Giving
There are many reasons to give.
Some people want to say thank you. Life has been good to them, and this is a chance to give back to the community that enriched their life.
Others give because they want to feel part of something bigger. They want to have an impact, or they give to create something that will last beyond our lifetime.
Some want to support a very specific part of their community, such as arts, social programs, or the environment.
Some want to teach their children about the importance of philanthropy.
Others want to memorialize a loved one who has passed away.
Most give because it feels good.
Whatever your reason, Bowen Island Community Foundation offers convenient giving options that will align your charitable intentions with your values, life experience and interests.
You don’t need to be wealthy to make a difference. Creating compassionate, caring and livable communities doesn’t necessarily require enormous funding initiatives— just thoughtful, committed people—people like you.
Why choose the Bowen Island Community Foundation?
The Bowen Island Community Foundation is the only local option to create an endowment fund for the benefit of the local community for all the generations to come.
Your gift will be prudently and expertly managed by the Vancouver Foundation‘s professional fund managers. The Vancouver Foundation, with over $1 billion in their consolidated trust fund, works to preserve the principal of your gift and generate investment returns that will result in grants for the Bowen Island community. See Vancouver Foundation’s Investment Policy and SRI Investment Policy. By pooling all the gifts from donors in the wider community, the Foundation is able to offer the advantage of reduced fund management fees.
The Bowen Island Community Foundation is able to create many different types of endowment funds. Funds may be created in the name of the donor or in honour of someone or something that holds meaning for the donor. Please contact us for sample fund agreements and more information about how to create your own fund.
The foundation also offers flexible gift options to donors.
Give to funds, scholarships, and bursaries
Bowen Island Community Foundation supports projects to help build a healthy, resilient community. In addition to grants, there are a number of bursaries and scholarships available each year for individuals. Since it’s inception, the Foundation has made over $600,000 in grants, scholarships, bursaries and donor-directed funds to our Bowen community. Your dollars can help any of these causes.
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FUNDS
Donations to the following Community Foundation Funds allow the Board to respond annually to the priorities of our Bowen Island community:
| Fund name | What does the fund support? |
|---|---|
| Community Impact Fund | All aspects of community priorities by charitable activity on Bowen Island through annual grants. This is the Foundation’s most flexible fund. |
| Friends of the Foundation Fund | Supports our day-to-day operating expenses, thus enhancing Grants through all other Funds. Initial endowment gift from former Chair, Soren Hammerberg and his wife Elizabeth. |
| Helping Hand Fund | An emergency response fund for Bowen Islanders in crisis, delivered confidentially. |
| Resiliency Fund | A natural disaster fund to enable system-wide responses to a crisis effecting our community. |
SPECIAL PURPOSE FUNDS
Donations to the following Special Purpose Funds are directed to specific causes:
| Fund name | What does the fund support? |
|---|---|
| Aaron Sluggett Memorial Scholarship | An annual scholarship for a student who has been actively involved in community and/or school life. |
| Bowen Island Community Foundation Academic Scholarship | Scholarships to strong academic students and a commitment to the community. |
| Bowen Island Community Foundation Trades & Training Award | Scholarships for individuals pursuing a career in the trades or other form of vocation. |
| Bowen Island Junior Golf Scholarship | Scholarships for junior Bowen Island Golf Association members. |
| Bowen Youth at Risk Fund | Provides funds for treatment and counseling for young people on Bowen who are looking for assistance in dealing with drug use, trauma, and mental illness, and for education for the community on these issues. |
| Camp Bowen Bursary | Provides annual bursaries to Camp Bowen for the visually impaired. |
| Community Hall and Arts Centre Operating Fund | Annual operating costs, once the Centre is open. |
| First Credit Union Fund | Initiatives that make a difference in the community. |
| Knick Knack Nook Bursaries for Environmental Sustainability | Awards bursary monies to post-secondary students studying toward careers in environmental sustainability. |
| Knick Knack Nook Small Grants Program | Action in support of environmental sustainability including social change and education. |
| Maggie Cumming Legacy Fund Scholarship | Development and maintenance of Bowen trails and greenways; Snug Cove House programs; An annual student scholarship. |
| Margaret Witty Bursary Fund | An annual bursary to one or more deserving students of Island Pacific School. |
| Foxglove Fund | Provides funding for the Gail Taylor Bursary and offers tuition for families in need to attend preschool on Bowen Island. |
| Brian Biddlecombe Memorial Award | For volunteer firefighters and their immediate families to pursue education and training opportunities. |
| Kipp Thompson Memorial Bursary | For a Bowen Islander to pursue the performing arts. |
| Island Pacific School Endowment Fund | An annual bursary to one or more deserving students of Island Pacific School. |
| Bowen Island Football Club Founders Award Scholarship | An annual scholarship for former BIFC players. |
| Logan Family Health Care Scholarship | An annual scholarship for a Bowen Islander pursuing studies in Health Care. |
| Janice Skeels Endowment Fund | Supports the Med Shed medical equipment loan program at the Bowen Island Public Library. |
Donor directed grants
In some cases, donors ask to flow their charitable giving through the Foundation rather than contributing to or setting up a permanent endowment fund. This happens for a variety of reasons as varied as the donors. It can simply be a small gift to top up the annual granting of a fund, or a desire to remain anonymous as a donor in the community.
In recent years flow through donations have supported these projects:
- enhanced computer technology at the Bowen Island Library
- the unexpected budget shortfall when the BC government decreased lottery funding to the Bowen Children’s Centre
- construction of a kitchen at Tir-na-nOg Theatre School
- augmenting the music program at the Bowen Island Youth Centre
- buying a composter and vegetable garden for the Bowen Children’s Centre
- buying a heat sensing camera for the Bowen Island Fire Department
There are many ways to give
By credit card
Make a one-time or re-occurring donation online to Bowen Island Community Foundation using any major credit card. Please note that an official tax receipt will only be issued under the cardholder’s name.
By cheque
*Please note: During the hold on mail delivery, cheques can be dropped off at First Credit Union, 996 Dorman Road, with a note in the envelope providing your contact information and details about how you would like to direct the donation.
Please make your cheque payable to Bowen Island Community Foundation. In the case of a gift to one of our Special Purpose Funds please include a note with the name of the Fund. Cheques may be addressed to:
P.O. Box 18
Bowen Island, BC
Canada V0N 1G0
Find the 2024-2025 Donation Form and Letter from the BICF Chair here.
Gift of securities
You may donate stocks, bonds, mutual funds or other publicly-traded securities and realize capital gains tax savings. You’ll receive a donation receipt for the fair market value of the securities the day they are received by Bowen Island Community Foundation. You can access our Securities Donation Form here.
Gift of real estate
Gifts of real estate enable donors to make a bigger charitable difference than they thought possible. If given as a bequest it can reduce estate taxes and minimize or eliminate a burden placed on heirs.
Charitable bequest
Leaving a gift of assets through your will means you can support the causes and issues you care about for the future. You may designate a specific sum of money, or a particular asset, or a percentage or residue from your estate, and create impact well past your lifetime.
Your donation is tax deductible
Donations to the BICF are tax deductible. We issue tax receipts for donations over $20 unless otherwise stipulated by the donor.
Prospective donors are encouraged to contact us or talk with any of our Directors to discuss the full range of opportunities for charitable giving through the Bowen Island Community Foundation.