Connecting a caring community with causes that matter.

Our History The Peninsula Community Foundation was established in 1998 by an enthusiastic group of community members. These people came together with one aim: to help individuals and groups make an ongoing difference in their community. They discovered that the best way to accomplish this was to provide funding to existing groups in the Semiahmoo Peninsula. More >>

What is a community foundation? Community foundations have been active in Canada since 1921. With almost 1,200 community foundations worldwide, they are part of one of the world's fastest growing charitable movements. More >>

Meet our board

What's new?

ICHI Letter to the Editor 2009 - June 18, 2009 More >>

Happy Philanthropy Day to all – November 15th More >>

Vintage Affair 2008 - Peninsula Community Foundation presents Peace Arch Hospital & Community Health Foundation with a $100,000 cheque More >>

Close What is a community foundation

Community foundations have been active in Canada since 1921. With almost 1,200 community foundations worldwide, they are part of one of the world's fastest growing charitable movements.

The Peninsula Community Foundation is a member of the Community Foundations of Canada, which defines community foundations as:

"...independent, volunteer-driven, charitable organizations that aim to strengthen their communities by facilitating philanthropy, by partnering with donors to build permanent endowments and other funds from which they support community projects, and by providing leadership on issues of broad community concern."

Three special features / roles of a community foundation:

  1. Endowment building / personalized service. We build endowments and other funds to provide lasting support for local priorities. We make giving easy and effective, accepting a wide variety of gifts and providing donors with a number of charitable options. Contributions can be made in the form of cash, stocks, property, and other assets. An individual or family may establish a fund in their name or in the name of a loved one as a memorial. In most cases, gifts qualify for maximum tax advantage under federal law.
  2. Local grant-making expertise. Foundation board members, volunteers and staff, strive towards having an in-depth understanding of the issues, opportunities, and resources that shape our community. We evaluate all aspects of community well being - including social services, education, the environment, health care, youth, seniors, and the arts. The Foundation can assist in helping contributors learn more about local organizations and programs that make a difference in areas that individuals care about the most.
  3. Community leadership. Because community foundations support all kinds of charities, they are well positioned to bring people and organizations together, convening diverse voices to address local issues and opportunities. Known as a Charity of Charities, our Business is Building Community.
Close Our history

The Peninsula Community Foundation was established in 1998 by an enthusiastic group of community members. These people came together with one aim: to help individuals and groups make an ongoing difference in their community. They discovered that the best way to accomplish this was to provide funding to existing groups in the Semiahmoo Peninsula.

With valuable ongoing support from the Peace Arch News, the word went out that the Foundation was there to help groups with funding for capital projects. The Grants Committee developed criteria and began awarding grants. Our volunteer Board of Directors expanded, and we got to work building a better community. One of our first major projects was raising money for flood relief in 1998/99.

In 2002, the Foundation became a registered charity with Canada Revenue Agency. We were officially designated a community foundation as a member of the Community Foundations of Canada in 2007.

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Whats new?

Letter to the Editor

The dreams of many are closer to realization with the recent unanimous vote by City Council approving the building start of the Integrated Centre for Health Improvement at Centennial Park. Kudos to all parties involved in bringing to reality this much anticipated and needed Centre. Shovels are in the ground now, with completion of the new curling club facility next spring and the Centre for Health Improvement next summer.

The Integrated Centre for Health Improvement will incorporate the former Mel Edwards Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre (located at Centennial Park) along with other health agencies dealing with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis, plus the expanded White Rock Curling Club. The two main facilities will share a common entrance, elevator, lobby and meeting rooms.

This integrated complex grew out of a need to expand the current cardiac rehab facilities to meet increasing demand. A steering committee made up of the Peace Arch Hospital and Community Health Foundation, Fraser Health Authority, City of White Rock, Province of BC and the Peninsula Community Foundation came together to determine a plan of action to best fulfill the needs of the community. It was quickly identified that expansion of the existing Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre would not meet long-term needs. Thus the idea of a new facility in the near vicinity was put forward. An idea put forward by MLA Gordon Hogg to integrate with the White Rock Curling Club expansion in a way to share and maximize building costs was also incorporated into the plans.

Fund raising for the rehabilitation and health improvement side of the project was placed under the Partners in Caring program headed by the Peace Arch Hospital & Community Health Foundation and its partners, Peninsula Community Foundation, the City of White Rock and Fraser Health Authority. Contributions from the City of White Rock, the BC Government, the federal government, Curling Club initiatives, the White Rock Rotary Club, RBC Dominion Securities and many others have brought this project to reality.

As the Peninsula Community Foundation was instrumental in the establishment of the current Cardiac Rehab Centre named in memory of one of its founding members, Mel Edwards, it is gratifying to see positive results come to be, in a spirit of co-operation and togetherness, benefiting the health of the community through rehabilitation, prevention and participation.

Thank you to all who have contributed to this magnificent community resource.

J.G. (Jim) Williams, Director, Peninsula Community Foundation
Submitted on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Peninsula Community Foundation

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Whats new?

Happy philanthropy day to all - November 15th

Thank you for your service ...

  • For your countless volunteer hours in our community;
  • For attending and actively participating in community initiatives;
  • For serving and actively participating on community committees;
  • For attending and supporting one another's special events;
  • For being an advocate for your organization, for legislative initiatives, and for your philanthropy.

You are a philanthropist because you ...

  • Know and commit to causes for support;
  • Make a significant gift of time and energy to your community;
  • Support one another's special events, as well as your own;
  • Allow public recognition of your giving;
  • Fundraise/Friendraise...introduce, support, attend and invite others to join you at events,

We thank you for all of this and more ...

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Whats new?

Vintage Affair 2008 [October 23, 2008]

Vintage Affair Tom Muldoon, President of Peninsula Community Foundation presented Dragana Sanderson, Chair of Peace Arch Hospital & Community Health Foundation with a $100,000 cheque designated to “Partners in Caring” and the new Integrated Centre for Health Improvement. This is the second $100,000 cheque, marking $200,000 of the Peninsula Community Foundation's commitment of $500,000 to the project.