No matter what you’re passionate about, you can support it through the Abbotsford Community Foundation. Together, we build a stronger, more caring community.
So why should you choose the Abbotsford Community Foundation? There are many great reasons!
CREATE A NEW NAMED ENDOWMENT FUND
An individual, family or organization can create a named endowment fund. The first step is to determine what kind of fund you wish to create based on what you would like to support. You can choose from the following:
DONOR ADVISED ENDOWMENT FUNDS
Donor Advised Funds (DAF) allow you to make annual grant recommendations to the charity or charities of your choice. Each year, the donor chooses which charity/charities the earnings on their endowment will go to. It is a tailored option for those looking to spread their gifts among many great options.
Youth sports are often underfunded and the importance of sport in a young person’s life has so many positive benefits. That’s why after the 2016 BC Summer Games in Abbotsford, the society decided to set up an endowment fund for the benefit of youth sports in our community. The Abbotsford 2016 BC Summer Games Legacy fund provides annual grants to youth based sports programs as a continued legacy of sport for Abbotsford
FIELD OF INTEREST FUNDS
Field of Interest Funds allow you to support a specific area of interest, such as the environment, youth or seniors, with your income. The minimum required to create a Field of Interest Fund is $100,000.
Care and concern for the general welfare of animals was close to the heart of the late Mary Victoria Wakefield. Mrs. Wakefield lived in the Abbotsford area from the age of ten when she moved with her parents and brother in 1913 to a small farm. When she passed away in 2003, Mrs. Wakefield’s wish of giving back to the community and sharing her love of animals was realized in the establishment of the Mary Victoria Wakefield Animal Welfare Fund. Annually, Animal Welfare charities are invited to apply for funding and Mrs. Wakefield’s daughters review the applications and advise the ACF on their choices for funding.
AGENCY FUNDS
Agency Funds are a permanent endowment which provides an annual source of revenue to be used at the discretion of the charitable organization that established it. Its purpose is to support sustainability or maintain charitable programming (including educational awards) consistent with the agency’s mission.
Food security is an ongoing concern for every community. Archway Community Services – Food Bank knows that all too well as the use of their food bank continues to rise each year. Sustainable, reliable funding is always an issue for every charity and a few years ago they decided that several estate financial gifts they received would be invested with the Abbotsford Community Foundation to establish an endowment fund. This endowment would provide funds in perpetuity to the Food Bank to aid in the maintenance, development and advancement of their activities. This fund continues to grow as many donors find this cause to be of importance in their charitable giving. If you would like to donate to this fund specifically you can do so here.
DONOR DESIGNATED ENDOWMENT FUNDS
Donor Designated Endowment Funds are similar to the above DAF, but when the fund is initially set up, the gift recipient is chosen. While the DAF allows you to support a different charity each year, this type of fund ensures that the causes you choose are funded well into the future as the money is consistently given to them on an annual basis.
Teachers sometimes have a financial barrier to continuing their post degree education goals. Jim Latham was a consummate educator whose passion for learning led him to a distinguished career in Public Education. His wife, Freddy decided to set up a fund in his memory providing an annual scholarship at the University of the Fraser Valley for teachers wanting to continue their post degree education in the Professional Development Program. The Jim Latham Memorial Bursary is a lasting legacy to Jim’s passion for education.
STUDENT AWARD FUNDS
The ACF Student Awards Program allows you to fund a scholarship, bursary, or general student award for a graduating high school student in Abbotsford. The Abbotsford Community Foundation will help you create this award, and you will be given the opportunity to hand out the award at the student’s graduation ceremony. Permanent endowment funds are established with a minimum donation of $10,000.
Kari Bell graduated from Yale Secondary in 1993 and following in the footsteps of her dad, Don, returned to Yale as a physical education and science teacher from 1998 – 2007. Kari was a beloved member of the Yale family who battled cancer for several years, a fight she took on with the same focus and determination with which she approached every challenge in her life. Kari never complained about her situation and lived life to its fullest while being a devoted and loving mother to her two children and as a best friend to her husband, also a teacher at Yale at that time, Brian Bell. Kari passed away on January 5, 2011. Through the Abbotsford Community Foundation, the family wished to pass along Kari’s Legacy by encouraging students to live a life full of hope and commitment and established the Kari Bell Memorial Scholarship, annually providing a scholarship to a female student at Yale Secondary, the school she loved so much. Kari’s spirit of determination and her positive attitude continue to live on in the life of the school.
SUPPORT EXISTING ENDOWMENT FUNDS
The Abbotsford Community Foundation has established several special funds which the community can support. There is no minimum donation. Below is a list of those opportunities:
SMART AND CARING COMMUNITY FUND
The Smart and Caring Community Fund provides income for Abbotsford Community Foundation’s annual grants that address the community’s top priorities. Anyone interested in establishing an endowment fund to support Abbotsford at large is encouraged to create a fund under the Smart and Caring Community Fund umbrella, where the income from their named fund will be added to the income from this fund. In this way, the donor is assured that the income is being used for the community’s priority needs.
FLOW THROUGH STUDENT AWARDS
Flow Through Student Awards allow donors to fund a student award annually by providing the award amount each year. There is a commitment to doing this for a minimum of three years. The minimum award amount is $500, and a 15% fee is charged to administer this service on your behalf.
In 2018, The Rotary Club of Abbotsford-Sumas decided to establish annual scholarships to help Abbotsford graduates with their post secondary education dreams. This club had a strong interest in helping students that faced adversity and still completed their high school education. As well, as a service organization, volunteerism was a key component they wished to encourage in students to help foster young adults who wished to give back to their community in this way.
Please see our Giving Guide for complete information on what we do, why we do it and how you can get involved in a way that supports your values and wishes for our community. If you would like a copy mailed to you, we would be happy to do that. Please email Wendy Neufeld (WendyNeufeld@abbotsfordcf.org) to with your request.