Battlefords and District Community Foundation is a community foundation serving North Battleford and the surrounding district in Saskatchewan. It pools gifts from individuals, families, businesses and other donors into permanent endowment funds, and uses the investment income to provide ongoing grants and scholarships that respond to local priorities.
Role of the Battlefords and District Community Foundation in the funding ecosystem
The foundation offers a variety of endowed funds, including donor advised funds and named funds that support specific purposes such as post-secondary education, community recreation and legacy initiatives. Donors can contribute cash, appreciated securities or other assets, and work with the foundation or their estate planners to design funds that reflect their philanthropic goals while benefiting the Battlefords region over the long term.
Each year, income from these funds is distributed as grants to qualified organizations and as scholarships and awards to individuals. Examples highlighted on the site include the Hazel Asmussen Fund for fine arts studies and the Peter Lewochko Fund supporting post-secondary studies in agriculture, engineering and education. The foundation also administers legacy funds such as the 2018 Saskatchewan Winter Games Legacy Fund and the Nico Hawryliw Fund, which has provided grants to community facilities like the Edam Community Recreation Centre.
General approach to grants and scholarships
The foundation emphasizes community vitality, local knowledge and partnership. It states that it provides advice on community needs, manages the grant administration process and seeks to “grant for breadth and impact.” Calls for applications are issued for specific funds, with clearly published deadlines and application forms, particularly for post-secondary scholarships and legacy funds. Awards are usually made on a competitive basis, using criteria tied to the purpose of each fund.
Publics served and overall impact
Grants and awards from the Battlefords and District Community Foundation benefit a wide range of local beneficiaries, including students pursuing further education, recreation and cultural organizations, and other community agencies in the region. By building permanent community assets and connecting donors with local priorities, the foundation aims to provide support “for good, for ever” to the Battlefords and surrounding communities.