and agencies within a geographic region. Thanks to gifts from donors, community foundations help communities today, tomorrow and forever.

How do community foundations work?

Every gift made to a community foundation is pooled and permanently invested; the interest earned on these funds is distributed as grants to support a variety of local charitable projects. The capital is never spent, ensuring a lasting source of support for a community.

Why give to a community foundation?

Donors support community foundations for a wide range of reasons, including:

• To ensure their legacy remains in the local community forever.
• To benefit a variety of charitable organizations with a single gift.
• To have the option to support a specific charity, a field of interest, or the community as a whole.
• To be assured their gift will be prudently invested and well-managed.
• To know that their gift is working with other community investments for the greatest possible impact.
• To have the opportunity to engage an entire family in philanthropy, as multiple generations may contribute to the fund over time. Some donors choose to name a fund so their family’s name lives on in perpetuity.