The Bowen Island Community Foundation held its Annual Meeting on May 22, 2026, at Cates Hill Chapel, bringing together donors, volunteers, and community members to celebrate a year of exceptional community impact and generosity.
A highlight of the evening was the announcement of the 2026 Community Impact Grant recipients. This year marked a milestone for the Foundation, with 20 applications received—the highest number in our history—and 15 projects funded, totalling more than $100,000. The breadth of projects reflects the creativity and diversity of our community, and the grants will continue to strengthen connection, belonging, and local resiliency on the island.
This year year’s Community Impact Grant recipients are:
• Knick Knack Nook — New storage shed ($20,000)
• Bowen All Wheels Society — Phase 1 of Bowen All Wheels Trail Park ($15,000)
• Tir-na-nog Theatre School Society — Stage lighting equipment ($TBD, pending negotiation with suppliers)
• Bowen Island Pickleball Society — Resurfacing BICS public courts and adding pickleball lines ($10,000)
• Bowen Island Men's Shed — Paving for safety and access ($10,000)
• Bowen Island Conservancy — Bowen Backyard Biodiversity Handbook ($7,500)
• Bowfest — 50th Anniversary mainstage ($5,000)
• Bowen Island Children’s Centre — NERPies trauma training ($4,000)
• Bowen Island Gymnastics Club — 2026 National Gymnaestrada participation ($4,000)
• Come Dance with Me — Community dance project for Community Centre 1-year celebration ($3,700)
• Bowen Island Museum & Archives — Japanese Canadian legacy project ($3,000)
• Lux Shadow Tales — Puppet show development and performance ($3,000)
• Bowen Island Public Library — Sḵwx̱wú7mesh history book club presentations ($2,700)
• Bowen Island Community Health Centre — CPR & AED for everyone ($2,600)
• Bowen Island Pride Society — Annual parade and festival ($1,500)
These projects reflect the depth of community engagement across Bowen Island, from arts and culture to health, heritage, recreation, environmental stewardship, and community spaces.
As well as Community Impact Grants, the Foundation supports the education of many Bowen students and trainees. In 2025, Foundation funds alone provided $22,500 in scholarships and bursaries to Bowen students pursuing university, trades, healthcare, environmental studies, and the arts. In addition, scholarships and bursaries of other organizations on Bowen are administered by the Foundation, such as the always-generous Knick Knack Nook and, as announced at the Annual Meeting, the Bowen Island Legion. Beginning this year, the Legion will offer five $1,000 scholarships to Bowen Island residents pursuing post-secondary education or training who demonstrate a strong commitment to community service.
We also celebrated a highly successful year of fundraising. In 2025, more than $224,000 was donated, exceeding our annual projection and demonstrating strong community engagement even amid competing demands on charitable giving. The Giving Season alone raised approximately $138,000, including more than $60,000 directed to the Community Impact Fund, doubling the $30,000 goal we set for the season. The Community Impact Fund lies at the heart of the Foundation, supporting the recurring, annual work of grants, scholarships, bursaries, and emergency community assistance.
The impact of this generosity extends beyond a single year of granting. Since the Foundation’s inception in 2002, our assets held at the Vancouver Foundation and First Credit Union have continued to grow and now exceed $2.6 million, reflecting the community’s sustained trust in the Foundation’s long-term stewardship model. Our mission is simple, but important: to enrich the quality of life not only for the current generation but also for future generations of Bowen Islanders. We do this by encouraging philanthropy and transforming community generosity into lasting community resources that will benefit Bowen Islanders in perpetuity.
The Foundation extends its thanks to everyone who joined us at the Annual Meeting, to the donors and volunteers whose contributions make our work possible, and to the many individuals and organizations who brought forward inspiring ideas to improve life on Bowen Island.
