Janice Lofendale and her siblings, Val and Don are the founders of the Martha and Len Lofendale Memorial Fund at The Winnipeg Foundation which generates bursaries for students at Elmwood High School. The siblings set up the fund in memory of their parents who loved living in Elmwood and were always willing to help those in need.

Can you tell me a little about your parents, and why you decided to set up a bursary fund in their memory?

Martha and Len Lofendale

Our parents lived most of their married life in Elmwood. They believed, and instilled in theirchildren, that you should help your neighbour and your fellow man. They also believed that education was very important and should be available to everyone.

Our Dad passed away in 1987 and our Mum in 2008. We felt it would be a nice tribute to their memory to help people continue their education through a bursary.

We decided to set up the bursary in our parents’ name because they would have been pleased to know they were continuing to help others. It was my sister’s idea, in part to keep their memory and spirit alive, and in part to help ease their loss—which it has.

It makes a sad event a little happier to know that through our parents’ memory we are able to help someone further their education.

We are hoping the next generation of our family, Devin and Matthew, will be interested in presenting the award in their grandparents’ name in the years to come.

How did you choose the criteria for the award?

My sister, brother and I want to help someone who needs financial assistance. Marks are not our top priority as there are a number of awards at the school to reward those with top marks. We take applicant’s charity work into consideration, since this was a big part of who our parents were. We also want the recipient to continue their studies in Manitoba, preferably in Winnipeg. Our parents loved Winnipeg and Manitoba.

Have you had the opportunity to meet any of the recipients of your bursary?

I have met the recipients at the graduation ceremony where I presented the bursary. Plus I have read their applications describing their schooling and plans for the future. It has been rewarding to see that the students we selected didn’t necessarily receive other awards, so we know our bursary was valuable to them.

What would you tell others considering setting up a bursary fund?

The knowledge and expertise of The Winnipeg Foundation has assisted us greatly and simplified the process of setting up a bursary in our parents’ name. If you want to remember a loved one, this is an excellent way to do so.

You keep the loved one’s name alive, and you can be involved in selecting the recipient. You also are helping someone through your loved one’s name in a very meaningful way.

Click here to learn more about setting up a scholarship or bursary fund at The Winnipeg Foundation.

We recently interviewed Nick Tanchuk about his role in founding the Dr. Brian M. Keenan Fund at The Winnipeg Foundation. Nick is a full time Grade 6 teacher at Victoria Albert School in downtown Winnipeg. He is currently completing his honours thesis in Philosophy at the University of Winnipeg.

Who was involved in setting up the Dr. Brian M. Keenan Prize and why did they do it?

The Dr. Brian M. Keenan Prize was Neil Shah’s idea. When he made the mistake of expressing it over breakfast at the Garwood Grill, Dylan Procter, Aaron Russin, Carly Scramstad and I pounced. Collectively we shared an interest, spurred by Dr. Keenan, in the possibility that philosophical thought could improve public life.

The prize became a catalyst for this shared commitment, a way to critically engage with a broader Canadian political discourse and to honour the unorthodox teacher who inspired this concern in each of us.

From Left to right: Carly Scramstad, Dylan Procter, Aaron Russin, Neil Shah, Nick Tanchuk and Brian Keenan

What was it like choosing the first scholarship recipient and how did he or she react?

In the first year of the prize we were pleased to receive 42 papers from 16 schools across Canada. In the second year we received 51 papers, again from PEI to Victoria.

Each board member is responsible for advancing her or his top three selections from an allotted portion of the anonymous stack. Collectively we read all of the ‘long-list’ papers and then argued until we agreed which five should go to Dr. Keenan as the official short list

Our first prize winner, Michael Anthony of the University of Victoria, was excited to be a part of an independent award created by students to support other students. Michael discussed his paper Immanent Humanity: Re-evaluating individual responsibility, liability, and immunity in times of war with Dr. Keenan upon receipt of the award and enjoyed fielding questions from our former teacher. Michael has since used the funds from the award to support his pursuit of graduate studies at the University of Victoria.

As a board member and part funder of the prize, it was deeply satisfying to know that a fellow student would receive support from the Dr. Brian M. Keenan Prize to continue his studies regarding issues of importance.

What are the criteria for the prize and how can students apply?

A detailed listing of our criteria for the prize can be found here: Dr. Brian M. Keenan Prize – Criteria. Students can apply online directly through the Dr. Brian M. Keenan Prize website by following the steps listed here: Dr. Brian M. Keenan Prize – Submission.

I understand you are accepting donations to grow this scholarship fund, how can people help?

Currently each board member supports the amount awarded in the prize by chipping in a fifth of the $1250 total. We are currently building an endowment fund to support the award in perpetuity and potentially grow the award itself. Contributions to the Dr. Brian M. Keenan Fund through The Winnipeg Foundation are welcomed.

Click here to support the Dr. Brian M. Keenan Fund at The Winnipeg Foundation.

Paul Choquette describes himself as a former crack-head and heavy drug user. Today, the 37-year-old has successfully been through rehab, earned his grade 12 diploma, completed the counseling diploma at Red River College and is now in his second of three years of the University of Manitoba’s Bachelor of Social Work program offered at The William Norrie Centre.

Paul Choquette shakes hands with Winnipeg Foundation board member, Spencer Duncanson

Along with 14 other students, Paul recently received the Polly and Derek Riley Bursary: a $1,800 award based on financial need for students living within geographic proximity of the William Norrie Centre. The William Norrie Centre provides post-secondary training opportunities for mature students living in the inner city to become professional social workers and teachers.

Bursary recipients stand with members of The Winnipeg Foundation and William Norrie Centre board and staff

“Last year I had to rely on the generosity of one of my friends just to get by,” Choquette said when explaining the award’s impact. He said the bursary will help support him through this school year.

“[The bursary] provided me with lots of opportunities that I wouldn’t have had years ago,” Choquette said.

The Rileys set up their named bursary fund at The Winnipeg Foundation in 2006 to assist students with housing and living costs while attending the William Norrie Centre. The recipients are selected each year by Centre staff. More photos from the award presentation are on The Winnipeg Foundation’s Facebook page.

Tenesha Lawson grew up wanting to be an actress, then a teacher, and finally settled on pursuing a career as a television broadcaster. Whatever she chose, it was important to her that her career involved communicating with people and learning something new every day.

Tenesha graduated from Murdoch MacKay Collegiate and received the Lindon Barrett Scholarship: an award held at The Winnipeg Foundation. The scholarship was set up in memory of Lindon Barrett, a former Winnipegger who became a professor at the University of California.

“Money is a huge stress on students and their families, and I am truly glad and grateful that people understand that, and are so generous. These scholarships are more than money; they are a helping hand to a bright future.” Tenesha said during a speech at The Winnipeg Foundation’s 2011 scholarship reception. The reception highlighted scholarship donors, schools and recent recipients.

Tenesha shared her plans to complete the joint communications degree offered by the University of Winnipeg and Red River College and attend the Explore program. Explore is a Canada-wide language-exchange program that helps thousands of students improve their fluency in French and English.

“I am super excited for my future and my chosen career! I know I can say—along with others—that scholarships have a great impact on people’s lives, and they brighten many futures,” she said.

The rising costs of post secondary education can be a challenge and many students are forced to juggle classes, homework and a part time job—a tall order for these young adults! Receiving a scholarship can give a student the courage and means to pursue his or her dreams.

In 2011, The Winnipeg Foundation distributed more than $1.2 million through 850 awards. Where do these awards come from? The Foundation has the privilege of administering more than 313 scholarship funds set up by individuals, groups and organizations. Scholarship funds are created to celebrate the life of a family member, support a skill such as music, encourage excellence in academic studies or for a variety of other reasons. Whatever the motivation, a scholarship fund offers donors flexibility and the opportunity to create criteria that reflect their values.

Our role at The Winnipeg Foundation is to manage the investment of funds and ensure awards are distributed according to the donor’s wishes. We do not select recipients, but we do work closely with the sponsoring school or organization, which accepts applications and selects award recipients.

For more information about scholarship funds established at The Winnipeg Foundation, or to inquire about starting your own fund, please visit the Scholarship Funds page on our website. Alternately, you can phone the Foundation office at 204.944.9474.

Written by Pat Lilley, Student Awards Officer at The Winnipeg Foundation