Omemee Community Leaders Launch A Community Advised Fund
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lindsay, ON
June 15, 2023.
Omemee Community Leaders have come together to establish the area’s first community advised fund to help mobilize private or corporate donations, attract legacy gifts or endowments for granting to initiatives and charities specific to the Omemee area. All donations, which are eligible for tax receipting, will have a direct and lasting impact in Omemee.
This new Fund called “Omemee Community Fund” will be administered by the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes, a registered charity. This is the third Community Advised Fund in the Community Foundation’s portfolio. This new Fund will support local initiatives big and small, with the first being the Omemee Splash Pad planned for the Omemee Beach Park. Currently, a council supported engineering and feasibility study is underway in part to determine the source for water. If the Splash Pad is approved, local fundraising can help accelerate the funding of capital costs to install the splash pad. The success of this collaborative initiative will serve as a test as to how a community fund works to support a variety of initiatives in local communities. There are many exciting prospects for growth in the Greater Omemee Area, encompassing Omemee, Cowan’s Bay, Charlore Park, Reaboro, Downeyville, East Emily, Ennismore, Bethany, The Glen, Andamar Estates and Mallard Bay.
“I am frequently asked how to contribute to local initiatives by individuals and businesses that want to have a direct and lasting impact in the Greater Omemee Area. We are now opening this community fund to give more granting opportunities to the area. By pooling together donations, we can make tangible differences in our community”, Councillor Ron Ashmore, founder of the Omemee Community Fund
The inaugural Advisory Board Members include Patrick Daley – Broker of Record/Owner - PD Realty Inc., Shannon Brohm - Service Administrator at City of Kawartha Lakes, Simon Wickens - Past President of the Omemee Lions Club, Board of the Omemee Medical Centre, and Veronica Wickens – Real Estate Broker, PD Realty Inc. -- all Omemee Area residents, actively involved in the community. Together, they will assist in identifying projects to support Omemee and surrounding communities. As the fund grows, the Community Fund Advisors will work with local organizations to help support local initiatives, with fundraising and guidance if needed.
“Community Advised Funds are increasingly popular vehicles for smaller communities to accelerate the funding of desired community improvements or community led initiatives. The reality is that big initiatives require private funding support and / or sometimes do not fall within a typical municipal budget. By creating a permanent endowment fund for the community of Omemee, the community is ensuring years of grant making guided by Omemee community leaders” - Laurie Dillon-Schalk, Executive Director, Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes
The Omemee Community Fund will support and enhance Omemee and its surrounding communities by addressing a diverse variety of community projects in need of effective funding. Together, we can help create and assist local initiatives that support the community for the benefit of all. Funds raised will stay in the area to support the communities’ needs and expectations.
Donations can be made through www.kawarthafoundation.ca/omemee-community-fund via Canada Helps or sent directly to the Foundation via e-transfer to info@kawarthafoundation.ca or by cheque. Tax receipts will be provided. Visit www.kawarthafoundation.ca for easy ways to give.
The Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes is dedicated to making a positive impact in Kawartha Lakes by connecting generous donors with local initiatives and organizations that make a tangible difference to the lives of individuals and families in Kawartha Lakes. This is achieved by raising and managing funds, attracting legacy gifts and endowment funds, all with the aim of encouraging people to ‘give where they live’.
We invite you to consider us in your legacy plans or as a recipient of your business’s community investments. By making a corporate charitable donation, including the Community Foundation in your will, donating appreciated securities, or designating the Community Foundation as a beneficiary to a life insurance policy, you ensure that your contribution will have a direct and lasting impact in Kawartha Lakes. We would be delighted to speak with you regarding the Community Foundation and address any questions you may have. We are eager to share our stories, highlight the tax benefits of charitable giving, and suggest how you can contribute to strengthen our community. https://www.facebook.com/KawarthaFoundation/
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Contact:
Margaret Cunningham, Foundation Coordinator
margaret@kawarthafoundation.ca 705-879-2719