The Fernie Community Fund has recently received a $50,000 matching grant from Columbia Basin Trust to assist in continued endowment growth for the fund. Members of the Fernie Community Fund Steering Committee, Patty Vadnais, Eric Johnstone, and Aysha Haines, celebrate the Columbia Basin Trust’s $50,000 contribution to the Fernie Community Fund’s permanent endowment.

“The matching grant from the Trust is an important milestone for the Fernie Community Fund,” said Eric Johnstone, Chair of the Fernie Community Fund Steering Committee. “As of January 2018, including the $50,000 from the Trust, the Fernie Community Fund will hold approximately $125,000 in permanently invested funds. This ‘community nest egg’ will produce interest that will come back to our community, every year, forever, to support local programs and projects that help local people.”

The Fernie Community Fund was established in the fall of 2016, under the auspices of the Cranbrook and District Community Foundation (CDCF), with initial donations from the City of Fernie, East Kootenay Community Credit Union, Fernie Rotary Club, an anonymous donor through the CDCF, TECK’s employee donation program, and a group of anonymous donors from Fernie.

“Community foundations are an important tool for residents in meeting their own needs through local giving, community leadership and a local granting process,” said Johnny Strilaeff, Columbia Basin Trust President and CEO (above). “We’re pleased we can help the Fernie Community Fund establish a solid base that will benefit the community long into the future.”

The Fernie Community Fund will be accepting applications for 2018 grants in the New Year. Local non-profits are encouraged to visit www.cranbrookcf.ca for more information.