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Our Mission

The Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough is the vital link between caring community members and local causes that matter. We foster philanthropy by pooling endowed and special funds, while our grants to registered charities enhance the quality of life for our citizens.

Our Vision

We will be a philanthropic leader, catalyst and creative force in enhancing and strengthening our community.

Our Mandate

Building on the spirit and history of generosity in Peterborough County and City we will:

• Offer an opportunity for people to give back to the community that has nurtured them
• Foster the growth of community philanthropy
• Build and carefully manage community endowments
• Provide exceptional donor services
• Address community needs and opportunities through strategic grant making and organizational support
• Provide leadership on key community issues.

Please Note: The term "community" is used to identify the nature of our foundation (it is a public, community-based, volunteer-driven philanthropic organization, not a private one), and in our case, we mean all of the communities in the region of Peterborough - the City of Peterborough and all 8 townships that comprise the County of Peterborough, their towns and villages. That is the reason for calling it the Community Foundation of "Greater" Peterborough).

Purpose/Activities

All community foundations combine three main roles:

• Endowment building and flexible, comprehensive donor services
• Broad and effective grant making
• Inclusive community leadership

The Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough (CFGP) will develop grant programs, and services similar to those of the 160 other community foundations across Canada. Following consultations with city and county officials, other agencies, foundations and non-profits, we will provide financial resources, training and expertise that responds directly to identified community needs. Our primary activities are philanthropic, building endowment funds and generating financial resources that can be returned to the community in direct response (from the ground up) to community needs, dreams and visions.

Community foundations like the CFGP support a vision for new developments and new ideas within the community. They help to fill the financial gaps that cash-strapped municipal governments and existing agencies cannot meet, leverage additional funding into the community through partnerships with private foundations and government agencies, work with non-profit organizations and service clubs to realize special projects and provide a broad-based vehicle for investment in the community. Community foundations put donors' funds to work locally in community-driven projects.

Community foundations bring together people who care about their communities. They are 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. Community foundations help donors achieve their charitable goals and invest financial capital into their communities.

Community foundations help strengthen the non-profit sector in the community by building these organizations' capacity to be more effective and efficient. This is achieved through the community foundation's provision of research and administrative resources, training, education and financial assistance. Community foundations provide support for a wide variety of projects that enhance the quality of life in the community, leverage new or additional money into the community, have a positive economic impact on the community by partnering with organizations like Downtown Business Improvement Areas, Chambers of Commerce and others. They carry out research, offer training workshops that increase local NGO capacity and carry out community beautification.

Community foundations offer a special role in the community. They are able to take a long-term view in tackling community challenges, offer community-based, personalized donor services (keeping money here at home), take a broad perspective on effective granting and the development of networks in a wide range of sectors. The CFGP will provide support that crosses over different sectors and work with existing funders to build bridges and fill gaps. Community foundations make a commitment to community service that reflects the interests of the community.

Community foundations respond to community needs. They can respond to social, cultural, economic and environmental innovation initiatives and through their planning and research, address long term, systemic issues. They offer unique opportunities for individual citizens to give back to the community they love. Through their endowments, community foundations act as a savings account for the community.