A record $16.7 million in grants to the community was approved by The Winnipeg Foundation's Board of Directors in 2006. The grants, made to 650 different local charities, surpassed the previous year's total by more than a half million dollars, according to the Foundation's 2006 Annual Report, released today.

"These grants have substantial impact today on the lives of individuals and the well-being of our community, but the power of these grants will continue to be felt for generations," says Richard Frost, Chief Executive Officer of The Winnipeg Foundation.

Covering its 85th anniversary year, Looking Forward highlights The Winnipeg Foundation's grantmaking, donors and special projects of 2006 – with an eye to the impact those contributions will have for years to come. The Foundation makes grants across a broad spectrum of areas, including: community service, education, health, environment, arts and culture, heritage and recreation.

Some of the projects featured in the 2006 Annual Report include:

• The Housing Training Initiative helps inner-city homeowners maintain and revitalize their homes, leading to increased community pride
• The Teachers Discretionary Grants Program gives cash to inner-city teachers to help them increase educational opportunities for their students
• Seniors Maintaining Active Roles Together (SMART) gives seniors access to fitness classes that help them maintain health and independence
• The Urban Canvas Program at Graffiti Art Programming offers hands-on training for at-risk youth to pursue careers in the visual arts
• Buhler Park will provide much-needed recreation and community-building opportunities when it opens in East Winnipeg in 2008

Looking Forward also highlights the generous gifts made by community members to the Foundation in 2006. The Foundation received approximately 3,000 donations in the last year which, combined with investment returns, grew the Foundation's assets by more than $30 million. All gifts made to The Winnipeg Foundation are permanently invested and the interest earned on those funds is used to make grants to support the community in perpetuity.

To coincide with the launch of its 2006 Annual Report today, The Winnipeg Foundation is also releasing Inspired: A Guide to Family Philanthropy. The new publication, mainly aimed at professional advisors and their clients, is available to everyone interested in making planned gifts to support local charities.

The Winnipeg Foundation, your centre for community philanthropy, was established in 1921 – the first community foundation in Canada. Today, the Winnipeg Foundation holds more than 1,700 endowment funds. Over its 85 year history, these funds have generated approximately $170 million that has been distributed by the Foundation to local charitable organizations.

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For more information, contact: Richard Frost, CEO, The Winnipeg Foundation,
944.9474