The Niagara Community Foundation is a public foundation established by and for the people of the communities throughout Niagara.
What do we do?
- Provide a means whereby the community's charitable assets and decision-making can be applied locally;
- Pool the charitable gifts of many donors into a permanent, income-earning endowment that benefits the people of Niagara primarily and fulfills the philanthropic objectives of individual donors;
- Make grants from the earnings of these funds to support a broad variety of initiatives from health, education and social services to arts, culture and the environment;
- Offer advice and support to individuals and organizations making philanthropic decisions;
- Provide leadership by bringing people together from all sectors to identify and address issues and to leverage opportunities in the region.
As an independent charitable organization, we are limited only by the will and imagination of our donors. We believe in the power of individuals and organizations working together to effect positive change in our communities. We encourage projects that promote self-sufficiency and long-term sustainability but we're not afraid to experiment either. We recognize that innovation, creativity and entrepreneurialism are key contributors to success. We actively seek projects that have the potential for high impact, no matter how big or small they may be.
Explore our website to get to know us better and to find out how you can get involved. Or, contact us to arrange for a private appointment or group information session. We're open 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday. Meetings can also be arranged outside of business hours. We look forward to working with you.
QUICK FACTS
Vision
Realizing community dreams through philanthropy
Founded
Started in 2000 through the vision of the late Frank Branscombe and former Regional Chair Debbie Zimmerman
Status:
Registered charity, public foundation
What we do
Help people invest in the charities and causes they care about most
Help local charities build endowments for the future
Help local charities access financial assistance for special projects
Help estate planners assist their clients
Features
Simple, flexible and cost-efficient
Personalized Service
Local expertise
Types of Funds
Donor Advised
Donor Designated
Charitable Organization
Field of Interest
Local Community Fund
Memorial
Investments
Funds are overseen by a volunteer investment committee comprised of local investment professionals and by professional investment consultants with extensive experience in endowment building and long-term investment strategies. Funds are pooled for investment purposes with other community foundations through the Toronto Community Foundation.
Grants
More than $2 million in grants to over 200 nonprofit organizations between 2001 and 2008
Member
Community Foundations of Canada
Leadership
President and Board Chair: Brad Hutchings
Executive Director: Liz Palmieri
