Local Giving for Local Causes

Purpose:

This Fund was established to provide a way for all of us to contribute to the community we love and to help ensure that our needs are addressed both now and into the future.

How the Fund Works

The Fund is administered by local community members who know our area well. They:

1. Help to grow the Fund and gather community resources to support the Fund's activities;
2. Actively engage with others to understand the community’s needs and opportunities; and
3. Distribute interest from the Fund to local organizations that make Wolfville a great place to live.

About our Fund…

Our concern is Wolfville as a whole.

That’s why our grants support everything from shelter, sustenance and care for those most in need, to recreation, the arts, and the environment. We also aim to work with a wide range of community groups - not just one charity or sector – to give us a comprehensive view of local issues and the ability to make connections between various community issues, and resources.

We use an unbiased approach to understanding the greatest needs in our community.

Often it’s the “squeaky wheel” that gets the grease. But, how do we know that the “squeaky wheel” is the part that’s most in need?  To help ensure that we put our local dollars to work where it’s needed most, we’ve recently completed Wolfville’s Vital Signs^® -  a compilation of numerous research sources – to give us, and the rest of the community, a snapshot of how we are doing on a number of quality of life indicators.

We take the long-term view for our community.

We identify long-term needs and opportunities and invest in sustainable solutions, helping our community become resilient, resourceful, and ready for the future we want.

Next Steps for Wolfville’s Vital Signs^®

Through the Vital Signs^® process, Wolfville’s higher than average poverty rates have been identified as a key concern of our community, especially as it relates to our children and youth.

The Wolfville Farmers' Market Nourishing Community Food Bucks Project

The Wolfville Community Fund recently partnered with the Wolfville Farmers' Market to support the Nourishing Community Food Bucks Project, an annual program where approximately 20 families who are vulnerable to food insecurity are given Market Money to participate in the Market during the harvest season.  Participants not only gain access to fresh local food, they have the ability to make their own healthy dignified choices while also experiencing the connection that comes from knowing their farmer and being active participants in their community. At the same time, local farmers are supported as they grow food and keep local farmland in production. To support this project, please specify "Wolfville Farmers' Market" in the message section.