What Is a Community Foundation & How Does it Support Squamish?
A community foundation is a local charitable organization that helps people give to the causes they care about, invests donations for long-term impact, and distributes grants to charities and nonprofit organizations. In Squamish, community foundation grants help support local needs today while building resources for the future.
Community foundations are different from single-cause charities because they support many areas of community life. Through local giving, long-term funds, and community grants, they help strengthen the places people call home.
At its heart, a community foundation is built on a simple idea: when people come together to give locally, they can create lasting change.
At the Squamish Community Foundation, our mission is to enhance the well-being of our community by inspiring giving for sustained impact. We connect generosity with local priorities, helping donors, charities, and partners build a stronger, more resilient Squamish.
The Squamish Community Foundation supports our community in four key ways:
1. Helping People Give with Purpose
Everyone’s charitable journey is different. Some people make a one-time donation, while others want to build a legacy that supports Squamish for years to come.
Unlike a charity focused on one cause, community foundations support many areas of community life and can respond as needs change. We work with individuals, families, businesses, and professional advisors to help them give in ways that match their philanthropic goals, whether through an established fund or a new fund created around the causes they care about most.
Gifts are pooled and invested in endowment funds. Each year, a portion of the investment income is distributed through grants to local charities and nonprofit organizations. Because the original gift remains invested, it continues to support Squamish year after year.
2. Supporting Local Charities and Nonprofits through Community Grants
Strong communities rely on strong nonprofit organizations.
Each year, grants from our endowment funds help local charities and nonprofit organizations deliver programs, respond to emerging needs, and improve well-being throughout Squamish.
In addition to our own Annual Grants, we administer the District of Squamish’s Community Enhancement Grants and the Neighbourhood Small Grants program, helping connect funding with local initiatives that strengthen our community.
By working with a broad network of organizations, we can fund a wide range of priorities and respond as circumstances change over time.
3. Providing Community Leadership
Community foundations do more than distribute grants—they help identify where resources are needed.
As part of our mission, we build community knowledge, strengthen local relationships, and connect philanthropic resources to the places where they can make the greatest difference.
Research such as Vital Signs reports and community studies, including work that explores issues like living wages and affordability, helps build a clearer picture of both the strengths and the challenges facing our community.
By understanding these trends and working alongside community partners, donors, and local organizations, we can help direct resources toward the issues that matter most—today and into the future.
4. Building a Legacy of Giving
One of the things that makes community foundations unique is our long-term perspective.
We don’t just respond to immediate needs—we help ensure resources will be available for future generations.
Whether you make a one-time donation, become a monthly donor, support an existing fund, create your own fund, or leave a gift in your will, every act of generosity helps build a stronger Squamish.
Endowment funds are one of the most powerful ways donations continue working over time.
Endowed gifts are invested to provide ongoing support for local charities and community initiatives – today, tomorrow and for generations to come.
Learn more about how endowment Funds work.
Together, we are strengthening a culture of giving that benefits Squamish now and in the years ahead.
________________________________________________________________________________
The Squamish Community Foundation is proud to be part of Community Foundations of Canada, a national network of more than 200 community foundations working in communities across the country. Being part of this network allows us to share knowledge, learn from innovative approaches, and contribute to a stronger philanthropic sector nationwide, while always staying focused on the unique needs of Squamish. To learn more about the community foundation movement in Canada, visit Community Foundations of Canada.
