The Richmond Community Foundation supports the causes you care about.

Strengthening Our Community Since 1990

Established in 1990, the Richmond Community Foundation is a volunteer-led not-for-profit that holds assets of over $5 million in nearly 50 Forever Funds. The earnings from those Forever Funds are distributed as grants to community charities and scholarships to local students.

The Richmond Community Foundation is a charitable public foundation, operated by members of our local community who live, work, and raise their families here in Richmond. The Richmond Community Foundation is a member of the Community Foundation of Canada.

OUR MISSION

To enable others to enhance the quality of life in Richmond, in all its cultural and ethnic diversity, by the attraction and prudent stewardship of donated capital, distributing the income by way of grants to respond to local needs and interests as a caring, ethical, and independent community foundation.

OUR VALUES

We are committed to improving the quality of life in Richmond by:

• Responding ethically to the social, recreational, and cultural needs of the community in a responsible manner.

• Recognizing and accommodating the diversity of our community.

• Maintaining close and sensitive roots in the community.

We strive to operate an accountable community-based organization by:

• Remaining neutral and independent of outside political, social, and economic influences.

• Performing with integrity.

• Acting as wise and judicious stewards of funds entrusted to us.

WHAT DO COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS DO?

Community foundations combine three main roles:

1) Endowment (Forever Funds) 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) Grant Making and Scholarship Prevision

Community foundations use the income earned by invested funds to give grants to a wide range of community groups and as scholarships to local students. The original investment is left to grow by the rate of inflation 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.

WHERE DO THE ANNUAL PROCEEDS 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 and scholarship 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.

In 2020, the Community Foundation awarded nearly $40,000 in grants, supporting six different projects, plus $28,000 in scholarships. Among the organizations that received grants were Rabbitats Rescue Society, Turning Point Recovery Society, Family Services of Greater Vancouver, Chimo Community Services, and Richmond Society for Community Living.