Lethbridge living | Page 48

supporting southwestern alberta forever $25 Million in Permanent Funds 2015 Grants Total $723,127 A from Humble beginnings, a lasting legacy Sustainable Support for Charities $5.4 Million The person who brought people together to start what is now the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta was Louis Sherman Turcotte, a local lawyer and judge who had a vision for what the Foundation could be, and who motivated others to share that vision. “Turcotte was known to have worked diligently behind the scenes to get community buy-in and founding funds for the organization,” said George Hall, the current Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta. “As well, he was instrumental in creating the original Lethbridge B Foundation Act, which was proclaimed in the Alberta Legislature on April 18, 1966. He later bequested more than $500,000 to the Foundation after his passing in 1983, C which served to significantly increase its granting ability.” Hall said that Turcotte’s gift would be the first of three transformational gifts to the Community Foundation over the past 50 years. “The second gift, announced in 2005, was from the estate of James Earl Rinehart. He left the bulk of his $6 million estate to the Foundation, again to the Community Priorities Fund. Because of their foresight, our Foundation boasts a very high proportion of funds available on an unrestricted basis to support the needs of communities.” 6 Community Priorities Fund Focus on Issues $12.7 Million $5.5 Million Managed Funds $1.4 Million Community Priorities Fund Support for Charities $487,345 in grants were distributed to 63 community organizations in 2015. Donors designated $104,107 to support specific charities throughout our region in 2015. Focus on Issues Managed Funds Donors have established funds that focus on a variety of issues. $131,675 in grants were dispersed in 2015. The most recent transformational gift, announced in December 2014, came as a $4.4 million bequest from the estate of the late William (Bill) Long, a Pincher Creekarea rancher who wanted to improve and sustain rural communities in southwestern Alberta, now and into the future. “We have found that a significant number of our donors who have an interest in helping the community through Careful stewardship of $1.4 million in managed funds on behalf of five specific charities. a legacy gift to the Foundation do so to ensure that the challenges they may have faced can be lessened for others in some way,” Hall said. “They are confident in leaving the decision making to the Foundation’s Board of Directors, who have our donors’ wishes in mind at all times when choosing organizations to support.” A The founding members of what would become the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta, at their inaugural meeting in August, 1964. Back row, left to right: Lethbridge Mayor Frank Sherring; Ralph C. Tennant; Charles J. F. Beny; William Fairbairn; Sven Ericksen; Reed Ellison. Seated, front, left to right: James K. Ringland; Violet Broder; Ralph A. Thrall, Sr.; Louis Sherman Turcotte. B Louis Sherman Turcotte C James Earl Rinehart