Town of Osoyoos council has approved spending $2,500 to upgrade a new fund to assist local non-profit and charity organizations and at least once councillor is asking local citizens to consider donating money for the good cause.

The Community Foundation of the South Okanagan has been providing support for various local organizations for several years, but has increased its mandate to build the fund and support more charities since hiring Sarah Trudeau as its community development co-ordinator.

For the past year, Trudeau’s job has been to try and build local funds in the smaller communities spread across the South Okanagan outside of the City of Penticton.

The community fund that has been established in Osoyoos currently has a balance of just under $5,900.

In a letter to council, Trudeau said the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan would be willing to match funds to a maximum of $2,500 if council agreed to donate $2,500.

Council voted unanimously in favour of that proposal on Monday, meaning the Osoyoos fund has quickly grown from $5,900 to almost $11,000.

Over the past 22 years, the foundation has supported Osoyoos organizations with over $27,000 in grants and scholarships.

The foundation relies on pooled funds in the region to provide funding to Osoyoos.

With its current balance, the endowment fund established for Osoyoos earns less than $200 per year and only $3,500 was donated to local non-profit organizations.

There’s an obvious need to grow the fund and the foundation is hopeful that local citizens will be encouraged to donate if the town provides the $2,500, said Trudeau.

Mayor Stu Wells said the community foundation started small in Penticton more than 25 years ago and now has millions of dollars in assets and helps numerous community organizations.

One of the best aspects of this program is that all money donated in Osoyoos stays in this community to assist local organizations and local residents can donate money to assist causes they believe in, he said.

“If the money comes from Osoyoos, it remains in Osoyoos … if someone donating funds wants the money to go to the Pioneer walkway, it goes to the Pioneer walkway,” he said.

Trudeau will be organizing an information session in Osoyoos this spring to spread awareness about the community foundation and the good work it does, said Wells.

Several councilors suggested the foundation could apply for regular town funding through its grant and aid program that donates roughly $40,000 to numerous community organizations.

“I think that’s a great way to move forward with this,” said Wells.

Coun. Sue McKortoff agreed and said she would like to see the foundation apply for funding as part of the grant and aid process for this year and then re-evaluate it before next year’s budget process takes place.

Coun. Michael Ryan said the foundation has been around for a long time and he urged local citizens who want to donate to a worthy cause and help their community to consider donating to this organization.

Ryan said he would personally be making a contribution to the fund and is confident it will grow substantially in the coming weeks and months.

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times