The Ottawa Community Foundation partners with Community Forward Fund
Fiscal innovation + community knowledge = a more sustainable community
Celebrating 25 years of connecting donors who care with causes that matter, the Ottawa Community Foundation (CFO) is looking forward to enhancing its financial support to local charities and providing a new vehicle for donors through a partnership with the Community Forward Fund (CFF). With an initial $1-million donor commitment in hand, the Foundation will soon be in a position to provide loans to local charities.
The partnership with CFF is the first step in the Community Foundation’s new Impact Investing strategy, which is designed to seek out investments that provide, not only a financial return, but also a social or environmental benefit. In this way, the CFO is working to do more with its endowment by leveraging its assets in new ways to have maximum community impact. Rather than choosing between having either a financial return or a social benefit, it is seeking investments that do both.
“Through this unique collaboration, CFO can go far beyond its traditional grant-making role,” says Brian Toller, Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Governors. “It provides us with a substantial new way to serve the community and increase the sustainability of the charitable sector.”
CFF CEO Nora Sobolov says, “We are excited to partner with the Ottawa Community Foundation. Its work over the years has benefited countless organizations and the communities they serve. CFO’s in-depth understanding of the community, combined with our knowledge of the financial sector, will create new opportunities for entrepreneurship and philanthropic ventures.”
“Our relationship with and commitment to the community has grown ever stronger since we first opened our doors 25 years ago”, adds Barbara McInnes, President & CEO of the Ottawa Community Foundation. “We are so pleased to offer this new option that builds on the excellent work already being accomplished at the grassroots level. We are looking forward to this tremendous new chapter of growth and development for the entire community.”
Established in 1987, the Ottawa Community Foundation is a public, non-profit organization created by and for the people of Ottawa. It connects donors who care with causes that matter and serves as a trusted resource for addressing issues and leveraging opportunities in the community. Since its inception, the Community Foundation has been enabling generous citizens to enhance the quality of life in their community and to achieve their own charitable objectives through permanent, well-managed endowments.
For more information about the Community Forward Fund, visit www.communityforwardfund.ca.
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For further information, please contact:
Iona Green
Manager, Marketing and Communications
Ottawa Community Foundation
613-236-1616 X 232
igreen@cfo-fco.ca
Heidi Lasi, Communicarium,
For the Community Forward Fund
h.lasi@rogers.com