As a trusted community institution, The Winnipeg Foundation has spent the past century working hard to help ensure ‘a Winnipeg where community life flourishes for all.’ But its age does not suggest it is resting on the laurels of decades past.
Your community foundation’s greatest asset lies in its ability to change with the times and respond to current community needs. That’s also the benefit of the endowment model; for the past 100+ years, our donors have invested in our community, having faith and confidence that The Foundation would respond to pressing community issues, perhaps decades after they were gone, to see the results of their investments in the city we all love.
As I pen this last message as Board Chair of The Winnipeg Foundation, I have been reflecting on what a gift community foundations are to the communities they serve, and I think Manitobans really understand the value – we have more community foundations in our province (57!) per capita than any other jurisdiction in North America.
As The Winnipeg Foundation moves forward with its new Strategic Plan, the current community issues the plan is addressing could likely not have even been imagined 50 years ago, let alone 100 years ago. That’s the beauty of such an organization – it has the community knowledge, expertise, and nimbleness to be able to respond to current issues with ap- propriate resources to improve any situation. We are honoured and humbled by our donors – for their confidence and trust in The Foundation – none of this work is possible without your support.
After serving 11 years on the Board of The Winnipeg Foundation, including these past two as Chair, I am constantly amazed by the great work happening in our community by the committed charitable sector. The challenges of the past three years are a clear reminder that although Winnipeg’s charitable sector has been stressed and stretched, it is still standing and continues to serve our community.
It is The Winnipeg Foundation’s role to continue to support and enhance this sector that gives our community so much, day in and day out. I have every confidence The Foundation will continue to meet our community’s challenges in the months and years ahead and I am so honoured to have been a part of this organization.
Tom Bryk,
Board Chair
