COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS OF CANADA
Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) is the national leadership organization for Canada’s 191 local community foundations. Based in Ottawa, it helps drive local solutions and national systems-level change in Canadian society and the community foundation movement.
The concept of a national network began evolving in 1988 as the number of community foundations across the country began to increase more rapidly. In 1990, a meet-up of representatives from established and potential community foundations from across the country occurred in Ottawa.
The Foundation was one of the organizations that spearheaded the initiative. Two years later, in 1992, The Winnipeg Foundation hosted the second conference, officially incorporating the national network as Community Foundations of Canada. The enthusiastic gathering produced eight national objectives, a steering committee and a platform for ongoing sharing of information and mutual support for foundations across the country.
The inauguration of CFC created an interest and curiosity in local communities. A direct result of the Ottawa conference was a request from the Town of Virden for advice in the establishment of a community foundation. Today, the Virden Area Foundation is one of Manitoba’s 56 active community foundations.
