Apply by September 30, 2023

It is that time of year again. The Lac du Bonnet & District Charitable Foundation is calling for Grant Applications for its Fall Funding Session.  The Foundation will be accepting Grant Applications for community-based projects until September 30.

The Lac du Bonnet Foundation’s main goal is to support worthy projects within Lac du Bonnet and the surrounding area.  Any project of a charitable nature, big or small, that will benefit the community in a way that makes Lac du Bonnet a more livable, secure and caring community will be considered for financial support.

The Lac du Bonnet Foundation revised the Grant Application Form earlier this year to make it easier for Community Organizations to navigate the application process and to apply for grants.

For Grant Application Forms, further information on how to apply, and a full list of past and present grant recipients, please visit the Lac du Bonnet Foundation website at www.lacdubonnetfoundation.ca or contact the Foundation at info@lacdubonnetfoundation.ca

The Lac du Bonnet & District Charitable Foundation is a Community Foundations of Canada member and Canada Revenue Agency registered charity.  The monies granted are derived from returns on investment of an endowment fund managed by the Winnipeg Foundation on behalf of the Lac du Bonnet Foundation.

The Lac du Bonnet Foundation is proud to announce this year’s recipients of the Chuck Reynolds Memorial Scholarship and the Winnipeg River Educational Bursary which were awarded at Lac du Bonnet Senior School’s 2023 Graduation Ceremony.

The Chuck Reynolds Memorial Scholarship was established by the Reynolds family in memory of Chuck Reynolds, a former teacher, Sunrise School Division Board Member and active community member. The scholarship is presented each year to a student(s) who demonstrates academic excellence or achievements in athletics, the arts, trades, the environment, or social justice.

This year’s recipient was Jack Champagne who received $500 to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Degree at the University of Manitoba.

The Winnipeg River Educational Bursary was established in 2015 by Foundation Board Member Emeritus, Gus Wruck. This award assists needy students pursuing degrees in science, agriculture, veterinary medicine, or a health care profession that will be of benefit to our community and beyond.

This year, there were two recipients of the Winnipeg River Bursary. Congratulations to Cole Miller who was awarded $500 towards his future education in Aircraft Maintenance at Red River Community College. He is pursuing a career as an Avionics Technician for a commercial airline.

Gus Wruck presenting to Cole Miller

Congratulations as well to Alex Wazny who was awarded a $1,000 bursary towards her education in the Bachelor of Health Sciences program at the University of Manitoba. She is pursing a career in the medical field with the ultimate goal of obtaining a master’s degree and becoming a doctor.

Gus Wruck presenting to Alex Wazny

Gus Wruck, who was in attendance at the Graduation Ceremony to present the Winnipeg River Bursaries, made the following remarks as food for thought for all new graduates:

“As a new graduate, how are you going to use your skills and talents to contribute to your community?  The community has supported you thus far; will you do good things for your community today, tomorrow and throughout your working career? I am reminded of some meaningful words from an instructor [Dr. Carl Osborne] in veterinary school: ‘What we have done for ourselves dies with us, but what we have done for others lives on.’”

The LDB Foundation Board would like to congratulate the Scholarship and Bursary recipients as well as all of this year’s graduates as they begin this new and exciting chapter of their lives.

(By Rick McGregor, Lac du Bonnet Clipper, June 1 2023)

An inspiring night of gratitude and grants brought an air of excitement to the Historic St. John’s Heritage Church Hall on May 17 at the Lac du Bonnet & District Charitable Foundation’s Annual Public Meeting and Celebration of Giving.

The Lac du Bonnet & District Charitable Foundation was founded in 2008, inspired by an idea from long-time resident Dr. Bob Rutherford. Joined shortly by other community-minded people, the Foundation was formed to create and mange a fund to distribute its earnings to qualified local charities.

Foundation history was in the room May 17 with Dr. Rutherford’s son, Mauri, and early president, John Barnard, in the audience.

First on the agenda was series of presentations from three of the Foundation’s board members, including the treasurer’s report of current finances from Dick Campbell and the nomination committee report from Dave Johnson.

Grants were the order of the night as they revisited the 2022 grant recipients and announced the new beneficiaries for 2023. First up was Tannis Lodge of the Lac du Bonnet Community Garden, which received $3,000 for Greenhouse infrastructure to grow healthy foods and other plants.

Tannis Lodge from Lac du Bonnet Community Garden

Next was the Lac du Bonnet Historical Society’ Terry Tottle who received $6,500 for Phase 4 of the St. John’s Heritage Church Foundation’s Remediation Project.

Terry Tottle from St. John’s Heritage Church

Nicki Blatz of the Great Falls District Recreation Association accepted a $2,000 cheque fro pole banners celebration the 100th Anniversary of Great Falls.

Nicki Blatz from Great Falls District Recreation Association

The HEROS Alliance – Lunch Is On Us program, which provides healthy soup twice weekly to anyone needing a free lunch, was next. Kristen Ticknor was please to receive their grant of $500 for a cabinet and shelving to store supplies.

Dick Campbell, Mitch Walker, Kristen Ticknor from Lunch Is On Us, and Gary Rollins

John Fleming of the Eastman Snopals received $3,000 for a snowmobile trail groomer track repair program.

John Fleming from Eastman Snopals Inc.

The final 2023 grant of $1,000 went to the Ronald McDonald House Charities for the fourth of a five-year commitment towards a $20 million project constructing a new 40-bedroom Ronald McDonald House in Winnipeg.

“It is very exciting that we are only halfway through our year and have already awarded grants almost equal to last year’s total,” board member Janice Leroux said.

A heart-warming side-story to the evening was learning how two of this year’s recipients work together. Some of the vegetables grown at the community garden are donated to the Lunch Is On Us program to be used in their soups, keeping the cost of the lunches down for the charity.

“We are very pleased with the turnout, and we are really happy to provide the recipients the opportunity to tell us what they are doing with the money and how it supports their endeavours,” said Foundation President, Gary Rollins.

Press Release - April 27, 2023

The Lac du Bonnet & District Charitable Foundation will be holding its Annual Public Meeting and Celebration of Giving on Wednesday, May 17 at the St John’s Heritage Anglican Church Hall.  The event will take place from 7:00 to 8:00 with refreshments to follow.

We invite the public to join us as we celebrate the success stories of our 2022 Grant Recipients through a series of brief presentations by these organization. We will also be announcing the results of our Spring 2023 Granting Session.

Come and hear, firsthand, about the worthy projects that the Foundation has funded this past year and the positive impacts they have had on our community.  We are looking forward to the evening as an opportunity to share, celebrate, and network with our friends and community partners.

In the meantime, please enjoy reading our 2022 Annual Report.  It is now published and available on this website in the About Us section filed under Annual Reports.

For more information, please contact us at info.lacdubonnetfoundation.ca

 

 

Lac du Bonnet & District Charitable Foundation takes part in the Community Services Recovery Fund  (CSRF) – a $400 million investment in charities and non-profits.

Now more than ever, charities and non-profits are playing a key role in addressing persistent and complex social problems faced by all Canadians. The Community Services Recovery Fund is a $400 million investment from the Government of Canada to support charities and non-profits as they focus on how to adapt their organizations for pandemic recovery.

The Lac du Bonnet Foundation is proud to be working with community foundations across Canada as part of the Community Services Recovery Fund. This fund is a collaboration between Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada, and United Way Centraide Canada to provide funding to Community Service Organizations including non-profit organizations, Indigenous Governing Bodies and Registered Charities located in Canada. The Community Services Recovery Fund responds to what charities and non-profits need right now and supports organizations as they adapt to the long-term impacts of the pandemic.

Community Service Organizations can apply from January 6, 2023, until February 21, 2023.  Visit www.communityservicesrecoveryfund.ca to find out more about how to apply, explore resources for applicants, and sign up for upcoming webinars.

Please feel free to contact, Mitch Walker, Grants Chairperson for the Lac du Bonnet Foundation at info@lacdubonnetfoundation.ca for more information.