Grant and Funding Programs Offered by The Peggy Scot Foundation

The Peggy Scot Foundation is an incorporated, arm’s‑length charitable foundation created by parishioners and residents of Arisaig, Nova Scotia to safeguard the heritage of St. Margaret of Scotland Church and its cemetery. Recognized as a registered charity by the Canada Revenue Agency, the foundation exists to raise investment capital and donations that will generate stable, long‑term funding for the maintenance of the church building, its architecture, art and stained glass windows, as well as the surrounding burial grounds.

The foundation serves as a dedicated financial steward for a specific cultural and religious site rather than a broad community grantmaker. It builds an endowment through annual and lifetime memberships, one‑time gifts, major donations and planned giving. The income from this endowment is then used to support preservation, restoration and upkeep projects related to the church and cemetery, ensuring that essential work can continue independently of regular parish finances.

Although it does not operate open call grant competitions, the Peggy Scot Foundation functions as a funding body: it collects charitable contributions from individuals and estates, manages these assets prudently, and allocates resources to concrete conservation and maintenance needs of the St. Margaret of Scotland parish property.

Supporters can participate through annual or lifetime memberships, both treated as charitable donations and conferring voting rights at the foundation’s annual general meeting. The organization also actively encourages estate planning, inviting donors to leave a percentage of their estate or specific assets to the foundation; it even offers to cover legal fees associated with adding a codicil for this purpose. These mechanisms are designed to strengthen the endowment and secure the site’s future for generations.

By channeling private philanthropy into a structured endowment, the Peggy Scot Foundation provides ongoing financial assistance to one of the oldest Catholic Highland settler parishes in Nova Scotia. Its funding contributes directly to preserving significant religious art, historic architecture and a cemetery that holds generations of community members. In doing so, the foundation supports heritage conservation, cultural continuity and a place of worship that continues to serve both local residents and visitors.