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.
Organization | Amount Funded | Project Description |
Alexander Murray Hiking Trail | $70,500 | Develop an annual Fundraising strategy which includes budget projections with resource and timeline details. |
All Saints Anglican Parish Conception Bay South | $31,320 | Procure and install a computerized GIS-based Cemetery Management System containing all current paper records, maps and financial data. |
Baccalieu Trail SPCA Inc. | $55,000 | Engage a qualified consultant to provide analysis, strategy, direction, design and implementation of a comprehensive marketing strategy and financial sustainability plan. |
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Newfoundland | $44,875 | Digital and Data Transformation to safeguard client files, maximize time spent on program delivery and allow for better connections with program alumni. |
Bridges to Hope | $64,350 | Plan and implement a Fund Development Strategy to identify new opportunities while improving donor relations and stewardship. |
Canadian Hard of Hearing Association Newfoundland and Labrador (CHHA-NL) | $15,000 | Development of a Client Information & Management System that will improve client information intake and case management, enhance loans of hearing assistive technology, inventory control and security for remote work and streamline reports, statistical management and database management. |
Clarenville Nordic Ski Club Inc. | $11,854 | Modernize and simplify operational processes with the aim of mitigating the effects of the loss of revenue and increased demands on volunteers. |
Exploits Valley Community Coalition | $60,950 | Governance review for organizational resilience, a new internal and external communications plan and exploring the merger with other community support organizations. |
Gander and Area SPCA Inc. | $58,690 | Modernize the organization by creating a brand and establishing integral communication approaches, as well as developing improved and sustainable systems for generating stable revenue. |
Harbour AUTHORITY of Rose Blanche and Harbour Le cou | $11,500 | Digital transformation of accounting system to allow access to customer files and to enhance electronic communication and processes. |
Intervale Associates Inc. | $32,070 | Develop a comprehensive set of policies relating to employment standards, health and the workplace environment. |
Logy Bay Development Association Inc. | $10,227 | Purchase video conferencing equipment to allow meetings and community programs to be held virtually or in a hybrid format. |
MacMorran Community Centre | $11,673 | Branding audit and evaluation to redefine the community’s understanding of the diverse program and service offerings that make MacMorran much more than a “community centre.” |
Southern Avalon Senior Citizens Housing Assoc. | $17,660 | Enhance electronic communications with the purchase of video conferencing equipment and training. |
Mokami Status of Women Council | $82,500 | Evaluate trauma-informed practices across MSWC, prioritizing staff collective care to address burnout and vicarious trauma. |
Mushuau Innu First Nation | $100,000 | An information technology assessment and digital roadmap project will review the current technology used by the First Nation and develop a roadmap and plan to modernize the delivery of social services in the community. |
Newfoundland & Labrador Public Sector Pensioners’ Association | $12,355 | Equip the board room of the Association with the necessary digital infrastructure to conduct virtual and in-person meetings and events. |
Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra | $33,000 | Install an orchestra management system which will link all functional departments and groups across the organization. |
Norris Arm Heritage Society | $68,650 | Install a POS system, update the accounting and payroll system and create an inventory control system. |
Shallaway Youth Choir | $44,000 | Redesign of the choir’s website, with the goal of making it more user-friendly and engaging for diverse youth, parents and audiences. |
Shorefast | $75,000 | Expand fundraising infrastructure to support a growing team of fundraisers. Focus will include prospect research, pipeline development and management, CRM capabilities and articulating funding priorities. |
St. Gabriel’s Hall Inc. | $77,000 | Enhance the organization’s capacity to plan and host events in partnership with organizations promoting diversity, equality, and environmental stewardship. |
St. John’s Minor Baseball Association | $13,000 | Update accounting processes to allow for more time to be spent on programming and less on administration. |
St. John’s Tool Library Inc. | $15,000 | Affix durable anodized aluminum tags onto all “tag-friendly” tools and program them into an asset management system via myTurn.com. |
St. Lawrence Anglican Church | $15,000 | Additional shelving, fridges and displays to meet the increased demands at its Thrift Store and Pop Up Pantry Food Bank. |
The Gathering Place Inc. | $100,000 | Streamline, strengthen, and secure a Digital Guest Database, providing pertinent safety and programming information to Guest Support Workers and Guests while accurately capturing data. |
Tuckamore Festival | $39,826 | Implement a digital content management strategy to develop audiences and promote our performance and education activities online. |
Wonderbolt Productions Inc | $72,000 | Revamp, expand and improve the organization’s systemic infrastructure, strategic planning and overall resilience, including a comprehensive review of governance and work processes. |
CFNL to support 9 organizations in NL through Investment Readiness Program

In 2019, Community Foundations of Canada (CFC), alongside the Government of Canada and several partner organizations, announced the Investment Readiness Program (IRP), a program that helps social purpose organizations scale up their social enterprises to prepare to accept investments. Since then, IRP has had three intake periods and has supported many social enterprises since 2019. The goal of the IRP is to support these organizations in the social finance market, generating a return for investors while having a positive impact on their communities. CFC announced the results of the most recent intake through the IRP on March 23, 2023, the results of which are now publicly available here.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (CFNL) has awarded $334,850 in funding to nine organizations.
CFNL received over 25 applications for the highly competitive program. This funding has supported projects including:
- $50,000 to End Homelessness St. John’s to enable the growth, scale and sustainability of HomeConnect, which supports good tenancy and affordable safe housing;
- $25,000 to GNP Community Place to create a business plan and explore further investment for their mission of providing health and wellness services on the Great Northern Peninsula;
- $19,850 to The Green Rock/Guide to the Good to reach a redefined market province-wide, articulate impact, and position itself to scale to other provinces;
- $25,000 to Mokami Status of Women Council to explore second-stage housing for at-risk individuals to unlock supports and safe, affordable housing for Indigenous women;
- $25,000 to Quadrangle to assess social finance opportunities while evaluating its investment readiness in advance of building its Community Hub;
- $20,000 to St. John’s Status of Women Council to hire business planning consultants to assess social enterprise opportunities for the organization’s facilitation and training;
- $20,000 to SucSeed to support the development of educational materials and products;
- $75,000 to TaskforceNL to support their Municipal Hiring Blitz which promotes employment and economic growth in rural communities by encouraging immigration;
- $75,000 to We Care Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador to create strategies for stabilizing, expanding and growing its existing social enterprise activities.
Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is thrilled to partner with CFC and the Government of Canada to distribute funds to local social purpose organizations.
Join Us – 2023 CFNL Board Nominations (Extended to April 14)
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.
The organization’s priorities over the next 3-5 years are:
- Ensure that decision-making at the board and committee level is representative of the communities we serve and embedded in inclusivity and equity.
- Evolve CFNL’s Donor Services and Granting to allow people to give in ways that have meaning to them and the greatest positive difference in the community.
- Enhance CFNL’s community leadership, including Vital Signs, to best support the community in achieving an equitable and sustainable future.
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. We’re part of Community Foundations of Canada (CFC), the national network for Canada’s 200+ community foundations that, combined, holds $7 billion in resources and reaches 90 percent of the country’s geography.
Our work takes place in three areas:
- Donor Services – stewarding 39 funds on behalf of donors and charities.
- Granting – Making grants from funds stewarded by CFNL and through granting partnerships as part of the Community Foundations of Canada network.
- Community Leadership – Connecting diverse people, ideas and resources through initiatives like Vital Signs NL and participating in a wide array of local, regional and national conversations about the community sector and philanthropy.
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.
- Investment expertise
- Marketing and communications expertise
- Experience in the community sector or social innovation
- Fund development expertise
- Lived experience not already represented at the Board table (especially folks who live outside the Northeast Avalon, are under 40, and/or identify as being part of an equity-deserving community such as racialized or Indigenous persons, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons, persons with disabilities)
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 anywhere in Newfoundland and Labrador or who are connected to the province are welcome. Meetings are conducted remotely or in a hybrid format.
Share Your Interest By April 14 (Note deadline extension)
We ask all applicants to answer these questions as part of their expression of interest:
- Why are you interested in CFNL’s mission and its work?
- Tell us what skills and experience you can contribute to the Board. See above for a list of current priority skillsets and backgrounds.
Submit your expression of interest by April 14, 2023 (note – deadline extension). You can use any of the following formats
- 1-2 page letter – submit to info@cfnl.ca
- 3-5 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 14.
- Optional – Submit a resume or CV.
Selected applicants will be notified within eight weeks of the deadline and brought forward as a slate of nominations at CFNL’s June AGM.
Now Accepting Applications: Community Services Recovery Fund

Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador takes part in the Community Services Recovery Fund – a $400 million investment in Community Services Organizations
Now more than ever, Community Service Organizations (charities, non-profits, and Indigenous Governing Bodies) are playing a key role in addressing persistent and complex social problems faced by all Canadians. The Community Services Recovery Fund is a $400 million investment from the Government of Canada to support charities, non-profits, and Indigenous Governing Bodies as they focus on how to adapt their organizations for pandemic recovery.
Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is proud to be working 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.
Applications are now open, and non-profit organizations, Indigenous Governing Bodies, and charities must apply by 5pm PT on February 21, 2023. Visit www.communityservicesrecoveryfund.ca to find out more about how to apply, explore resources for applicants, and submit your application.
Contact A Funding Partner
Organizations are encouraged to complete the interactive quiz on the CSRF website to determine which funding partner they will apply to.
- For Systems and Processes – Contact Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador at the below.
- For Investing in Program and Service Innovation and Design – Contact United Way of Newfoundland and Labrador or set up a meeting directly with Katie from UWNL here.
- For Investing in People or applications from unincorporated Nonprofits – Visit the Canadian Red Cross CSRF website for further information or email Erin at Erin.Cluett@redcross.ca.
- Provincial/National Stream – This is being managed nationally by all three funders. The Canadian Red Cross is processing intake. You can learn more and apply here.
Systems & Processes
CFNL is facilitating the Systems and Processes stream in the province. CFNL will distribute $ 1,175,000 in grants to organizations in this stream. Learn more about what kinds of projects fall within this stream – Systems & Processes Project Focus Area Rundown.
If you are in NL and plan to apply to the Systems and Processes Stream, you can book a virtual meeting here or phone (709) 753-9899 to speak with CFNL staff. If you need further information about choosing between the local and national/provincial stream, contact Katie at UWNL or Nicole at CFNL if you need support.
Please visit the CSRF website to learn more about the program eligibility, application and streams before booking a virtual meeting to discuss your application. The website contains many helpful resources, including a FAQ, the application guide and a how to apply webinar.
Examples of projects focused on Systems and Processes include:
- Investment in contact management systems
- Implementation of a new communications plan
- Enhancement of a new accounting system
- Development, implementation, or adaptation of a new fundraising strategy
- A governance review through the lens of organizational resilience
- Exploring a merger or amalgamation with one or more community service organizations
- Development or adaptation of a data/privacy strategy or plan
- Other activities to help your systems and processes modernize or adapt
$35,350 of Support To End The Year
Thank you so much for your support as part of the CFNL community this year. It’s been a trying year for many with the ongoing pandemic and increasing strains on individual and organizational finances with rising inflation. We’re extra appreciative this year that you’ve included CFNL in your community service.
In the last two months, CFNL has provided $35,350 in grants and awards to communities across Newfoundland and Labrador. These funds will support many causes and initiatives that are making our province an even better place. This wouldn’t be possible without your commitment as a donor, volunteer, and community leader. Thank you for your generosity. You can find more details on the grants, scholarships, and awards below.
We continue to work with Rotary Clubs and members across NL to support recovery and rebuilding on the Southwest Coast due to the devastation of Hurricane Fiona this fall. To date, we’ve raised nearly $20,000. If you have the capacity, you can include the fund in your giving this holiday season by donating here.
We’ll hit the ground running in 2023 to facilitate the Community Services Recovery Fund along with our partners, United Way of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Canadian Red Cross. Please feel free to share this funding opportunity with others in your network.
On behalf of the staff and board at CFNL, we wish you and yours a restful and joyful holiday season.
Nicole and Elizabeth
Smart and Caring Fund
Donor Funds
NL Vital Signs 2022 – Climate Change Edition
The Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador and Memorial University’s Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development have released the 2022 edition of the Newfoundland and Labrador Vital Signs Report. This year’s report focuses entirely on climate change and its impacts on the environment, economy and society in NL.
The report, which also serves as a summary of information emerging from the Harris Centre’s recent Forecast NL project (an 18-month public engagement and discussion series focused on climate, economy and society), is particularly timely considering the recent devastation of Hurricane Fiona, as well as the forest-fires in Central Newfoundland and the continued unpredictability of sea-ice in Labrador.
You can download a full copy of the report here, and physical copies will be released throughout the SaltWire network in Newfoundland and Labrador on Saturday, December 3. You can watch a recording of the release here.
Thank you to this year’s funders for NL Vital Signs, including CBDC, econext, Memorial University Office of Public Engagement, the YMCA of Newfoundland and Labrador and our media partner, SaltWire.
Environmental Charities and Nonprofits throughout the province do tremendous work to support people, wildlife and the land to slow climate change and offer solutions for climate resilience. We encourage you to consider donating to or learning more about one of them as part of how you could take action on this report.
Below you will find inspiration to assist with that. This is not an exhaustive list. Please contact us if you want your charity/nonprofit included in this list.
Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador (CCNL) has been serving youth and communities for 30 years. Focusing on youth employment and skill development, environmental education, conservation and climate resilience, CCNL programming supports environmental and cultural conservation priorities across Newfoundland and Labrador. You can learn more about their work and how to provide support by visiting https://ccnl.ca/.
Echo Pond Environmental Education Centre is dedicated to helping children, and young people connect with and learn about the natural environment through our fun and immersive school programs and summer camps. You can learn more about how they are growing the leaders of tomorrow by reading this blogpost and supporting their current fundraising campaign, which is matched by the Fry Family Foundation, by clicking here.
Intervale is a non-profit organization with a mission to conserve biodiversity, interpret heritage, and promote the integrity of rural livelihoods. Intervale offers a variety of services, including; Environmental Solutions, Nature and Heritage Interpretation, Planning and Evaluation, and Wildlife and Habitat Conservation. You can learn more about one of their projects that focuses on protecting the biodiversity of the Long Range region here.
Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) – Newfoundland and Labrador has the third-smallest percentage of protected land of any province. As the only land trust in this province, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has protected over 5,600 hectares here. Today you can demonstrate your generosity by supporting the expansion of the Salmonier Nature Reserve and the Keep the Rock Rugged campaign, which is matched dollar for dollar by the Government of Canada.
Western Environment Centre is dedicated to engaging our community in food and climate action through impactful, educational initiatives. Since 1998, they’ve grown from a small citizens group to a thriving environmental organization in Western Newfoundland. You can learn more about them, become a member and donate by visiting their website here.
Vital Signs is a national program led by community foundations and coordinated by Community Foundations of Canada that leverages local knowledge to measure the vitality of our communities and support action towards improving our collective quality of life.
Community Services Recovery Fund Launches

Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador takes part in the Community Services Recovery Fund – a $400 million investment in charities and non-profits
Now more than ever, charities and non-profits are playing a key role in addressing persistent and complex social problems faced by all Canadians. The Community Services Recovery Fund is a $400 million investment from the Government of Canada to support charities and non-profits as they focus on how to adapt their organizations for pandemic recovery.
Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is proud to be working with community foundations across Canada as part of the Community Services Recovery Fund. This fund is a collaboration between 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 and Registered Charities located in Canada. The Community Services Recovery Fund responds to what charities and non-profits need right now and supports organizations as they adapt to the long-term impacts of the pandemic.
Community Service Organizations can apply from January 6, 2023, until February 21, 2023. Visit www.communityservicesrecoveryfund.ca to find out more about how to apply, explore resources for applicants, and sign up for upcoming webinars. The first webinar will take place on December 6, 2022 at 2pm (ET). Register for this webinar here.
Fiona Recovery Fund to Support SW Coast

Fiona Recovery Fund to Support Communities Impacted by Hurricane Fiona with Rebuild
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 21, 2022
St. John’s, NL – As the Southwest coast of the province continues to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona; the Fiona Recovery Fund will help impacted communities with recovery and rebuilding.
Facilitated by the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador and Rotary in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Fiona Recovery Fund is intended for long-term recovery efforts, providing funders, both local and from away, with the knowledge and comfort that their contributions will support projects as identified by local communities when they are ready for rebuilding, months after emergency response.
“Our hearts go out to those impacted by Hurricane Fiona. As governments and agencies have come together to help with immediate needs, we know recovery efforts will take many months, if not years. The Fiona Recovery Fund will support a broad range of rebuilding and resiliency efforts, be it gathering places, mental health supports or other needs as initiated by the community when they are ready,” said Nicole Dawe, Executive Director, Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Rotarians respond to local and global community challenges. The Fiona Recovery Fund is an excellent opportunity for the thirteen Rotary Clubs in Newfoundland and Labrador to serve our communities”, said Mel Dean, Area Governor for Western Newfoundland
Donations can be made online for anyone wishing to contribute financially to the Fiona Recovery Fund. All funds received through the Fiona Recovery Fund will support communities with their recovery, rebuilding and resilience efforts. Working alongside community leaders from the Southwest coast, the adjudicated granting process is expected to begin next year.
Canadians looking to support emergency relief efforts may donate to the Canadian Red Cross to support the vital assistance they provide to communities in times of crisis.
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About Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (CFNL) creates a strong community by supporting Newfoundland and Labrador’s well-being, culture, environment and education. CFNL facilitates philanthropy between donors and community organizations for the long-term benefit of our province. We achieve this impact by stewarding and granting from donor-advised and community funds, being a granting partner for corporations and government, and supporting local community knowledge and leadership.
Established in 2001, CFNL stewards more than $2 million in philanthropic investment for the benefit of the province. We’re part of Community Foundations of Canada (CFC), the national network for Canada’s 200 community foundations that, combined, holds $8 billion in assets and reaches 90 percent of the country’s Communities.
About Rotary
Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.4 million members of more than 46,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping those in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit Rotary.org.
Contact
Nicole Dawe
Executive Director
Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador
ndawe@cfnl.ca
T: 709-221-1030
M: 709-219-7865
Investment Readiness Program Launches

Funded by the Government of Canada, the Investment Readiness Program (IRP) supports social purpose organizations as they contribute to solving pressing social, cultural and environmental challenges across Canada.
Its goal is to help social purpose organizations build their capacity to participate in Canada’s growing social finance market and prepare themselves to take on investments. IRP is currently open for an additional round of applications thanks to the renewed $50 million investment from the Government of Canada. The IRP is supporting social purpose organizations as they recover from the pandemic and build more resilient communities for the future.
The online application portal is open from September 29, 2022, to 5pm (ET), November 22, 2022. You can learn more and apply here.
A recording of the applicant information webinar can be found here. A webinar on Social Entrepreneurship and Social Finance, presented by Trico Charitable Foundation, will take place on November 7 at 2:30pm (NL). Registration for this webinar can be found here.
The Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador will facilitate the review of applications in Newfoundland and Labrador. Contact Nicole at ndawe@cfnl.ca or (709) 221-1030 if you are a social purpose organization in Newfoundland and Labrador with specific questions about your application or project.