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The Ladysmith Community Fund Society is excited to announce a Volunteer Fair at the Aggie Hall in Ladysmith on Sunday, April 14th, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

The event is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of volunteers to non-profit organizations. Community organizations can show the community what they’re doing, and it’s also an opportunity for local people to explore ways that they can contribute to these organizations as volunteers or supporters.

The Volunteer Fair would not have been possible without a grant from Ladysmith Rotary, an organization that has been generous in its support of LCFS since its inception.

For more information, and to download a registration form, please go to our Events page.

The Ladysmith Community Fund Society is issuing its second annual call for proposals for grants to qualified charities. The Society established a community endowment fund in 2021 and issued its first grant in 2023 to the Ladysmith Little Theatre.

The Ladysmith Community Fund has grown and investment revenue has increased, so the Society will have $1100 available to one or more charities in the community, almost double what it was able to offer in 2023.

“We’re very gratified by the community response in support of the fund,” said Society president Bruce Whittington. “And we’re really excited to be giving back to the community—which is what we are set up to do.” The Society operates the endowment fund similar to a community foundation, and now that it is established, it will be able to offer grants every year. Those grants will increase as the fund continues to grow.

The deadline for grant proposals is midnight on March 11, 2024, and a decision will be made by the Grants Committee later that month. This is earlier than the 2023 grant cycle, because we heard from some charities that funding would be more useful earlier in the year. A grant application form, and grant application guidelines, are available on the Society’s web site here.

The Ladysmith Community Fund Society’s Grants Committee met to consider the applications it received in response to its call for proposals in May of 2023. The Board accepted the Committee’s recommendation that a grant be issued to the Ladysmith Little Theatre Society. The theatre company will use the funds in its Hearing Enhancement Program, which will make available, on loan, headsets to theatregoers with hearing impairments. The headsets will be connected to the theatre’s sound system by Bluetooth. 

Ladysmith Community Fund Society President Bruce Whittington thanked the theatre company for submitting an application in this, the first annual call for proposals. “Ladysmith Little Theatre has helped us make a little history”, Whittington said. Now that the Fund is established, it will continue to offer grants annually, and it is continuing to grow—the Fund recently received another welcome gift of $500 from Ladysmith Rotary. 

May 5, 2023

The Ladysmith Community Fund Society has issued its first call for proposals from charitable organizations in the Ladysmith area to receive a grant from the Ladysmith Community Fund. The Fund, which was established in 2021, has grown to the point where LCFS can use the revenue it earns to issue a charitable grant. President Bruce Whittington explained that the amount of the first grant will be small at $600. But, Whittington said, “We wanted to start giving back to the community as soon as we could, even if it is a small first step.” He added that more funds will be available in 2024, “and every year after that—forever.”

The deadline for applications is midnight, June 5th, and LCFS anticipates that funds will be issued in July. Applicants must be charities or other “qualified donees” as described under the Income Tax Act. Details of the grant application process, along with a downloadable application form, can be found under the “Granting” button on the LCFS website. LCFS also welcomes email enquiries at grants@ladysmithcommunityfund.ca. 

The Ladysmith Community Fund Society thanks Kim Ethier, who resigned as a director in August, for her contributions to our work. Kim’s experience helped us to build a solid foundation for the Society. We wish her well!

Ladysmith Rotary Club President Frank Elsom, right, presents a cheque for $5,000 to Charlie Schaal, LCFS Secretary, and Laurie Bienert, Executive Director of the Nanaimo Foundation.

In addition to this generous donation, the Fund also received private donations amounting to $7,000. This brings the fund balance to $23,000 in its first year.

Kim Ethier, a resident of Ladysmith for many years, has joined the board of the Ladysmith Community Fund Society. Kim has a strong background in banking and securities, with a recent emphasis on compliance in those fields. Welcome Kim!

Oct 21, 2021 – International Credit Union Day – The Ladysmith and District Credit Union presented a donation of $5,000 to the Ladysmith Community Fund. LDCU, always a strong supporter of community initiatives, has become our fund’s first Corporate Founder.

Sept. 13, 2021 – The Ladysmith Community Fund Society welcomed a new director to its board. Laurel Lawson is a former Executive Director of the Coquitlam Foundation, so brings a wealth of experience in the field of community foundation work to our society.