Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies (CFKR) has a record-year for grant funding in the books.
The non-profit had $137,529.44 of available money to grant in 2024, higher than any previous year. It contributed $100,923.59 to 58 community initiatives, including five scholarships and one volunteer award.
Additionally, $36,605.85 was re-invested into 16 endowment funds to grow future grant opportunities.
CFKR has granted over $1 million to more than 300 local non-profit projects in Cranbrook, Fernie, Sparwood, Elkford and surrounding areas since its inception in 2003. 2024 marks 20 years since the non-profit started granting.
“Disbursing an all-time high of over $135,000 is an amazing way to celebrate our 20th year of granting,” remarked executive director Lynnette Wray in an e-mail . “We would like to share our heartfelt congratulations with each of our 2024 grant recipients for the excellent work they are doing in our communities. We would also like to sincerely thank all our donors, endowment fund holders, and board and committee members, past and present, for their dedicated support in creating, growing and administering our 46 permanently invested endowment funds, valued at over $4 million.”
Grants distributed, are as follows:
Cranbrook and area (including south country) — $31,229.40
Community initiatives were funded by several endowments, including Cranbrook Community Fund; Seniors’ Enhancement Fund; Kimberley-Cranbrook 2008 Winter Games Arts, Culture and Sports Funds; Knights of Pythias Fund; Arts, Culture and Heritage Fund; Environment Fund; Outdoor Recreation Fund; Neil and Patricia Sinclair Fund; and Addressing Homelessness Fund
- ANKORS Hygiene Project $6,651.45
- Key City Theatre Society (Faces of Pride photography exhibit) $2,113.35
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central and Southern Interior B.C (Cranbrook school programs) $2,000
- East Kootenay Regional Science Fair $2,000
- Elk Valley Adventure and Dirt Riders Society (south country trail signage) $2,000
- KidSport Canada Cranbrook Chapter (youth sports grants) $2,000
- South Country Social Planning Committee Society (food share) $2,000
- Spirit of the Rockies Festival (live entertainment at central fairgrounds) $2,000
- Wildsight (Lessons from Nature) $2,000
- Wildsight Kimberley/Cranbrook (Camp Odyssey) $1,863.00
- Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (Wild Voices for Kids) $1,700
- Cranbrook Women’s Resource Centre (resource library) $1,500
- NorthStar Rails to Trails Society (admin costs) $1,365.10
- Galloway Curling Club (exterior sign) $1,120
- Knights of Pythias Community Volunteer Award $750 (the recipient will be announced in the fall)
- Cranbrook Food Bank (hydroponic growing tower) $166.50
Fernie Community Fund — $4,761.56
- Disabled Skiers Association of B.C (Fernie adaptive snow sports volunteer training) $1,000
- Fernie and District Arts Council (teen murals) $1,000
- Rocky Mountain Village Auxiliary Society (seniors’ activities) $990
- Elk River Watershed Alliance (office flood recovery) $971.56
- Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (Wild Voices For Kids) $500
- Special Olympics British Columbia Society Elk Valley (swimming) $150
- Special Olympics British Columbia Society Elk Valley (bocce) $150
Sparwood Community Fund — $6,985.03
- Sparwood Food Bank (bin washing station) $2,000
- Sparwood Golf Club (junior and family golf) $2,000
- Sparwood Trails Alliance (picnic table replacement) $1,623.19
- Elk River Alliance (office flood recovery) $861.84
- Wildsight (Classrooms with Outdoors) $500
Elkford Community Fund — $4,174.63
- Elkford Search and Rescue (satellite phones) $1,500
- Elkford Secondary School PAC (Indigenous garden equipment) $974.63
- Elkford Arts Council (community workshops) $600
- Rocky Mountain Elementary School PAC (covered sandbox) $600
- District of Elkford Urban Wildlife Committee (community education) $500
CFKR Endowment Fund
- StellerVista Credit Union Fund (Cranbrook Salvation Army food programs) $5,508.65
- Columbia Outdoor School/Blue Lake Camp Legacy Fund $3,758.05
- Symphony of the Kootenays Fund $3,683.24
- Children First Fund (Community Connections Society of Southeast B.C) $2,272.23
- Cranbrook History Centre Fund $2,106.82
- East Kootenay Foundation for Health Endowment: $2,067.79
- Cranbrook Community Theatre Legacy Fund $769.34
- East Kootenay SPCA Fund: $703.82
- EKFH Roy and Annabel Maundrell Endowment Fund $349.42
Casey and Corrine Hanemayer Fund — $21,000
- Friends of Fort Steele Society (on-site signage) $6,500
- Symphony of the Kootenays (July concert) $5,000
- Cranbrook and District Arts Council (summer community festivals) $2,500
- Columbia Basin Institute for Regional History (school project) $2,000
- Cranbrook History Centre (Ed Talks) $2,000
- KidSport Canada Cranbrook Chapter (youth sports grants) $2,000
- BGC Cranbrook (Youth Impact garden project) $1,000
Other CFKR donor-advised funds
- Niedermayer Family Fund (Living Lakes Canada Groundwater Literacy Project) $2,000
- Greg Fisher Community Fund (Cranbrook Food Bank hydroponic growing tower) $1,801.90
- Community Matters Legacy Fund (EKFH NICU campaign) $737.72
- Janice Regnier Fund for Mental Health and Addictions (Cranbrook Women’s Resource Centre) $717.65
- Cranbrook Past and PResent Teachers’ Legacy Fund (SD5 Resource Centre) $717.35
- Melodie Hull Fund for Mental Health and Addictions (B.C Schizophrenia Society regional support group) $678.99
2024 scholarships
This year’s scholarships will be awarded in the coming months
- Dr. Sparling and Mrs. Mary East Memorial Scholarship fund $1,500
- Picoda Construction Group Memorial Scholarship Fund $1,500
- Mark Mahovlic Memorial Scholarship Fund $1,000
- Joyce Metcalfe Memorial Scholarship $500
- Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce Education Fund $400
A few endowment fund holders re-invested all or some of their 2024 grants, regrowing their principals and future grant funding opportunities, including:
Casey and Corrine Hanemayer Funds
- East Kootneay Foundation for Health Fund $8,365.60
- Friends of Fort Steele Society Endowment Fund $7,000
- Symphony of the Kootenays Fund $7,000
Other
- Friends of Fort Steele Society Endowment Fund $8416.86
- Cranbrook Public Library Endowment Fund $1,061.30
- Key City Gymnastics Club Endowment Fund $768.75
- Cranbrook Community Forest Society Legacy Fund $733.58
- Hough Ingalls Fund for Animal Welfare $708.61
- BGC Cranbrook Fund $472.67
- Key City Theatre Legacy Fund $469.22
- Northern B.C Friends of Children (East Kootenay branch Endowment Fund) $469.16
- Niedermayer Family Fund $353.98
- Dr. Sparling and Mrs. Mary East Memorial Scholarship Fund $214.05
- Pidoca Construction Group Memorial Scholarship Fund $208.62
- Dianne Wray Memorial Scholarship Fund $181.82
- Joyce Metcalfe Memorial Scholarship $170.93
- Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce Education Fund $10.70
CFKR’s annual community granting program opens Jan. 1 and closes Feb. 15. Each grant application is reviewed by CFKR’s local volunteer committee and the CFKR board gives final consent. For more information, visit www.cfkrockies.ca/grants/.