The annual meeting of the Morden Area Foundation also saw the organization playing the role of Santa Claus.
The foundation presented 10 grants that totalled about $78,000 as part of the meeting and Christmas party last Wednesday.
This annual occasion is always a reward for the year-round efforts of the foundation’s board of directors, observed chairperson Sue Nelson.
“It’s wonderful. Everybody loves the granting part of it because it’s great to be able to give money out to these organizations. They’re the people who are doing the real work in the community … it’s wonderful that we can help them in some way.”
Nelson saw the past year as being a successful one for the organization in many respects, including having had their best Giving Challenge week yet with over $49,000 raised.
“We were $14,000 over the previous year, so that’s tremendous,” she said. “We had more donors this year than in previous years too, so we’re very thankful for that as well.”
There were also other notable highlights, such as the $500,000 gift from Dave Lumgair in support of the new Learn and Return health care bursary program.
“We’re very pleased with that because it was a local community initiative,” Nelson said. “They came to us and said can we make this happen, and we are absolutely thrilled that we were able to.”
The foundation saw its net assets increase from $4.2 million to $6.5 million. Income in 2024 was $254,625, including $224,452 of investment income. That represents a slight increase from $249,973 in 2023. Expenses came in at $285,054, which was an increase from $206,200 in 2023.
The foundation gave out more grants than ever this year, totalling close to $78,000.
“It is the biggest ever that we have done,” noted Nelson. “There were 10 grants total, and they represent quite a cross-section. We try to make it quite a range of projects.”
Photos by Lorne Stelmach/Voice
The recipients included:
• Menzies Medical Centre – $15,000 for an return of service initiative for new physicians.
• Pembina Valley Child Care Centres – $15,000 for equipment and supplies.
• Many Hands Resource Centre – $10,000 for the fresh food access vouchers.
• 500 Stephen Community Centre – $10,000 for a community access transportation pilot project.
• Morden Activity Centre – $7,427.48 for a new high end commercial coffeemaker.
• Morden Family Resource Centre – $5,200 for preschool programs.
• Morden Minor Soccer Association – $5,000 for soccer balls and bags.
• South Central Regional Library – $4,125 for a new book return setup.
• Youth for Christ – $3,000 for the purchase of equipment for its workforce program.
• Pembina Valley Truth and Action Working Group – $3,000 to subsidize three educational events.
Nelson said there were some really exciting projects, and they also particularly liked supporting some newer organizations and smaller ones. Ultimately, they seek to respond to the community’s needs with these grants.
“That’s what we should be doing. We should be listening to the community, finding out what the needs are, what people think is important and then responding to it,” Nelson said. “That’s the best way to be good stewards of the money donors have entrusted us with.”
