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winnipeg foundation blog
Archive for the ‘Partnerships’ Category
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011
Can sport unite a community?
Can sport bridge language and cultural differences?
Can sport help us to build on existing community assets and strengths?
Can sport be about more than…sport?
These were just a few of the questions in the back of my mind as I arrived in Winnipeg last February to help kick off the Central Park Grants for Sports pilot project. The project is the result of a partnership between the True Sport Foundation, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport and Community Foundations of Canada. Four community foundations were selected (Winnipeg, Kitchener-Waterloo, Burlington and Abbotsford) to explore how True Sport could be used to strengthen local communities. True Sport is Canada’s national movement for sport and community. Its goal is to help sport live up to its full potential as a public asset by making a significant contribution to the development of youth and quality of life in our communities.
This summer, Central Park residents came together to talk about just that. A community meeting was held at Knox United Church where over 50 community members gathered to share stories about how sport and recreation make Central Park better. The central question of the day quickly became ‘what more can we do together’? The results were truly amazing! Over the course of the day as we ate samosas and sandwiches prepared by local Central Park restaurants, everyone began to see a role for themselves in the project. The passion in the room was evident as people pitched ideas for projects, discussed where they could contribute and volunteered to sit on the neighbourhood selection panel to evaluate and support the applicants.
After this meeting, a range of community-driven sport projects were initiated, planned and implemented by community members over the summer in Central Park including soccer, tennis and baseball. Each project was unique and was matched by Central Park community resources of volunteer time, donated materials, professional services or cash. By coming together, the community was able to identify its strengths, create connections, and build on existing partnerships. Regardless of what people’s passions were when they came to that first community meeting, everyone found a way to contribute and make a difference.
In the end, it is clear to me that this project was about far more than increasing sport opportunities in Central Park. It was even about more than sport itself. It was about community engagement, meeting new neighbours, making new friends, learning new skills and above all having FUN! What a summer! The networks and connections that were made are just the beginning. I think it’s safe to say that True Sport lives in Central Park.
By Christina Parsons, Projects Manager at the True Sport Foundation
Tags: community foundations, newcomers, partnerships, sport
Posted in Community Giving, Newcomers, Partnerships, Recreation | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011
Eight teams competed earlier this month for the Central Park Soccer Fest 2011 Championship. The weather was perfect for the two-day tournament and on Sunday afternoon, the FC Porto team was crowned the tournament champions, receiving a trophy and T-shirts.
Soccer Fest teams included Winnipeg Youth Somali Association, Knox Helping Hands, International Discipleship Ministry, Jeunesse Congolese, Ethiopian Beez, Congo Canada and others.
The tournament was made possible through the True Sport Matching Grants program, a partnership with The Winnipeg Foundation. A number of the teams in the tournament received grants to purchase equipment to run soccer programs throughout the summer and worked together to participate in the 2011 Soccerfest.
The Central Park Soccer Fest included 7 of the 15 community-led projects supported through the True Sport granting program and was a wonderful example of sport bringing a community together.
Tags: newcomers, partnerships, recreation, sport
Posted in Community Giving, Newcomers, Partnerships, Recreation | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011
This summer the Central Park area will see fifteen new community-led projects. The Winnipeg Foundation is partnering with True Sport Foundation for this exciting new project.
The process began with community consultations in February and May.
Community members were invited for a meeting at Knox United Church, where they learned the grant process and shared ideas for sports programs they wanted to see implemented in the summer.
The grants had a number of criteria; first, they were matching grants. Applicants had to demonstrate their intention to match the funding they received through volunteer contributions. Second, every grant had to involve at least five community members on its project team. The projects had to primarily benefit the residents of Central Park and take place in the area. A committee of community members reviewed the applications and approved 15 projects including; a baseball festival, a basketball league, a soccer tournament, a running group and much more.
Community residents and organizations are working together to host these events. Stay tuned for more stories from Central Park True Sport Grants this summer.
Tags: community foundations, partnerships, recreation, youth
Posted in Partnerships, Recreation, Youth | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011
 June marks the one year anniversary of my position as the social media convener at The Winnipeg Foundation. In that time we’ve started tweeting regularly and created a YouTube Channel, Facebook Page, Flickr Group and Blog.
We’ve learned a lot this year about what works with social media, and what doesn’t work—and we still have more learning to do. In my time with the Foundation, I’ve spoken to many non-profit staff who feel like they should be blogging, tweeting, or Facebooking, but they have no idea where to begin. They look at organizations who are ‘social media superstars’ and get discouraged.
Remember, it’s OK to start slow. Social media is new and changing and everyone is learning. If you’re just getting started in social media, I suggest you begin by looking at what others are doing or by checking what’s already being said about you online with free tools like Tweet Alarms and Google Alerts.
Also, remember not to take yourself too seriously. There are so many fun things you can do with social media. The Banff Photo Crashing Squirrel is a good example. A curious squirrel appeared in the foreground of a park visitor’s photo in 2009 and the quick-thinking park staff built a social media campaign around it, creating (among other things) a Twitter account and YouTube video to the delight of their online audience and for amazing results.
It’s important to make a plan before you begin to decide what you want to achieve with social media—thinking about things like staff time, voice and audience—but, like they did in Banff, be flexible enough to change your mind if you see a great opportunity.
If you’re a non-profit using social media in Winnipeg, I would love to connect with you to share ideas and add you to our network. Feel free to email me to get connected.
Written by Jenette Martens, Social Media Convener at The Winnipeg Foundation
Tags: community foundations, partnerships, social media
Posted in Community Giving, Partnerships, Social Media | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, May 4th, 2011
Your will is your final opportunity to express your wishes and your values by providing for your loved ones and for causes that matter to you, whether directly or through a charity like The Winnipeg Foundation. Without a will, there is no way to do so… just ask the Public Trustee of Manitoba!
Last week many Manitobans attended one of 14 Will Week sessions. The Winnipeg Foundation has hosted similar sessions for several years in partnership with the Public Trustee of Manitoba and lawyers from The Manitoba Chapter of the Canadian Bar Association who volunteer their time. Our common purposes are to encourage more people to have a current and valid will and to think about including charitable bequests or other “planned gifts” to causes they hold dear.
The Winnipeg Foundation also marked its 90th birthday last week. Hundreds of people from all walks of life have made gifts large and small from their estates to The Winnipeg Foundation since 1921. Purposes vary widely from supporting our Community Building Fund, fields of special interest, designated agencies, scholarships or a combination of options. Gifts are permanently invested and the prescribed annual income is granted in accordance with each donor’s wishes. Each benefactor’s gift endures in perpetuity and continues to impact future generations of Winnipeggers. These legacies symbolize a generosity of spirit in Winnipeg that will inspire others and echo long into the future, supporting The Foundation’s vision of “a Winnipeg where community life flourishes.”
The Foundation’s Legacy Circle, created in 2009, is a tangible way to connect with and express appreciation to people who have advised us of future gift commitments and to commemorate our historic legacy donors. For more information about the Legacy Circle, contact me at 944.9474 or by email.
Written by Leslie Weir, Director of Family Philanthropy at The Winnipeg Foundation
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Tags: charitable giving, community foundations, partnerships
Posted in Community Giving, Partnerships | No Comments »
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