Community Leadership

The third element of Saskatoon Community Foundation’s mission statement is to contribute to the quality of life by building community leadership.

Community leadership comes in many shapes and sizes.

Saskatoon Community Foundation is in a unique position to be able to offer leadership to our community. Having a focus of the overall well-being of the charitable sector and the people it serves, Saskatoon Community Foundation is able to address broad-based issues of concern to our community that may not be addressed by other charitable groups.

For example, The Foundation became interested in the issue of absenteeism in the school system. In Saskatoon on any given day there are up to 1,000 school-aged children who are not in school. The reasons for their absences are as varied as the kids.

To tackle the issue, Saskatoon Community Foundation facilitated discussion among numerous community stakeholders, which lead to the establishment of the Kids Not In School Committee. As a result, a multitude of organizations, including social services, justice, education, health, and culture began working together to enhance the future of Saskatoon’s youngsters.

In addition to distributing the income earned on endowments donated by individuals, The Foundation also partners with other charitable groups or organizations to assist the local charitable sector. As an initial step to address absenteeism, The Foundation partnered with Saskatoon Credit Union to fund those working with at-risk children and youth and their families.

The Foundation also has the ability to bring outside funding into our community.

In 1999, the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation asked Saskatoon Community Foundation to take a lead role in the establishment of a new leadership development program. Saskatoon Community Foundation, University of Saskatchewan, and Saskatoon and District Chamber of Commerce launched Leadership Saskatoon with seed funding and encouragement from the McConnell Foundation. Leadership Saskatoon develops and enhances community leadership by bringing together potential leaders to explore the realities, opportunities, and challenges facing our community. Each year since the program started, over 20 people of different ages, heritages and experiences commit to monthly lessons to learn and hone their skills.

Another partnership with The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation has resulted in almost $500,000 in ArtsSmarts grants since 1998. Saskatoon Community Foundation fostered and co-ordinated community involvement in the program. Activities resulting from ArtsSmarts grants engage and inspire children and teachers, by bringing them together to learn through hands-on arts activities designed to enrich educational experiences beyond the arts. In one year over 4,000 Saskatoon children, 250 educators, 65 artists and 270 others participated in ArtsSmarts projects, exploring arts integration possibilities. For the 2005-06 school year and in subsequent years, the Saskatchewan Arts Board is taking on responsibility for the applications to this program.

For the past several years The Foundation has worked with representatives of an Anonymous Donor on a “donor challenge.” When donors contribute more than $250,000 of unrestricted funds in a year, the Anonymous Donor allocates $50,000 to The Foundation for proactive community grants in the area of social services.

Children and youth have been the major beneficiaries of these funds. Saskatoon Community Foundation was instrumental in the establishment of Saskatoon’s Safe House, and fostered the launch of a Care and Share/City of Saskatoon partnership for a youth leadership initiative at Cosmo Civic Centre. Other proactive grants enhanced support for first-time low income homeowners involved in housing co-ops, and empowered residents working to develop a community centre in St. Thomas Wesley United Church. In 2006, $50,000 of this funding has been awarded towards funding the capital expense of construction on the Teen Challenge crystal meth treatment facility in Allan, Saskatchewan.

In 1999 Saskatoon Community Foundation became the first community foundation in Canada to partner with a corporation in providing meaningful, strategic grants to the community – Cameco Caring Community grants. Cameco Corporation entered into a long-term relationship with The Foundation to assist in achieving the company’s philanthropic goals. Cameco benefits from Saskatoon Community Foundation’s full-time involvement in the community and knowledge of charitable issues, while The Foundation benefits from Cameco’s generosity in helping build sustainable solutions for the community.

Another way Saskatoon Community Foundation contributes to community leadership is through its counsel of local charities. Saskatoon is home to over 700 registered charitable organizations – some large with a full complement of staff, others small with only part-time volunteer assistance. Saskatoon Community Foundation offers registered charities the opportunity to apply for funding through our Quality of Life Granting Program and through the Cameco Caring Community grants. Grants may also be available through the Batting 1000 Endowment for Children and Youth and through designated funds established by donors. In addition, the charitable sector may benefit from our partnerships with other funding organizations. Frequently Foundation staff members advise other funding organizations of the community’s needs, resulting in direct or flow-through donations to those organizations.

For those charities wishing to invest their surplus funds but unwilling to take on the responsibility, The Foundation offers several options.

  1. A designated fund can be established as an endowment that returns a portion of earnings to the charity each and every year to be used at its discretion. With designated funds, the charity turns over ownership of the donation to The Foundation. Donors, other than the charity itself, can contribute to this type of fund and receive a charitable tax receipt. Gifts can be in a variety of forms, including current gifts of cash, cheque, credit card, stocks and bonds, gifts by bequest or life insurance, gifts of residual interest or charitable remainder trusts. Currently Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra has established designated funds for its benefit.
  2. An agency fund is established when the charity turns over assets to The Foundation. Each year from the endowment, the charity receives a portion of the earnings on its endowment to use at its discretion. Only the charity can contribute to this type of fund. Often agency funds are created with surplus funds and intended to provide ongoing grants to the charity so it becomes less reliant on annual fundraising efforts. At this time, Saskatoon Community Foundation holds agency endowments for: Saskatoon French School, Saskatoon Symphony, United Way of Saskatoon – Tomorrow Fund, and Meewasin Valley Authority.
  3. A managed fund is created when a registered charity turns over financial assets to Saskatoon Community Foundation to be managed by The Foundation’s investment manager. This is often more lucrative for the agency than to manage its own investment portfolio. With notice, the charity can request any or all of the capital and earnings to be returned to the charity. For those organizations saving for capital projects or protecting the long-term stability of the organization, the managed fund may be a viable option. Presently, READ Saskatoon Inc., Saskatchewan 4-H, The Saskatchewan Literacy Network, Congregation Agudas Israel, Social Planning Council, and Saskatoon Council on Aging have managed funds within Saskatoon Community Foundation.

For further information about community leadership, please use our contact form.