Giving Back this Holiday Season

It’s the Giving Season. Many of us give and receive so much at this time of year.  

We’re excited to share some inspiration for community generosity. We’ll keep adding to this list. Reach out to us at info@cfnl.ca if you have something you’d like to share.  

For more inspiration, tune into CBC NL’s The Signal on Giving Tuesday (December 3 at 12pm NT/11:30am AT) to hear CFNL’s Executive Director, Nicole Dawe, and other guests share many ideas about how to give back this holiday season. 

Giving Tuesday Events & Initiatives

December 3, 2024, is Giving Tuesday. It follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday and is an opportunity to focus on giving back rather than getting. 

Many charities have special matching or other initiatives happening on Giving Tuesday; make sure you check in on your favourites. Online giving is going to be especially important for all charities this year as organizations across the country paused direct mail campaigns because of the Canada Post strike. Many charities receive a large portion of their donations during the final two months of the year. Pay special attention to your email and social media for special opportunities to give back. 

For those in St. John’s, Stella’s Circle is hosting their annual Light Up Hope event on December 3 in the evening. 

1) Give Kindness  – Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbour or stranger out, standing up for an issue, community or cause that you care about, there are many ways you can give back. Here are 50 acts of kindness ideas to get you inspired. 

2) CanadaHelps Gift Cards  – Many people like to give gift cards at this time of year. CanadaHelps has you covered with gift cards that allow the recipient to make a donation to any charity in Canada. Also great for birthdays and other celebrations. 🙂

3) Creative Gifts for Everyone – Check out Business and Arts NL’s annual holiday gift guide to find 230 local and unique gifts created by 78 creatives from across the province. Local handcrafted gifts for everyone on your list! Whether you’re looking for something contemporary or a bit more traditional, this gift guide includes items for every age, style and budget.

As we approach the tax receipt deadline of December 31, we’re here to help with supporting your giving, too. Please feel free to call or email if we can support you.

A Mother’s Gift: The Andrea Powell Memorial Scholarship shapes futures at Holy Trinity High

At Holy Trinity High School in Torbay, a new scholarship is doing more than easing the financial burden of post-secondary education – it’s creating a lasting bridge between a mother’s legacy and young women’s futures.

The Andrea Powell Memorial Scholarship, established following Andrea’s sudden passing in 2017, awards $10,000 to female graduates pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, Math or other related field of education. But its origins lie in something deeper than academic support.

A Legacy of Supporting Women

“Andrea was always in the background, always there supporting,” says Jason Kelly, Andrea’s husband. “She was really passionate about young women getting ahead. That’s why we dedicated this scholarship to female students – I know that’s what she would have wanted.”

The selection process looks beyond a candidate’s academics to consider community involvement and leadership – qualities that defined Andrea’s approach to life. 

Community Rallies Together

The scholarship’s foundation began with overwhelming community support. An initial celebration of life event raised nearly $50,000, helping create the scholarship, a family room and emergency room equipment at the Health Sciences Centre’s Intensive Care Unit. Kelly’s band, Last Plaid Heroes, also continues this support through benefit concerts. “We’ve gotten tremendous support from the community of Torbay and really the Northeast Avalon,” says Kelly. “It just shows how close the community is when there’s a real need.”

Making a Difference, One Student at a Time

This year’s first recipient, Aysia Gallant, embodies the scholarship’s dual emphasis on academic achievement and community service. From fifteen applicants, a committee of school and family representatives selected Gallant based on criteria beyond academics. “It’s about congeniality, what you do for your community, whether that’s through sports, volunteerism, anything really,” Kelly explains.

For Gallant, now studying Primary Care Paramedicine at the College of the North Atlantic, the award carries both practical and personal significance. “I was shocked when my name was called,” she recalls, noting how the financial support has eased family tensions about education costs. “It means less work on my mother trying to pay for all of it,” Gallant explains. “We had this never-ending battle about me wanting to help with the costs.”

As a member of the Pouch Cove Volunteer Fire Department for nearly two years, Gallant demonstrates the kind of civic engagement that defined Andrea’s own life. Her vision extends beyond emergency response to advocating for better patient care. “I’ve always loved helping people,” she says. “I want to be a patient advocate, ensuring they get the care they need. I don’t want them to just be treated as a regular patient without making sure they’re actually okay.”

Beyond Financial Support

To honour Andrea’s memory, Gallant had her school backpack embroidered with “In Memory and Honour of Andrea Powell” – a gesture that touched the Kelly family. The connection between recipient and donors continues to grow, with Kelly sending encouragement on Gallant’s first day of classes.

The scholarship’s impact extends beyond individual recipients. At Holy Trinity High School, it has sparked increased interest in community involvement among students. The school’s guidance department has noted how the scholarship’s criteria encourage students to think beyond academics and consider their broader role in society.

Kelly and his sons keep Andrea’s memory alive through family dinners on special dates like Mother’s Day and her birthday. The scholarship represents another dimension of this remembrance. “It’s a little bit of good coming out of something horrible that happened to our family,” Kelly reflects. “We’re not just touching that one individual that’s getting the scholarship; it’s their family, too.”

Looking Ahead

The next scholarship will be awarded in 2028, coinciding with the graduation of Kelly’s younger son from Holy Trinity. While fundraising continues for the second award, Kelly acknowledges the initiative’s eventual conclusion. “We’ve done a lot over the last few years. By 2028, we’ll be 10 or 11 years into it, and that’s good. Andrea’s memory will live on.”

Through this scholarship, young women pursuing STEM education carry forward not just financial support, but the spirit of a mother who believed in their potential and the power of giving back to community.

—

You can donate to the Andrea Powell Memorial Scholarship here. Learn more about how CFNL can be a partner in your generosity with our Giving Guide.  

2024 Perry Cup Golf Tournament Success

On July 22-24, 2024, friends and family came together at the Terra Nova Golf Resort to participate in The Perry Cup Golf Tournament, a biannual event held to celebrate the life and legacy of Guy Perry. The event raised over $1,600 in support of the Guy Perry Memorial Scholarship Fund, awarded annually to a meritorious graduating student at Pearson Academy in New-Wes-Valley. This year’s event also paid special tribute to the memory of Derrick Bragg, a dear friend who also dedicated his life to community and public service.

Learn more about how CFNL can support your generosity with the Giving Guide. 

Community Fund Spotlight: Connections for Newcomer Youth

Investing in Movement for NL Communities

CFNL is excited to participate in this year’s Kia Communities in Motion. With a commitment to fostering inclusivity and innovation, Kia Communities in Motion continues to empower communities nationwide. In partnership with Community Foundations of Canada (CFC), Kia Communities in Motion is a grassroots initiative that supports local projects that are building inclusive communities through innovative programming that encourages movement. Learn more about the program here. 

Each year, five community foundations from across the country are selected to utilize their deep understanding of community needs to guide granting for the program. This year, two projects were funded with $22,125 each in Newfoundland and Labrador. 

Mokami Status of Women Council & End Sexual Violence NL: Fireweed Counselling Collective—This project aims to fulfill the dream of creating a more supportive environment for gender-based violence survivors in Labrador by providing specialized training and support to mental health practitioners. The project is grounded in the collaborative ethos of the Labrador Cares Coalition, where collective care serves as the creative backbone.

Trans Support NL: TransEmpowerNL: Advocacy Collective—Through skill-building workshops, networking events, and grants for local initiatives, the project aims to empower trans and gender-diverse participants, fostering community connections and equipping them to confidently self-advocate.

2024 CFNL Board Call for Nominations

CFNL is recruiting members to join its board of directors. 

New members have an exciting opportunity to shape an organization with national relevance while grounding it in the beauty and strengths of the people who call Newfoundland and Labrador home and the place that’s given us all so much. 

Sharing Your Gifts

Our Board works as a team, and each member has different experiences and skills. We are looking for the following to add to the existing board’s strengths. 

• Experience/knowledge with legal and regulatory matters concerning not-for-profit corporations and charitable foundations.
• Lived experience not already represented at the Board table, especially individuals who live outside the Northeast Avalon and/or identify as being part of an equity-deserving community, such as racialized or Indigenous persons, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons, persons with disabilities and immigrants to the province. 

All Board members should have the following:

• 5-10 hours per month to dedicate to CFNL work over a 3-year term
• A commitment to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in their personal and professional lives. 

NOTE: Applications from people living anywhere in Newfoundland and Labrador or who live outside the province and have strong connections to NL are welcome. Meetings are conducted remotely or in a hybrid format. 

Share Your Interest By April 19, 2024

We ask all applicants to answer these questions as part of their expression of interest:

1. Why are you interested in CFNL’s mission and its work? 
2. Tell us what skills and experience you can contribute to the Board. See above for a list of current priority skillsets and backgrounds. 
3. How do you commit to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion? 

Submit your expression of interest by April 19, 2024. You can use any of the following formats

• 1-2 page letter – submit to info@cfnl.ca
• 5-10 minute video recording – submit to info@cfnl.ca as an attachment or link.
• A recorded conversation with the Executive Director by phone or zoom (approximately 20 minutes) – contact Nicole Dawe at ndawe@cfnl.ca or (709) 221-1030 or book a time here before April 19. 
• Optional – Submit a resume or CV. 

Selected applicants will be notified within six weeks of the deadline and brought forward as a slate of nominations at CFNL’s AGM in late May or early June. 

About The Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador

The Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador’s (CFNL) vision is thriving Newfoundland and Labrador communities where everyone belongs. We support this by stewarding funds and connecting diverse people, ideas and resources.  

Established in 2001, CFNL stewards more than $2 million in philanthropic investment for the benefit of the province, has facilitated granting of over $4 million since 2017 and leads community knowledge initiatives like NL Vital Signs. We’re part of Community Foundations of Canada (CFC), the national network for Canada’s 200+ community foundations that, combined, stewards $7 billion in resources and reaches 90 percent of the country’s geography.

Our work takes place in three areas:

1. Donor Services – stewarding funds on behalf of donors and charities. 
2. Granting – Making grants from funds stewarded by CFNL and through granting partnerships as part of the Community Foundations of Canada network. 
3. Community Leadership – Connecting diverse people, ideas and resources through initiatives like NL Vital Signs and participating in a wide array of local, regional and national conversations about the community sector and philanthropy.  

2023 Giving Season Ideas

It’s the Giving Season. For many of us, we give and receive so much at this time of year as we move through many holiday celebrations.  

We’re excited to highlight the way many community organizations are inviting you to get involved in Giving Back this holiday season. We’ll keep adding to this list. Reach out to us at info@cfnl.ca if you would like us to add your initiative.  

For more inspiration, listen to a recent episode of CBC NL’s The Signal to hear Adam Walsh and guests Tammy Davis (Giving Tuesday), Heather Spratt (Dollar A Day Foundation), and Jodi Richard (Bridges to Hope) talk about many ideas of how to give back at this time of year. 

Giving Tuesday (November 28) Events & Initiatives

November 28, 2023, is Giving Tuesday. It follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday and is an opportunity to focus on giving back rather than getting. 

Many charities have special matching or other initiatives happening on Giving Tuesday; make sure you check in on your favourites or visit NL Gives. We wanted to highlight the Mi’kmaw Cultural Foundation and Quadrangle NL, two of the NL Gives charities participating in this local Giving Tuesday initiative. 

For those in St. John’s, Stella’s Circle is hosting their annual Light Up Hope event on November 28 in the evening and matching donations received on Giving Tuesday. 

If you have young readers in your life, get one of SucSeed’s Sustainable Superhero books; if you purchase between November 24 and December 1, a book will be donated to Ronald McDonald House NL. 

1) Community Clothing  – This holiday season, you can purchase an All I Want for Christmas is Housing for Everyone sweater or get your gifts wrapped by Make Waves Collective on December 17 at The Annex in Mount Pearl, with a portion of the profits from both going to unhoused individuals living at Tent City in St. John’s. 

2) CanadaHelps Gift Cards  – Many people like to give gift cards at this time of year. CanadaHelps has you covered with gift cards that allow the recipient to make a donation to any charity in Canada. Also great for birthdays and other celebrations. 🙂

3) Creative Gifts for Everyone – Check out Business and Arts NL’s annual holiday gift giving guide to find 250 local and unique gifts created by 89 creatives from across the province. 

From Legacy to Opportunity – Furlong Family Scholarships

Investing in Promise at Corner Brook Regional High School

Nestled on Newfoundland’s picturesque west coast, Corner Brook Regional High School is now home to the Furlong Family Scholarships. This initiative, fueled by a generous gift of life insurance from Kathryn Furlong to the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, aims to recognize and support promising young students in their educational pursuits. 

Kathryn Furlong, a dedicated former City Clerk and lifelong Corner Brook resident, established the scholarships in memory of her parents, James and Nonie Furlong, who believed deeply in the transformative power of education. Kathryn’s life, filled with achievement and community service, exemplifies the values and support instilled in her by her parents. Her legacy continues to shape future generations through these scholarships. 

Each year, two deserving graduates from Corner Brook Regional High School are awarded $2,000, signifying a vital step in their academic journey. Initiated in June 2023, the Furlong Family Scholarships have provided financial relief to two students. Students also have the opportunity to receive a second $2,000 scholarship in their second year of post-secondary education. 

Recognizing Potential 

Victoria Byrne, one of the school’s guidance counsellors, plays a crucial role in connecting students to such opportunities. She remarks on the significance of the scholarships, particularly for a school with a large and diverse student body, emphasizing how they allow the school to “step outside a little bit” by broadening its scope of recognition. 

“Many of our students are also working hard outside of school to support their families, and they deserve to be recognized and provided with financial opportunities for post-secondary education,” Byrne articulates. 

Her insights reveal the unique impact of the Furlong Family Scholarships, resonating with students who may not always be in the spotlight yet shine in their own right. 

Maddy’s Journey 

Maddy McDowell, one of the initial recipients, is now in her first year of med-sci at Western University in London, Ontario, where she is thriving in a stimulating academic environment. The scholarship has provided her with a sense of financial security, allowing her to focus on her studies in cancer research, vaccines, and genetics. 

Maddy’s academic interests are deeply personal, stemming from her mother’s battle with cancer. “I was inspired by projects in school about cancer treatments and therapies. They impact many lives, and that steered my interest towards this field,” she reflects.

 More than financial aid, the scholarship has enriched Maddy’s university experience, connecting her with peers and clubs that share her interests and fostering her engagement in a diverse and inclusive academic community. 

A Legacy Unfolding 

The Furlong Family Scholarships, stemming from Kathryn Furlong’s generous legacy, provide more than just financial aid; they are a recognition of potential, an investment in futures yet unwritten, and a commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders and innovators.

They underscore the importance of recognizing the diverse paths of all students, ensuring that a legacy of learning and support thrives for generations to come.

Gifts of life insurance are one of many ways to set up a fund with CFNL. In addition to the life insurance proceeds contributing to a cause of your choice, individuals can receive a tax receipt for any premiums paid. There are many creative ways to structure a gift of life insurance to match what’s important for a donor and what the community needs now and in the future.  Visit CFNL’s Giving Guide or get in touch for more information. 

Leading By Walking Around – Community Listening Tour 1.0

Below is a first-person blog post from CFNL’s Executive Director, Nicole Dawe, about her recent travels around the island of Newfoundland as part of her work for the foundation. 

Many people shared a lot of wisdom with me when I stepped into this role as Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. It was my first time in a role like this, and it also brought me and my family over 5,000 kilometres from Calgary back home to Newfoundland and Labrador. I’m so grateful for all of the support and kindness that was a vital part of me and my family making this big transition. 

One piece of advice that stuck with me was from a dear friend and mentor, Ken Lima-Coelho – Lead By Walking Around. Essentially, this means getting out of your office and prioritizing spending time with the people who bring things to life in your organization and community. This resonated with how I’d seen members of my family show up in the community and the stories I’d heard of CFNL’s founder and its Honorary Chair, Dr. Peter Roberts, spending time at kitchen tables in the areas he worked in. The tricky part about bringing this to life is I was now striving to steward an organization that served a province over 400,000 square kilometres in size with many communities along our 29,000 kilometres of coastline. 

Enter Community Listening Tour 1.0. 

The community listening tour would be a chance to spend time in communities across the province, getting to know the people and places in a way you just can’t over Zoom. 

In addition to struggling with the geography of this place, I have the added privilege of being a Mom to a four-year-old and a partner to my husband, too. We landed on the West Coast and the Great Northern Peninsula for the first Community Listening Tour. My partner spent his childhood and teenage years in these areas but hadn’t returned in almost two decades. This meant it would be a fulfilling trip for us as a family and him, as we knew he would have to inevitably act as the lead parent while we were on the road. This was important for all of us as we tried to find the dance between me being able to get out and about to meet with people doing magical things in communities across the province and our family’s priorities and needs. 

We set off in June for three weeks, travelling to the other side of our wonderful island. 

What I loved

This place and the people who call it home. This place is stunning. Each community has so much of its own sense of itself, and you can only really get that by being there in person. So many community folks give so much of themselves to make magic happen in their community. I learned so many things, including that West Coast lobster tastes different than the lobster from the Burin Peninsula that I usually ate. They are both amazing and have been shaped by the different places and waters they call home (what a wise lesson from Lobsters). Time spent with community folks was especially lovely if we could spend time outside or eating together (usually seafood) and sharing stories of what brought us to our work and what we’re excited or anxious about right now. 

Living, working and playing as a family. By going as a family, we got to experience these places in a different way than if I’d gone on my own. We got to experience and connect with people at playgrounds, in libraries and on beaches. I can more deeply appreciate stories, grant applications, reporting, etc., from spending time there, and I deepened or sparked relationships that will allow us to welcome more people representing more places and perspectives into CFNL’s work. I also didn’t have to feel split between spending time with my daughter and partner and doing the work I love, which is forever a tension I’m trying to balance. 

What I learned

People are holding a lot. Whether people were staff or volunteers, one thing I heard from nearly everyone is that they are anxious about how this work keeps going. Whether it’s insufficient or inconsistent financial resources or being able to support staff and volunteers to do this work in a sustainable way, a lot of community folks are being asked to hold a lot even after they held so much during the height of the pandemic. 

We need to tell fuller stories. Once you turn north from Deer Lake, you’re on the Viking Trail, the name of the highway that heads up the Great Northern Peninsula. Though Vikings are something very unique on the northernmost end of this highway, this part of our province has an immense amount of history over many millennia that doesn’t feel as prominently told as the story of these Viking visitors who only stayed for a few decades. From thousands of years of many Indigenous communities living in these areas to the substantial French presence that has shaped these communities and is still very present today, the people, place and creatures that make up this part of the province have always had an immense amount of diversity, and it would be wonderful to see this more represented in how we name things and the stories we tell ourselves and that end up in our education system. 

I’m trying to have these Community Listening Tours as an ongoing part of my work. You can expect to see me spending time in other places, and I’m always open to invites or ideas on when to visit. 

Thank you to the many people who helped to make this happen. From folks who opened up time in their schedule with me for wonderful conversation to others who spent the time to suggest who I might add to my list of connections, and especially to my family for always making space in our lives for adventures like this. 

Thank you to our fund holders in these areas and the following organizations for welcoming me into their community. 

• Port aux Basques (Town of Port aux Basques and local volunteers and Rotary Clubs of Western NL for making the trip with me)
• Stephenville (Newfoundland Aboriginal Women’s Network)
• Corner Brook (Communities Building Youth Futures/YMCA of Western NL, Rotary Arts Centre, Laughing Heart Music, Western Environment Centre)
• Norris Point (Bonne Bay Cottage Hospital Heritage Corporation)
• St. Anthony (SABRI, St. Anthony Boys and Girls Club/Child and Youth Network)
• Conche (French Shore Interpretation Centre, Moratorium Tours & Retreats)
• Port Saunders/Port au Choix (GNP Community Place)

CFNL To Support 28 Organizations Through Community Services Recovery Fund

Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (CFNL) is proud to have worked with community foundations across Canada as part of the Community Services Recovery Fund. This fund is a collaboration between the Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada, and United Way Centraide Canada to provide funding to Community Service Organizations, including non-profit organizations, Indigenous Governing Bodies or Registered Charities located in Canada. The Community Services Recovery Fund responds to what Community Service Organizations need right now and supports organizations as they adapt to the long-term impacts of the pandemic.

The Community Services Recovery Fund is a one-time investment from the Government of Canada of $400 million to help community service organizations (charities, non-profits, Indigenous governing bodies) adapt, modernize and be better equipped to improve the efficacy, accessibility and sustainability of the community services that they provide through the pandemic recovery and beyond.

This was a competitive process with over 60 applications requesting over $3 million. The following projects are being supported in Newfoundland and Labrador through CFNL with $1,243,000 investment. You can learn more about projects funded through the United Way of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Canadian Red Cross here and here.