Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Canadian Federation of University Women Saanich Peninsula (CFUW)

The Canadian Federation of University Women Saanich Peninsula is a local club of CFUW based on the Saanich Peninsula in British Columbia. Founded in 1995, it brings together women committed to advanced education, lifelong learning and the improvement of the status of women and girls. A central part of its work is the CFUW Saanich Peninsula Education Trust Fund, a registered charitable fund that raises, invests and distributes money to support secondary and post-secondary education.

Through fundraising activities such as its well-known annual book sale, donations from members and the community, bequests, and a partnership with the Victoria Foundation, the club has built several endowments. These endowments, held at institutions such as the University of Victoria and Camosun College, generate annual income that is awarded as scholarships and bursaries. As of 2025 the club notes having developed four endowments totaling about $135,000, along with additional designated gifts such as the Myrna Holden fund for engineering and computer science students.

The Education Trust Fund focuses on supporting women and girls pursuing education, with a strong geographic focus on School District 63 and the Saanich Peninsula, and institutional partnerships with the University of Victoria and Camosun College. Each year the Fund provides scholarships at the four secondary schools in the district, as well as multiple post-secondary awards in fields including history, engineering and computer science, engineering technology, trades training and awards specifically for First Nations women.

Named awards include the Audrey and Carl Mawby Award for women history students at UVic, the Myrna Holden Award for women in engineering and computer science, an Engineering Technology Award, a First Nations Woman Award, and a Women in Trades Foundation Award at Camosun College. The club also occasionally establishes one-time scholarships in response to memorial or targeted donations, such as an art-focused scholarship in memory of artist and member Margaret Little, or an award for a student in the International Baccalaureate program at Parkland Secondary.

While detailed application procedures are usually managed in partnership with the participating schools and post-secondary institutions, the club clearly defines the intent of its funding: to recognize academic achievement, passion for chosen careers, teamwork, respect, safety practices in trades training, and to expand opportunities for women, including Indigenous women, in under-represented fields. Annual reports on the Scholarships and Awards pages list recipient names, programs of study, institutions and award amounts, demonstrating regular and transparent disbursement of funds. In 2025, for example, the Education Trust Fund awarded $11,929 to women pursuing post-secondary education.

The primary beneficiaries of the Fund are women and girls in School District 63 and on the Saanich Peninsula who are completing high school or enrolled at the University of Victoria or Camosun College. The club’s broader mission includes advocacy on education, health, human rights and social well-being for women and girls locally and globally, and its financial support for education complements this advocacy. Feedback from award recipients, shared through bios and thank-you letters, highlights the concrete impact of these scholarships on students’ ability to continue their studies and pursue career goals.

CFUW Saanich Peninsula collaborates with educational institutions and the Victoria Foundation to manage endowed and flow-through funds. The Victoria Foundation/CFUW Saanich Peninsula Education Trust Fund provides a mechanism for legacy gifts, with contributions invested and managed professionally to support education over the long term. The club’s volunteer Education Trust Fund Committee oversees investment earnings, donations and bequests, ensuring that funds are prudently managed and distributed in line with the club’s purpose of advancing education and literacy for women and girls.