Castlegar Community Foundation open for business
By Kyra Hoggan
The Castlegar Community Foundation is ready to hit the ground running in 2014, according to a delegation which presented to city council at council’s regular meeting Monday night.
Foundation president Bob Jackson told council that 2013 was an eventful year, seeing the organization become qualified to issue tax receipts, receiving grants and donations that increased its assets to roughly $170,000, holding its first AGM and public information session, increasing its number of directors to nine (from five) and gaining acceptance as a member of Community Foundations of Canada.
As for what to expect in 2014, Jackson said to watch for some, “serious fundraising … and educating people about how they can contribute,” along with a community launch to raise public awareness in April.
He said to soon expect a public invitation to submit grant applications, with the foundation’s first grants to be given out this year.
He said they’re hoping to qualify for $50,000 matching grant from the Columbia Basin Trust, and said they hope the city can help them in that endeavour, beyond the letter of support they’ve already received from council.
“(We’re hoping for) some financial support that would help us secure the CBT grant, and perhaps some encouragement for (RDCK) Areas I and J to do likewise,” he said.
Mayor Lawrence Chernoff said the city absolutely supports the foundation and its goals, but how much financial support it can offer remains to be seen.
