A Message from the Chair, Penny Nelligan
Wow, what a region! I write this on May 4, two days after the Stay-at-Home Gala Grand Bend Area. It was a wonderful evening, an opportunity to get together while staying apart. Thanks in large part to our wonderful partners, the Rotary Club of Grand Bend, we raised more than $82,000, a testament to the generosity and caring of people in this region. My thanks to all those who made it happen, and to all the sponsors and donors who dug deep at this difficult time.
By the time of the Gala, many had already given generously to the Foundation’s Emergency Relief Fund, launched in March. In total, our communities have contributed more than $110,000 to help the most vulnerable during this unprecedented crisis. My heart is full.
This report, though, focuses on the activities and achievements of the Grand Bend Community Foundation over 2019. I hope you will take a few moments to read about what we have been doing with your help to strengthen our communities. Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and suggestions at grandbendcf@gmal.com.
When 2019 came to an end, none of us could have imagined what lay ahead. In a few weeks, our world has changed, and will probably never be quite the same. Yet as the Gala illustrated, one thing never changes: the power of people working together to make the world better.
Thank-you for everything you do to make our communities stronger, more vibrant, more inclusive, and more just. Together we will get through this and emerge stronger than ever!
Highlights of the Year
April
- Jones Bridge, built with support from the Foundation, opens in Exeter.
May
- Inaugural meeting of Grand Women
- Annual General Meeting, welcoming new board members Karen Randall, Deb Gill and Jim Jean
- Launch of RBC Future Launch Community Challenge, an opportunity for the Foundation to grant to innovative youth-led project
- Launch of Grand Men Fund
June
- Official launch of the Foundation’s donor recognition sign, honoring former Chair Hank Winters
- South Huron Community Fund holds the third in its speaker series, “Planning for the future.”
- Community Foundations of Canada conference in Victoria, attended by Director Brian Hall
July/August
- Wednesday Familiar Favorites beachfront concerts, supported by GBCF, attract big crowds
- John Patterson Memorial Dinghy Poker Run, organized by former Chair Judy McDonald and family, with all proceeds to the Grand Women Fund
- Camp Huronda for children with diabetes is supported by the Foundation.
September
- First-ever Vital Signs Report published online, a first step in identifying issues and challenges in our communities
- Shirley Andraza, former board member, receives top volunteer award from the Municipality of Lambton ShoresDown Family Fund established as part of the South Huron Community Fund by Bob Down
- RBC Future Launch Community Challenge grants awarded
October
- Second Grand Women get-together held, with Mary Ellen Zielman of the Huron County Food Bank Distribution Centre as guest speaker
- Two containers loaded with surplus school equipment and shipped to Eswatini, as a result of a 2018 grant to the Rotary Global Literacy program.
- South Huron Community Fund receives BIA Community Advancement Award
November/December
- 2019 grants distributed and announced (see below for full list)
- Board members visit each grantee to present cheques
- Agreement with Municipality of South Huron to create the South Huron Vitality Fund and make grants through the Foundation (see below)
2019 Grants
- Friends of Pinery Park for innovative equipment used in bat research, and for a youth-led project to build rolling boardwalks
- Huron Waves Music Festival, to support the hiring of an Indigenous musician to perform and lead workshops for Indigenous youth
- Lakeshore Eco-Network/ABCA, to hold a family-friendly Tree Festival and for a youth-led project to conduct a preliminary environmental assessment of the Parkhill Creek
- Yacht Club and Big Brothers Big Sisters South Huron, to ensure that four children registered with BBBS can attend the one-week sailing camp next summer
- Southcott Pines Association/Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority to support their efforts to clear vegetation and improve the oxygenation of the Old Ausable Channel
- Diabetes Canada, to support children from the Greater Grand Bend Area and South Huron to attend Camp Huronda
- West Coast Lions Club, to support the Wednesday Familiar Favorites concerts on GB beach
- Partners in Learning, to support the Climate Change Unpacked lecture series
- Scouts Canada Camp Attawandaron, to support a one-day environmental camp
- Huron County Food Bank Distribution Centre, to support the purchase of food for the mobile food bank that serves low-income families in Huron Park.
- Canadian Cancer Society to defray the fuel costs for volunteer drivers in the Wheels of Hope program
- Rural Response for Healthy Children, to support their project to convert to a cloud-based IT system.
- Me, You and Us/County of Lambton, to support a group of Indigenous non-Indigenous youth to build self-esteem and create self-portraits
- Eco-Exeter, to support efforts to reduce the use of single-use plastics in our region
- Blyth Festival, to support its ongoing cultural leadership
- Avon Maitland District School Board and North Lambton Secondary School, to support scholarships for graduating students
- Big Brothers Big Sisters South Huron, to support the Big Bunch and School Mentoring programs
- Grand Bend Art Centre, to support the music program at Grand Bend Public School
- Dashwood Optimists, to support activities at Friedsburg Days 2020
- Cultural Collective, to support the Riverside Night Market
Empowering Generosity: Our 2019 Donors
We recognize with heartfelt thanks the vision and generosity of all those who contributed to the Foundation during the past year. Please let us know of any errors or omissions.
A.J. Downie
Adam Jean
Barb Smits
Beth Jean
Beverly Kennedy
Bosanquet Central School
Brian and Irene Hall
Carey Eddy
Carol Gledhill
Carol Mills
Charles Corbett
Charles MacDonald
Cindy O’Keefe
Clayton M. Switzer
Dan Overholt
Dan Pasic
Daniel Maclachlan
Deb Gill
Deb Hinz
Deborah Gilpin
Deborah McNaughton
Diane Taylor
Elaine and Tom Hayter
Elizabeth Milne
Ford Agra Ltd.
Frank Vanhevel
Fred Lewis
Fred Willert
Gail Oke
George Shaw
Gina McFetridge
Ginger Weber
Gord and Mary Ann Brock
Grand Bend District Soccer Association
Heather and Tom Stewart
Ian and Shirley McCallister
James Hoffman
Jane Hurst
Janet and Kevin Williams
Janette Baillie
Janice Harvey
Jim Jean
John K. Riddell
John Smits
Jolayne Sroka
Judy McDonald
Kirkton Agricultural Society
Larry K. and Evelyn M. Elder
Larry Rosevear
Linda Crossman
Linda Haccius
Lois Wallace
London Community Foundation
Lorrain and John Cameron
Lynn Wilbur
Marie McGuire
Mark Pedlar
Mark Relouw
Martin Ward
Mary Irvine
Mary Ruston
Matt Patterson
Max Morden
Pamela Atkinson
Patti Cowan-Leslie
Patty Relouw
Paul Turnbull
Peter Janzen
Petranella McCann
PVA Consulting Group
Randall S. Oke
Randi M. Downs Ivey
Rhonda Bryson
Rhonda Manore
Robert Down
Robert J. Taylor
Rosalind MacDonald
Sandra Dixon
Sherwood Eddy
Staff of TD Grand Bend
Stephanie Donaldson
Susan Haskett
Susan Rock
Susan Stauth
Suzanne Davidson
TD Canada Trust
Tim and Marcia Sweet
Tom and Bev Prout
Tom Wilson
Wallace Desjardine
White Squirrel Investments Inc.
William O’Connor
Empowering Community Vitality in South HuronA unique partnership developed between the Grand Bend Community Foundation and the Municipality of South Huron in 2019.
The municipality established South Huron Community Fund within the Foundation in 2017 with a gift of $10,000. Subsequent gifts from the community had raised the total to approximately $15,000. Last year South Huron entered into an agreement with the Foundation to create the Vitality Fund. The purpose of the Vitality Fund is to offer financial assistance to non-profit, community-based organizations that provide direct programs, services, or activities to enhance the quality of life for South Huron residents.
The Vitality Fund will be administered by the Foundation and replaces the Community Grant Program previously offered by the Municipality. Grant applications will be reviewed by a committee of community volunteers, who will make recommendations to the Foundation Board.
In the first year, the fund will grow to more than $50,000, and an additional $10,000 will be made available for immediate granting.
“This is a great example of community partnership,” says Tom Prout, Foundation Board member and Chair of the South Huron Community Fund. “South Huron will benefit from the Foundation’s 20 years of experience in grant-making, and the Foundation will continue to build its impact throughout our region.”
Empowering Youth Leadership
In 2019, Grand Bend Community Foundation (GBCF) joined the RBC Future Launch Community Challenge, making up to $15,000 available to youth-led projects that address urgent local priorities.
The RBC Future Launch Community Challenge enabled youth to apply for funding to support their bold ideas to address urgent community priorities. It was an opportunity for young people to lead, learn new skills, gain experience, and build relationships in their local communities — all things that will help them prepare for the future of work.
This Community Challenge went far beyond the communities of Lambton Shores, South Huron and Bluewater. Participating community foundations made grants and learning opportunities available to youth-led initiatives in 150 communities from coast to coast to coast.
“We were thrilled to have this opportunity to connect with the youth in our communities,” says Penny Nelligan, GBCF Chair. “The four projects we supported reflect the creativity and commitment of young people in our communities.”
The projects are:
- Eco-Exeter – This project addresses the urgent problem of plastic pollution, especially in the Great Lakes. A group of students at South Huron District High School are encouraging their community to reduce its use of single-use plastics, by selling reusable straws and grocery bags, and through education and awareness.
- Lakeshore Eco-Network – This project is a first step toward restoring an important ecosystem with recreational potential. A youth leader will conduct an initial environmental assessment of the Parkhill Creek near Grand Bend, using a dinghy with electric motor.
- Friends of Pinery Park – This project will help preserve and restore precious freshwater coastal dunes along the Lake Huron coast. A youth leader will develop and implement the project, which includes building and positioning portable boardwalks in the Pinery and building knowledge and awareness throughout the community.
- You, Me and Us: Youth – This project uses art to empower youth and create bridges across cultural divides. The Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants will be supported to create self-portraits in any medium, and the resulting art will be shown across Ontario.
Says Janette Baillie, Chair of the Grants Committee, “The COVID-19 crisis has delayed the start date for these projects, but we remain confident that the results will be spectacular. Thanks RBC, for making this possible!”
Empowering the Future through Bequests
Leaving a bequest to the Grand Bend Community Foundation is a way to express your appreciation for beauty and warmth of our community, now and forever.
It’s also a fairly painless way to give. You have all your financial resources available during your lifetime, while knowing that you can make a real difference in the future. Your estate receives a charitable tax receipt for the full value of the bequest. Your donation becomes part of the Foundation’s permanent endowment, and a portion of the income is used to support local charities for many years to come.
“For my husband and me this was a perfect way to give,” says Pat Morden, Executive Director. “Although our bequest is modest, it makes me feel good to know that we are helping build a brighter future.”
Empowering the Future: Our financial statements for 2019