With its focus on personal development, mentorship and team spirit, sport offers an ideal platform for community building. This year, The Winnipeg Foundation partnered with the True Sport Foundation on a pilot project that supported summer sports programs in the Central Park neighbourhood.
The inner-city area was selected not only because of the socio-economic barriers its residents face, but for its assets: a newly refurbished park, a vibrant community of newcomers, and a strong network of charitable organizations. Foundation staff worked closely with residents and agencies to develop the granting program and select projects for support – all of which were proposed, planned and carried out by local community members.
Organized sports included basketball, soccer, and baseball, as well as Wiggle, Giggle and Munch, an early literacy and physical activity program for children. In addition to developing local leaders, encouraging volunteerism, and bringing cultural groups together, the initiative had important tangible outcomes. Wiggle, Giggle and Munch continues through the winter; the basketball league has plans to expand (some rising stars have been selected for elite teams) and hundreds of newcomer boys – prime targets for gang recruitment – have built self-esteem, personal resilience and a sense of belonging. Visit our Facebook photo album for photos from the program.
Sam Unrau came to his first meeting in The Winnipeg Foundation’s boardroom as a Youth in Philanthropy (YiP) student representing Argyle Alternative High School. Fast forward just a few years and he’s a regular at that board table, the youngest-ever member of the Foundation’s Grants Committee. At 21, Unrau brings a wealth of non-profit knowledge to the role. Not only is he a seasoned grantmaker through YiP, he’s an experienced board member, tireless volunteer and community advocate.
For the past four years, Unrau has served on the board of Ten Ten Sinclair Housing, which provides independent living and support services for people with disabilities. He’s also a member of the City of Winnipeg’s Access Advisory Committee, where he sits on the Policy Sub-Committee. An avid sledge hockey player who loves to introduce others to the sport, Unrau is Vice-Chair of Sledge Hockey Manitoba’s advisory committee and is part of Para-Sport Manitoba, an initiative to support athletes with disabilities and involve more people in paralympic sport.
On top of all that, Unrau is working toward a degree in Business Administration from the University of Winnipeg. He already has a stellar résumé supporting his future.
The Winnipeg Foundation launched its 2011 Annual Report, called Fresh Thinking, Inspiring Action, today; highlights include:
The Foundation invested $22.1 million in the community in 2011.
During the past 90 years, the Foundation has distributed more than $280 million in grants to local charities working in the areas of: community service, education and employment, health, environment, heritage, arts and culture, and recreation.
238 new funds, a record number, were established in 2011 (compared with 150 in 2010).
The Foundation received spectacular community support, with total contributions of $22 million through more than 6,000 individual gifts.
Here are some new Foundation projects started in 2011:
Through a partnership with True Sport, 15 community-led recreation projects took place in Central Park during the summer.
Our 90-Hour Giving Challenge, in honour of the Foundation’s 90th anniversary, helped raise awareness and support for local charities with agency funds at the Foundation. The Challenge drew nearly 2,500 contributions totaling more than $400,000.
The Foundation is partnering with the Winnipeg Free Press, Red River College and Winnipeg Public Library to launch Community News Commons, a citizen journalists’ hub.
The Foundation invested in Assiniboine Credit Union’s north end branch, helping improve financial services in the area.
Read the full, interactive version of The Winnipeg Foundation’s Annual Report on our website for stories of fresh thinking and inspiring action, as well as a list of donors, funds and grants.
The year 2011 was a time of fresh thinking and inspiring action for The Winnipeg Foundation. We launched several new initiatives, many in honour of the Foundation’s 90th anniversary, all aimed to further our vision of “a Winnipeg where community life flourishes.”
We kicked off our True Sport pilot project in the Central Park community. The True Sport movement uses sport to strengthen neighbourhoods. Fifteen community-led projects resulted, including Wiggle, Giggle, and Munch, an early literacy and physical activity program for children (pictured below).
The Winnipeg Foundation worked with a number of partners and private donors to establish the You Can Do It Awards. The Awards offer annual scholarships of $1,000 each to kids at six inner-city schools based on academics, attendance and leadership.
The Nourishing Potential Fund was also launched in 2011. The Fund is planned to be a $5 million investment built over five years. It supports nutritious snacks and meals at local after-school, drop-in and summer programs.
These new initiatives were possible because of the generous gifts the Foundation has received over its 90-year history. On January 12, The Winnipeg Foundation will launch its 2011 annual report. Watch for the report online to learn about the Foundation’s 2011 gifts, grants, partnerships, projects and much more!
Look for one at the museum. Another in a heritage building. One has fallen into the hands of a circus juggler while another is hidden in a Chinese feast. The Foundation’s Facebook holiday scavenger hunt encourages you to look back at some of the projects the Foundation has supported in 2011 and enter to win the chance to give an unexpected gift to one of the terrific charities in our city.
You can still join the scavenger hunt! Visit our Facebook page and search for the hidden gifts in our photo albums. (You can find clues on our Facebook wall.) When you find a gift, enter to win $100 for the registered Winnipeg charity of your choice. Just select the holiday scavenger hunt tab on the left side of the page and fill out the form, or name the charity of your choice in the comments section under the photo.
The charities in Winnipeg make it a place we can be proud to call home. This holiday season, consider including your favourite charity in your gift giving.
The Winnipeg Foundation
1350 - One Lombard Place
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 0X3 Canada
ph: (204) 944-9474 | fx: (204) 942-2987
tf: (877) 974-3631 (outside Winnipeg)
email:
How To Find Us
Look for one at the museum. Another in a heritage building. One has fallen into the hands of a circus juggler while another is hidden in a Chinese feast. The Foundation’s Facebook 
and search for the hidden gifts in our photo albums. (You can find clues on our 
