Who We Are
Niagara Community Foundation is your philanthropic partner since 2000, helping to connect donors with causes, and communities to resources.
Our work is guided by five principles:
- Enable, collaborate and transform
Enable community improvement by providing funds and community knowledge. Bring organizations together to form partnerships based on the respective strengths of each organization to focus on key community issues.
- Demonstrate philanthropic leadership
Demonstrate expertise and best practice in philanthropic leadership.
- Put Niagara first
Communicate and support the Niagara story. Build community leadership. Seek and develop individuals who will bring leadership to the community.
- Be trustworthy, transparent and accountable
Engage in practices that are open, accessible, fair, objective, flexible, timely, accountable and measurable and built on a foundation of respect, trust, integrity and honesty.
- Ensure sound governance and management
Ensure that the Niagara Community Foundation governance and management are sound, relevant, and realizes its full fiduciary responsibility. This includes maintaining our accreditation with Imagine Canada.
Niagara Community Foundation is one of 191 community foundations under the umbrella of Community Foundation's Canada.
To learn more about our history and how NCF got started in 2000, click here to read the story.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples, many of whom continue to live and work here today. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and is within the land protected by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum agreement. Today this area is home to many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples and acknowledging reminds us that our great standard of living is directly related to the resources and friendship of Indigenous peoples.
What We Do
Our work can be simplified into three pillars:
As a community foundation, NCF helps donors create permanent, yet flexible endowment funds. We pool the charitable gifts of many donors into a permanent, income-earning endowment fund that benefits the people of Niagara and fulfills the philanthropic objectives of individual donors. We help donors give a charitable gift that will not only make an impact on the community today, but will leave a legacy in Niagara for generations to come.
Supporting the causes that matter most to our donors while also meeting the greatest needs of our community, NCF provides grants to eligible Canadian charities. Through donor directed grants and our discretionary grants programs, NCF supports initiatives from health, education and social services to arts, culture and the environment. NCF empowers the charitable sector.
NCF provides leadership by bringing people together from all sectors to identify and address issues and to leverage opportunities in the region. 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. We strive for excellence.
Team
Bryan Rose
Executive Director
Bryan is passionate about philanthropy and has fostered a deep and broad spectrum of experience during his 20+ year career in the charitable sector. A life-long resident of Niagara, Bryan has deep roots in the community, with a strong network of professional contacts and personal connections across the Region and beyond. He is a skilled team leader who believes in building enduring, genuine relationships rooted in personal integrity and a shared spirit of philanthropy. Bryan began his tenure as NCF’s Executive Director in 2016. His professional journey began at his alma mater, Ridley College, in a number of roles including Acting Director of Development and also spent two years as a Senior Development Officer (Major Gifts & Capital Campaign) with the Mohawk College Foundation. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Western University's Huron University College (2000) and a Master of Arts in Leadership from the University of Guelph (2014). Bryan and his wife Andrea live in Beamsville with their daughter and son.
JoAnne Krick
Director, Grants and Community Initiatives
Orla Fitzpatrick Newhouse
Manager, Philanthropic Services
Suzanne Veenstra
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Amanda Galley Accountant - Durward Jones Barkwell & Company LLP
Board of Directors
The Foundation's Board of Directors is composed of leading citizens from across Niagara. These individuals bring a wealth of skills and expertise to their work for the Foundation. Many also volunteer in leadership positions with charities and not-for-profits throughout Niagara.
Executive
Damian Goulbourne Chair
Damian is passionate about community. As the Dean of the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts at Centennial College and past Associate Dean at Niagara College in the Department of Tourism and Sport, Damian understands the value and importance of cross-sector partnership, to strengthen a community. Damian has provided leadership to tourism-related development projects both internationally and locally. Damian was Mayor for the City of Welland and Niagara Regional Councilor (2003 to 2010) where he helped facilitate the development of sports tourism in Welland, a conservation centre in Lincoln, and the convention centre in Niagara Falls. He has served on the boards of Hotel Dieu Shaver Hospital, Niagara Peninsula Conservation, Niagara Workforce Planning Board, the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce and with Niagara Community Foundation since 2011. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Leadership at Athabasca University and holds a BA in Business Communications from Brock University (1993). Damian loves Niagara deeply and lives in Welland with his family.
Vice-Chair
Michael Mann
Secretary
Bryan Rose
Treasurer
Bill Crumm
Past-Chair
Ruth Todd
Directors
Carrie Beatty
Rashmi Biswas
Linda Boich
Bill Crumm
Natasha DiCienzo
Gary Evans
Ann Godfrey
Bev Hodgson
Mike Lethby
April Mitchell-Boudreau
Kithio Mwanzia
Joanna Stubbs
Louise Veres
Brian Wilkie
Volunteer
The contributions of time and talent of our volunteers is the ‘intangible wealth’ of NCF. Each year NCF’s volunteers collectively contribute over 1,500 hours to the work of the Foundation. We could not do the work that we do without our volunteers.
There are two main ways to get involved with NCF:
- Board of Directors
- Working Committees
- Grants
- Finance
- Governance
- Investment
- Nominating
- Community Leadership
- Special Projects
- Local Community Fund Committees
If you are interested in joining our Board of Directors or a working committee, please reach out to learn more.
Please note, NCF does not have volunteer positions available for community service projects, such as event planning or administrative tasks. We encourage those interested in volunteering in this capacity to contact 211 to learn about volunteer opportunities in your community.
