Wood Buffalo Community Foundation elects new chair and appoints three new directors at Annual General Meeting

(Fort McMurray, AB – July 5, 2019) Wood Buffalo Community Foundation (WBCF) appointed a new chair and welcomed three new directors to its Board at its Annual General Meeting on Thursday, June 20 at the Redpoll Centre in Fort McMurray. Anthony (Tony) Mankowski was elected chair, and Tony Aruleba, Nayef Mahgoub and Shoaib Syed were elected as new directors to the Board.

“I would like to thank our outgoing chair, Shelley Powell for her leadership and energy, taking this Foundation to where it is today,” said Tony. “I’m also very happy to welcome our three new directors and I look forward to working with them.”

The board also accepted the Foundation’s 2018 annual review, featuring Founders Circle members and reports from grantees. The report can be found on the website at wbcfoundation.ca/annual-report.

As part of regular business, the Board re-appointed Deloitte LLP as auditors and confirmed the following directors and terms: Anthony Mankowski (June 2020); Brenda Erskine (June 2020); Mark Shaw (September 2019); Glen Finnson (June 2020); Thomas Lawley (September 2019); Anna Seinen (June 2020); Sangram Hansra (June 2020). Thomas Lawley continues in the executive role as secretary while Tony Aruleba takes on the role of treasurer.

For more information contact media.wbcf@gmail.com.

The WBCF is a registered Canadian charity. Our mission is to enhance the quality of life in our region through grants and partnerships that improve the capacity and sustainability of our community.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE MEMBERS

May 30, 2019

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Members of the Wood Buffalo

Community Foundation (the WBCF) is called for, and will be held at, the large conference room

of The Redpoll Centre (Shell Place, 1 C.A. Knight Way, Fort McMurray, AB) on the 20th day of

June, at the hour of 9:00 am (MT) for the following purposes: 1. To receive the WBCF’s

financial statements for the financial year ended December 31, 2018. 2. To elect additional

Directors of the Board. 3. To appoint the Auditors of the Corporation for the ensuing year. 4. To

transact such other business as may properly be brought before the meeting.

If you plan to attend the meeting as an observer, please RSVP to sandy.carkener@gmail.com by

Monday, June 17 with your name and, if relevant, the member organization you will be

representing.

The AGM agenda and the WBCF’s 2018 financial statements can be viewed at www.wbcfoundation.ca/annual-general-meeting.

Wood Buffalo Community Foundation Announces Second Call for Grant Applications

(Fort McMurray, AB – May 1, 2019) The Wood Buffalo Community Foundation (WBCF) is ready to accept applications for its 2019 granting cycle.

WBCF funds local initiatives in a wide variety of areas, including health, education, arts, culture, social services, sports and recreation, the environment or other emerging community needs. In 2018, the Foundation awarded almost $250,000 to seven local agencies in the social profit sector.

For this grant cycle, WBCF is calling for applications that address the following target areas, in order of priority:

1. Programs or projects that lead to the sustainability of the social profit sector through collaboration or social enterprise;

2. Prevention and/or early intervention programs or projects that are working to solve root causes and potentially make a systems change;

3. Programs or projects that provide wellness support for individuals and families experiencing crisis.

The deadline for grant applications is June 12, 2019. Details on the application process can be found on wbcfoundation.ca/community-grant.

WBCF’s grants committee aims to shortlist the applications by the end of July and make final decisions on awarding of grants before the end of October 2019.

The WBCF is a registered Canadian charity. Our mission is to enhance the quality of life in our region through grants and partnerships that improve the capacity and sustainability of our community.

For more information go to www.wbcfoundation.ca.

WBCF Strategic Plan 2018-2020

Wood Buffalo Community Foundation is one of over 140 community foundations across Canada. It is one of the newest Community Foundations, established in March 29, 2017, and holds to the principle of socially investing in its community to enhance the quality of life, the fostering of connections, and building community affinity and prosperity. 

This document represents the new Strategic Plan for Wood Buffalo Community Foundation for 2019 to 2021. It was reviewed by the workshop participants, and approved by the Board of Directors. Implementation will be undertaken, initially through the Board’s committee structure and the Board itself. 

Wood Buffalo Community Foundation provides $246,000 in grant funding to seven local organizations

(Fort McMurray, AB – December 13, 2018) On Thursday, the Wood Buffalo Community

Foundation (WBCF) announced seven local charities as recipients of the organization’s first

round of community grant funding.

Founded in 2017, the WBCF has been building its endowed funds to help strengthen the

social profit sector in the Wood Buffalo Region. This year, the organization will provide

nearly $246,000 in grant funding to local charities and community groups.

This year’s grant cycle focused on local charities who provide support for addictions, mental

health, parenting, abuse, family violence and family counselling in the region. The seven

grantees include The Hub Family Resource Centre, Pastew Place Detoxification Center,

KidSport Wood Buffalo, Legacy Counselling Centre, Autism Society of the RMWB, Safe

Community Wood Buffalo and the North East Alberta Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Network.

The grants will support these local organizations in continuing valuable community projects

and programs, such as the successful Parent Coaching Program offered by the Hub Family

Resource Centre, and the Autism Society of the RMWB’s Socio Respite Program for youth

on the autism spectrum.

“We’re very excited to be at a point where we can provide resources and support to some of

the great charities and community groups in our community,” said Shelley Powell, WBCF

Board Chair. “While this grant cycle is our first, it certainly won’t be our last. Our goal is to be

a sustainable source of funding for the local social profit sector for decades to come, and

we’re very pleased to see it starting here with these seven deserving recipients.”

For more information on the WBCF’s 2018 grant cycle, visit www.wbcfoundation.ca.

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About Wood Buffalo Community Foundation

The WBCF is a registered Canadian charity. Our mission is to enhance quality of life in our

region by supporting community members and organizations in building long term, mutually

beneficial relationships between donors and grantees. We provide grants to improve and

enhance the stability and sustainability of the community.

Contact

media.wbcf@gmail.com

Collaboration Project To Strengthen Wood Buffalo Social Profits

Three social profit agencies today announced a collaboration project to help strengthen the Social Profit Sector of Wood Buffalo by working together to coordinate efforts within the region.

The Boards of the United Way Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo, FuseSocial, and the Wood Buffalo Community Foundation have empowered a steering committee to explore ways to create a shared vision of the desired future for the social profit sector, as well as a plan of funded activities to achieve that vision over a three- to five-year period. The committee is also expected to define the roles of each organization within the plan.

The membership of the steering committee will be:

United Way Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo – Steve Yatauro, Board Chair and Cecilia Mutch, Executive Director

FuseSocial – John Evans, Board Chair and Chantal Beaver, Executive Director

Wood Buffalo Community Foundation – Shelley Powell, Board Chair and Tony Mankowski, Board Member

As time progresses, the inclusion of other organizations will be imperative to the success of this project and their participation will be sought in this collaborative effort.

The initial proposed steps of the committee include a consultation process for input, developing a strategy focused on overall impact, and aligning roles and responsibilities for each recommended project in order to minimize duplication and maximize collaboration.

QUOTES

“Wood Buffalo is a great community and we want the social profit sector to continue to thrive. This collaboration is a good starting point to creating a plan that will strengthen the sector and have many positive outcomes for our community.”

- John Evans, Board Chair, FuseSocial

“The timing is right for collaboration and it is our intent to lead by example. There is an opportunity today to move forward in a way that is unified and to develop our sector in a planned, coordinated approach for the future.”

- Steve Yatauro, Board Chair, United Way Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo

“Working together will only make us better. If our sector has learned anything from the fires it is that collaborative efforts can and do make a difference in the lives of the people we are trying to reach. We are excited to be a part of this initiative.”

- Shelley Powell, Board Chair, Wood Buffalo Community Foundation

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

United Way Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo website: fmwbunitedway.com

FuseSocial website: fusesocial.ca

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Media contacts:

Cecilia Mutch
United Way Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo
cmutch@fmwbunitedway.com
780 791-0077 ext 3016

Chantal Beaver
FuseSocial
chantal.beaver@fusesocial.ca
780 791 9333 ext 3070

Shelley Powell
Wood Buffalo Community Foundation
media.wbcf@gmail.com
(780) 792-9114

Wood Buffalo Community Foundation Announces First Call for Grant Applications

(Fort McMurray, AB – July 8, 2018) The Wood Buffalo Community Foundation (WBCF) has up to $250,000 in grant money available for regional charities.

“We’re very excited to be at this point, after a year of building our board and seeking donors for our endowed funds,” said WBCF chair Shelley Powell. “We’ve spent time understanding the community’s needs and put some real thought into how we grant money, and for what purpose.”

For this grant cycle, WBCF is calling for applications from community services that focus on: support to families and individuals; accessibility to appropriate mental wellness supports for youth and young adults; increasing access to parenting programs and supports particularly in rural areas; support for persons experiencing abuse and family violence including abuse against seniors; family counselling for divorce and separation; as well as health services that focus on addictions and mental health.

The deadline for grant applications is September 4th, 2018. Details on the application process can be found on wbcfoundation.ca/community-grant

Powell says the grants committee aims to shortlist the applications by October 31st, and to make final decisions by December.

The WBCF is a registered Canadian charity. Our mission is to enhance quality of life in our region by supporting community members and organizations in building long term, mutually beneficial relationships between donors and grantees. We provide grants to improve and enhance the stability and sustainability of the community.

For more information go to www.wbcfoundation.ca.

Wood Buffalo Community Foundation holds first Annual Meeting, celebrates accomplishments

(Fort McMurray, AB — June 21, 2018) Wood Buffalo Community Foundation (WBCF) held its first AGM at the Redpoll Centre on June 21, 2018. The Board elected two new directors, confirmed terms for eight current directors, received audited financial statements for the period ended December 31, 2017 and appointed its public accountant for the financial period ending December 31, 2018. The audited financial statements can be found here.

Accomplishments outlined at the AGM included:

• Raising approximately $2.4 M to date, including matching funds from the Suncor Energy Foundation.

• Recruiting a 10-member board, including new community members Anna Seinen and Sangram Hansra.

• Approving a Grants application and approval process, allowing the Foundation to proceed with its first call for community grant applications.

“A year ago, we were five or six people with a passion to make this Foundation a success,” said Founding Chair Maureen Cormier Jackson in her remarks to the Board. “Now we’re a 10-member Board with great people, a commitment to grow, committees in place, over $2 million raised, and a grants process about to get kicked off. “

Board chair Shelley Powell talked about the work ahead.  

“In a few years, it’s likely that we will be a major funder in this region. We need to think carefully about how we use our assets -- not just our dollars, but our collective community knowledge, our desire to collaborate, and our leadership skills -- to support our mission and vision. Being partners in community success is critical to community vitality and resiliency.”

The board of directors now includes:

• Shelley Powell – Chair

• Maureen Cormier Jackson – Founding Chair

• Anthony Mankowski

• Brenda Erskine  

• Mark Shaw

• Jeanette Bancarz - Treasurer

• Thomas Lawley - Secretary

• Glen Finnson

• Anna Seinen

• Sangram Hansra

The WBCF is a registered Canadian charity. Our mission is to enhance quality of life in our
region by supporting community members and organizations in building long term, mutually
beneficial relationships between donors and grantees. We provide grants to improve and
enhance the stability and sustainability of the community.

For more information, go to wbcfoundation.ca.

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Contact:
media.wbcf@gmail.com

Notice of Annual General Meeting of the Members

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Members of the Wood Buffalo Community Foundation ("the WBCF") is called for and will be held at the large conference room of The Redpoll Centre (Shell Place, 1 C.A. Knight Way, Fort McMurray, AB) on the 21st day of June, at the hour of 9 a.m. (MT) for the following purposes:

1. To receive the WBCF’s financial statements for the financial year ended December 31, 2017.

2. To elect additional Directors of the Board.

3. To appoint the Auditors of the Corporation for the ensuing year.

4. To transact such other business as may properly be brought before the meeting. 

If you plan to attend the meeting as an observer, please RSVP to sandy.carkener@gmail.com by Monday, June 18 with your name and, if relevant, the member organization you will be representing. 

The AGM agenda and the WBCF’s 2017 financial statements can be viewed at wbcfoundation.ca. 

Wood Buffalo Community Foundation encourages region to join the Founders' Circle

(Fort McMurray, AB – March 5, 2018) There’s still time to become a Founder of the Wood Buffalo Community Foundation (WBCF). Donations made to the WBCF by June 2018 will give donors the opportunity to count themselves in the Foundation’s Founders’ Circle.

“Everyone who makes a donation in our first year of operation will be recognized as a Founder of the Wood Buffalo Community Foundation,” said WBCF chair Shelley Powell. “No donation will be considered too small to join the Founders’ Circle.”

“Your donation will also ensure the WBCF benefits from the Suncor Energy Foundation’s commitment to match $500,000 per year for the next four years,” said Powell.

The WBCF is a registered Canadian charity. Our mission is to enhance quality of life in our region by supporting community members and organizations in building long term, mutually beneficial relationships between donors and grantees. We provide grants to improve and enhance the stability and sustainability of the community.

For more information, go to wbcfoundation.ca.

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Contact:
media.wbcf@gmail.com