Many people equate endowment funds with millions of dollars. In reality, it only takes a minimum of $10,000 before a fund emerges and can begin granting to causes and charities important to your family. Families can also take up to 10 years to reach that threshold.
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Anne and John Lawrence Memorial Fund
Anne and John Lawrence Memorial Fund A Love of History, a Gift for All Time (a designated fund) For a lifelong history buff and community-minded individual, leaving an enduring gift might seem like a natural thing to do. Yet, the creation of a significant endowment that will span generations came as a surprise to those…
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Anne Hohenadel Fund
A Perfect Christmas Gift for Mom – a donor’s story behind her fund (designated fund) This is a photo of my mom with a “bottle of the best” in 1936. Before Coke renamed their original recipe, my mother was a “classic” all by herself. She passed away this May in her eighty-sixth year, and we…
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Arend Nieuwland Remorse Sculpture Fund
This fund supports the pursuit of establishing a permanent site for the Remorse Sculpture. Public art unites us in reflection. Join the Nieuwland family in the pursuit of bringing the Remorse Sculpture to our community. This piece is a semi abstracted male figure expressing troubled emotion within the movement of the sculpture. Arend conceived of…
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Camp Discover Fund
Helping Good People Do Great Things (field of interest fund)(Note: the donor’s name has been changed to reflect her wishes for anonymity) Mary had many fond memories of summer camp, from meeting new friends, acquiring a new skill, or just having a ton of fun. These were special moments that were close to her heart.…
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Community of Hearts Scholarship Fund
In honour of her friend Denise, Community of Hearts volunteer and champion, Joan McVean established the Community of Hearts Scholarship Fund. What inspired Joan to set up this scholarship fund? In Joan’s own words: Denise was born in 1921 in Saskatchewan to a homesteading family. She was educated at a boarding school near Chantre, France,…
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Dr. Charles Pinch Fund
When You See That Things Can Be Better, Go Do Something Susan Brown was born and raised in Guelph. She spent her twenties and thirties elsewhere, but the city always pulled her back. Growing up, philanthropy was simply part of the fabric of Susan’s family. Both of her parents were generous with their time and…
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Dr. Glenn D. Peirson Fund for the Arts
Creating a Lasting Legacy (donor advised fund) Glenn was a fan of writer and philosopher Soren Kierkegaard who said, “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards”. A few of Glenn’s favourite things included Bach, the Beatles, Elton John (the early years), blueberries, the Grey Cup, Christmas, MAC computers, and Guelph. Dr. Peirson…
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Hugh and Lorna Guthrie Fund
Hugh and Lorna Guthrie Fund Preserving the Past, Nurturing the Present and Anticipating the Future (donor advised fund) Hugh and Lorna Guthrie were modest and very private people. Having both grown up in Guelph they loved the City and believed deeply in everyone’s responsibility to contribute to the community. Throughout their lives they did just that…
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John A. Hourigan Memorial Fund
A Family’s Tribute to Their Father (scholarship fund) John A. Hourigan Memorial Fund (February 2006): John [Jack] Hourigan, was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 1911 and his career in finance brought him and his wife Marjorie to Guelph in 1952. Besides being very busy with his career and raising 5 children, he served on the…
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Koornstra Family Foundation Fund
Family Philanthropy (donor advised fund) Like all families, the Koornstra’s are busy with school, work and volunteering. On top of that, their deep commitment to community-building and philosophy that “life is more than just going through the daily motions”, inspired them to establish the Koornstra Family Foundation Fund. So why create a family fund at The…
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Make Your Mark Foundation in Memory of Kayla Chadwick
“I’m going to make my mark by helping others because I like being kind to people and helping. I can help by starting over again with them or smiling. That is how I’m going to make my mark!” -Kayla Kayla accomplished so much in such a short time. She was an extraordinary girl that stood…
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Moffat Forsyth Family Fund
A Legacy of Giving, Three Generations Strong For Cyndy Dearden, giving back was never a question of if, but how. She grew up in a family where philanthropy was simply a way of life, a value instilled by both of her grandfathers and carried forward by her parents and their siblings. Her father helped establish…
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Norman Earl Webb Community and Donor Advised Fund
Passionate About His Community: The Legacy of Norman Earl Webb (donor advised fund and unrestricted fund) The Guelph Community Foundation received over $900,000 from the late Norman Earl Webb who passed away in January 2005 at the age of 98. Mr. Webb was very motivated to give back to his community and he worked with…
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Peter Szkotnicki Legacy Fund
A Family’s Loss, a Young Man’s Legacy (donor advised fund) Peter Szkotnicki was a bright, engaging individual, who was loved by family and friends. He was a gifted person that people often wanted to be with due to his keenness for life, his sense of humour and love for adventure. He excelled as a student,…
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Royal City Science Centre Fund
Royal City Science sparks curiosity and a love of science. They are on a mission to build a new state-of-the-art science centre for southwestern Ontario. This facility will welcome the future scientist and the science-curious to experience interactive exhibitions, discover unique learning opportunities, and engage withknowledgeable educators dedicated to making science understandable and exciting. Royal…
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Smith Heritage Education Fund
By donating to the Smith Heritage Education Fund, you make a lasting gift to help aspiring students fulfil their dreams to improve the world. This endowed fund will generate funds forever to provide a regular scholarship, bursary or award to students pursuing their education in certain fields, with priority given to advancing medical science and…
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Terry Doyle Scholarship Fund
A Tribute to a Dear Friend (scholarship fund supporting dramatic arts) Over 600 theatre patrons, sponsors, Rotarians, friends and family members gathered at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse on January 28, 2006 to pay tribute to the late Terry Doyle with a spirited celebration of music and laughter. Terry Doyle died suddenly while performing in the…
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The Andrew Bloomfield Legacy Fund
Bridges Over Barriers This fund was established within the Guelph Community Foundation in 2024-2025, in memory of Andrew John Bloomfield, founder of Bridges in 2004. Gerald and Elizabeth Bloomfield of Guelph, moved by the recent death of their son Andrew aged 55, are initiating a fund in his memory with the Guelph Community Foundation (GCF).…
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The Co-operators Fund
Co-operative Enterprises Build a Better World The Co-operators Fund (an unrestricted named Community Fund)Did you know that The Co-operators was founded by a group of farmers seeking a local solution to a local problem? Over time, the organization has grown to be one of Canada’s largest insurers, offering protection and stability to millions of Canadians and…
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The Goddard-Coates Family Fund
Board Leadership, Family Involvement Hilary and Dean Coates knew of the Guelph Community Foundation before most of us did. Hilary was an accountant early in her career when a mentor wisely invited her to join the Board in the founding days of the foundation. Hilary became the first Treasurer of the Foundation and returned to…
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The McCormick Delisle Family Fund
Dedicated to improving the quality of life for families immigrating to Canada, choosing Guelph as their home. Michael Delisle and Sandra McCormick married in 1973. They shared a knowledge and appreciation of their families’ immigration stories, understanding the promise Canada extended to grandparents who came here to provide opportunities, freedoms and safety to their children…
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Thelma Townsend Fund and the Wynne Townsend Christie Fund
Giving Through Generations (both are designated funds) Being active members of the community has been important for Gary and Wynne Christie (photo left). Involved in many charitable organizations through the community, the Christie’s understand the need for funding. With the creation of two funds, the Thelma Townsend Fund and the Wynne Townsend Christie Fund, they…
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William K. Greenaway & Anne C. Bawden Fund
The Foundation’s First Fund The Foundation’s First Fund (unrestricted named fund) Anne Bawden and Bill Greenaway married in Windsor in 1967. They lived in Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Ontario, but always planned on returning to ‘home territory’. They are among the first contributors to The Guelph Community Foundation and continue to provide support over ten…
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Wismer Fund for the Arts
Giving Now and Giving Later (Field of Interest Fund) In setting up the Wismer Fund for the Arts at the Guelph Community Foundation, and at the same time making provisions in their wills for a future bequest to that fund, John and Sally Wismer (photo left) wanted to give back to the community in which they have lived and…