Did you know?

More than 100 young leaders have graduated from the Youth Now program.

Each year, over 100 non-profit professionals attend our training opportunities.

Over two dozen non-profit organizations have participated in the Youth Now program.

The CCRR provides nearly 400 child care referrals per year.

On average, the CCRR hosts 30 workshops and training courses each year.

Every year, over 500 child care providers and parents attend CCRR training opportunities.

Every year, RCRG completes over 3,000 grocery orders for local seniors.

Nearly 300 seniors make use of our Better at Home services.

Our volunteer drivers complete more than 1,200 trips annually.

At least 350 people per year find a volunteer position using our Volunteer Match program.

Close to 500 volunteers support RCRG’s programs and services.

Volunteers contribute nearly 23,000 hours to our organization each year.

Each holiday season, the Richmond Christmas Fund helps more than 2,200 low-income residents.

Every year, the Christmas Fund provides over 600 children with toys, books, and sports equipment.

The Richmond Christmas Fund was first started by Ethel Tibbits, in the 1930s.

The number of Neighbourhood Small Grants we’ve awarded has increased every year since 2014.

Block parties are the most popular type of Neighbourhood Small Grant project.

Every year, the Richmond Women’s Resource Centre serves over 7,300 local women.

The Richmond Women’s Resource Centre currently offers 16 programs and services.

Nearly 60 volunteers support the Richmond Women’s Resource Centre, contributing nearly 2,500 hours per year.

Richmond is home to over 350 registered charities, all of which rely on volunteer support.

There are nearly 13 million volunteers across Canada.

International Volunteer Day is celebrated throughout the world on December 5.

There are 35 volunteer centres in British Columbia.

In 2016, the Foundation awarded 10 grants to non-profit organizations, worth a combined $59,000.

The Foundation manages $6 million in 60 Forever Funds, returning, on average, CPI plus 4%.

Between 2020 and 2022, the Foundation distributed $656,000 in grants, scholarships, charitable disbursements, and Emergency Community Support Funds.

Foundation activities result in the enhancement of our community and residents’ sense of belonging.

ROCA has raised over $21,000 for local charities.

ROCA has performed its Elementary School Concert Series to over 8,000 students.

ROCA provides mentoring and life changing opportunities for aspiring musicians.

The Richmond Arts Coalition was founded in November of 2005.

RAC co-produces the ArtRich exhibition every two years!

RAC highlights Richmond's arts events in a monthly email.

The Richmond Music School is the oldest not-for-profit music school in Richmond.

The Richmond Music School offers affordable music lessons through its diverse programming.

Our students performed 40 hours of music to welcome the Olympic athletes to the 2010 Olympic Games.

Community Foundations 101

Class Is In Session

The community foundation movement is gaining momentum throughout the world, with Canada taking a leading role. In the past two decades alone, over 160 community foundations have been established in Canadian towns and cities, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, and even up north. In total, 89% of Canadians – about 28.5 million people – are served by a community foundation.

Whether you’re familiar with the work of community foundations or not, you probably have some questions. We’re here with answers. Welcome to Community Foundations 101.

What is a community foundation?

A community foundation is a locally run foundation that builds and manages endowment funds to support charitable activities in its region. Each community foundation is autonomous and governed by a volunteer board of local community leaders. Community foundations exist in every province and one territory, and are linked and supported at the national level through their membership organization, Community Foundations of Canada.

What exactly is an endowment (forever) fund?

The definition of a fund is an invested sum, whose income is devoted to a specific object. An endowment is defined as the “act of bestowing a permanent provision for support.” Together, the term endowment fund means “an invested sum of money which is permanently invested and whose income is devoted to a specific cause.”

What do community foundations do?

Community foundations combine three main roles:

1) Endowment Building and Donor Services

Community foundations pool the charitable gifts of many donors to create permanent, income-earning endowment funds – a nest egg that will always be there to benefit the community.

2) Grantmaking

Community foundations use the income earned by invested funds to give grants to a wide range of community groups. The original investment is left to grow over time.

3) Community Convening and Leadership

Community foundations work with the entire community, bringing people together from all sectors to identify and address local issues.

Who gives to community foundations?

Anybody – individuals, families, corporations, even other charities – can contribute to a community foundation

Individuals and families can establish an “Advised Fund” at a community foundation, instead of having to go to all the trouble and expense of setting up their own foundation. Some corporations rely on the expertise of community foundations to administer their corporate donation programs. Charities, meanwhile, often place their own endowment funds with community foundations in order to benefit from greater returns on their investments.

Where does the money go?

Community foundations themselves are not the object of most donors’ philanthropy, but are the vehicle by which donors can fulfill their charitable objectives. Through their grant making programs, community foundations are committed to seeding, nurturing, supporting, and strengthening the community. Grants are made to non-profit organizations recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency as registered charities.