On June 9, the Airdrie and District Community Foundation (ADCF) held its annual 2022 Funding Announcement at the Woodside Golf Course. 

ADCF’s greatest cumulative grant to date of $25,000 went to five local nonprofits: The Airdrie Public Library, Airdrie Community Choir, Bethany Care Foundation, Airdrie and District Victims Assistance Society, and North Rocky View Community Links. 

Dale Rathgeber, the President of the Airdrie and District Community Foundation says community funds are always about the charities. 

“A community foundation is basically a legacy fund of money that came from tax receivable donations from donors. The principle of those donations is never touched. Only the interest and fund earnings are spent every year and it's spent on 100 per cent local charities.” 

Rathgeber wanted to make it clear that if you do donate, the foundation will hold the principle of the donation forever and just donate the fund interest and earnings, which are professionally managed by pension managers on local charities every year. 

“Our foundation technically started about a dozen years ago, but it really only got active in 2017. It started with $10,000 and we have now grown to just over $500,000, which we believe is a pretty significant milestone. It allows us to give donations every year of about $25,000.” 

On June 9, the donatable funds were split up between the five nonprofits. 

“We granted $2,800 to the John and Peggy Graham fund for early literacy that went to the Airdrie Public Library. We granted $1,000 to the Airdrie Community Choir. We granted $2,500 to the Bethany Care Society for their music therapy program for seniors. We granted $7,300 to Airdrie and District Victims Assistance for counselling. We granted $11,500 to North Rocky View Community Links for individual counselling sessions, all totalling $25,000.“ 

Rathgeber says making these donations always feels good. 

“It is gratifying that the volunteer work we do is seeming to be paying dividends.”  

Just recently, the foundation received the green light to put a donor recognition tree in Genesis Place. 

“If you want to get on that tree $1,000 gets you a leaf, a $5,000 donation gets you a branch, and $10,000 gets you a root. We accept very many small donations. No donation is too small.” 

To donate to the foundation, visit their WEBSITE. 

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