Charity Connections – Saanich Peninsula Community Foundation: Growing a Better Community, Together

While the numbers have grown, one thing has never changed: our mission to enrich the quality of life on the Saanich Peninsula through lasting community giving.

So, how does it work?

Unlike a fundraising campaign where donations are spent immediately, gifts to the SPCF are invested in a permanent endowment fund. The principal is protected, and only the investment income is used to provide grants each year. That means every gift continues giving back, helping build a stronger community now and for generations to come.

At the start of each year, local charities and non-profit organizations apply for grants that support projects in areas such as health, education, arts and culture, recreation, environmental stewardship, and social services. Our volunteer Grants Committee carefully reviews every application and awards grants to projects that respond to real community needs.

From supporting youth mental health and food security to preserving local history, helping families and protecting our natural environment, every grant helps make our community stronger.

The Foundation itself was built by community-minded people who believed in giving locally. One of those visionaries was Clive Tanner, whose passion for the Peninsula helped establish the Foundation. Clive had said: “One of the beauties of the Foundation is that the money stays here forever, and helps a lot of people.” It remains a guiding principle today.

As founder of Tanner’s Books, Clive understood the power of reading to open doors and strengthen communities. Today, his legacy lives on through the Clive Tanner Literacy Grants, which support literacy projects across the Peninsula.

Most donors choose to contribute to the Foundation’s permanent endowment. Others choose donor-directed giving, allowing them to support a specific local non-profit while receiving a charitable tax receipt through the Foundation. However people choose to give, they are investing in the future of the community they call home.

For more than two decades, SPCF has been entirely volunteer-run and is now looking to add its first paid team member. Board Chair Tim Maloney explains: “As we continue to grow, we’re excited to begin the search for our first Executive Director, an important step that will help us expand our impact and build an even stronger future for our community.”