Funds donated to the Chilliwack Foundation are perpetually held in trust and invested under the oversight of the Investment Committee. Only the income earned from these investments is expensed annually to provide grants to local nonprofit organizations and scholarships to Chilliwack graduates pursuing a post-secondary education at an accredited institution.

The Chilliwack Foundation has no permanently paid staff except for accounting fees to both prepare and audit yearly financial statements and occasional part-time staff contracted to assist with administrative matters.

The Chilliwack Foundation is managed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Investment Committee and Distribution Committee are also comprised of community volunteers. As a result, the overhead of the Chilliwack Foundation is lower than other similar community foundations, resulting in a greater percentage of your donation benefitting the causes you care about.

Funds entrusted to the Chilliwack Foundation are administered in accordance with the donor’s intentions and are categorized as “designated” or “undesignated”. “Designated” funds are created to either establish a scholarship or to benefit a particular community organization, which is designated by the donor. These Designated funds also carry the name of the donor’s fund. For example, the “F Clifford Brown Scholarship”.

“Undesignated funds” are distributed through grants to registered nonprofit organizations. Twice yearly, in the Spring and Fall, the Foundation’s Distribution Committee receives applications from registered nonprofit organizations in Chilliwack. The committee meets to review the applications and awards grants based on need and benefit to the greatest number of affected individuals. In either case, the fund’s capital is untouched, with only the income it generates being awarded. Donations to the Chilliwack Foundation are tax deductible.

For information on the organizations that have received funds from the Chilliwack Foundation, please see the Tables of Approved Grant Applications under Grants.

The Chilliwack Foundation’s Investment Committee has a strong record of disciplined and prudent management of the Foundation’s investments, providing strong returns even in adverse market conditions. As of 2024, the assets under management by the Foundation have an aggregate value of over $10 million.

When you give to the Chilliwack Foundation, you are assured that your gift, large or small, is used to meet the changing needs of the community and in accordance with your wishes.