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In the spring of 2024, LCFS issued a call for proposals for the 2024 grant cycle. LCFS President Bruce Whittington said, “The Grants Committee considered all applications, and was so pleased with the strength of the proposals that it decided to award three grants this year.” 

The Community Circles Restorative Justice Society received a grant of $600 to help fund its Village Workshop Series: Building Bridges Through Understanding the Village. CCRJS Project Director Deanna Wrate explained the project will “educate, engage and involve residents in activities and processes that seek solutions in addressing harm and conflict in their communities.”

The Other Guise Theatre Company proposed a program called Super Shorts: An Evening of Short Play Readings. Artistic and Executive Director Matthew Payne says, “By holding professional performances we hope to inspire emerging artists to strengthen their craft.” The company operates widely, but calls Ladysmith “home”, and wanted to collaborate with the Ladysmith Little Theatre to bring this program to Ladysmith. LCFS awarded a grant of $300 for the project.

The third grant was a contribution towards the renovations of the Ladysmith First United Church Hall. While the grant of $200 will benefit the members of the church, it will also help to improve an important community amenity, as the hall is used by a variety of community organizations. Church Administrator Mimi Zuyderduyn said, “The best news was that two donors came forward and offered to match the LCFS contribution, so its value was tripled!”

The grant cheques were presented at the Better Together! Volunteer Fair, which was organized by LCFS with financial assistance from Ladysmith Rotary. LCFS continues to build the Ladysmith Community Fund so that larger grants will be possible in the coming years.

It was a busy day at Aggie Hall on April 14th, 2024, where the Ladysmith Community Fund, with the support of Ladysmith Rotary, held its inaugural Better Together! Volunteer Fair. Twenty-four local community organizations set up displays to describe what they do, and how volunteers can help. And volunteers came forward to offer their time and expertise. As an added bonus, many local organizations made new or stronger connections with other groups, which will foster collaboration in the non-profit sector. For more details, and some images, click on the Events button.

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!