Day 12: Wrap Up
Thank you for following along for our 12 Days of Giving! Money is not the only way to be involved. Visit our website to join our community jury. You can also reach out to the organizations we have highlighted and volunteer directly to them.
Donate now – https://cortesfoundation.ca/donate-now/
Day 11: Cortes Housing Society
Celebrating the recent momentum from the Cortes Housing Society with their new Executive Director, Sadhu Johnston who last week held an open community forum to discuss housing challenges, ideas and experiences.
Read the recap by Cortes Currents here – https://cortescurrents.ca/cortes-islands-first-housing-forum/
Donate to their fund here – https://cortesfoundation.ca/donate-now/
Day 10: Cortes Radio Society
Cortes Community Radio has had another productive year! They have partnered with the Cortes Island Academy, to teach the students the basics of radio broadcasting, journalism and sound editing. They have also been deepening their ties with regional and local emergency services, and are part of the island’s emergency planning team.
To donate to the Cortes Radio fund click the link – https://cortesfoundation.ca/donate-now/ and select Cortes Radio Fund.
Day 9: Cortes Island Academy
Cortes Island Academy (CIA) is a place based high school program providing access to high quality education for rural, remote and marginalized students from Cortes Island and surrounding areas. This program is a partnership between School District 72 and the CIA Society. CIA’s immersive, experiential, and out of the box curriculum dives deep into subjects while learning aside experts in the field. In the project based classes, students have produced journalistic podcasts, place based field guides, people’s history posters, and biographical films. Check out CortesIslandAcademy.ca to view student work, testimonials and much more!
Visit https://cortesfoundation.ca to support this impactful program. Together, let’s create a lasting legacy for education on Cortes Island!
Day 8: Island DeathCare
Cortes Island DeathCaring Collective works to support death as part of life by:
- Initiating conversations, providing education, and encouraging people to plan ahead on issues related to end-of-life.
- Empowering, guiding, and supporting the practice of caring for our own dead and dying, in community
Consider donating today.
Day 7: Community Granting
Cortes Island is rich in organizations looking after nearly every aspect of our community: childcare, education, seniors, housing, environment, arts, culture, women’s issues, poverty reduction, food, and so much more. Without a sizable endowment and with just over two years in existence, the Cortes Island Community Foundation was able to start granting in 2023 thanks to a number of government grants. The CICF granted or directed over $175,000 to Cortes organizations this year. We are particularly proud of our adjudication process and the diversity of neighbours who have volunteered to serve on our community granting juries.
Thanks to our community granting process, we attracted the interest of a donor wanting to do a direct-to-individual GIFTING program that we believe is the first of its kind in Canada. This innovative program brought an additional $160,000 into our community to individuals that are routinely underserved by existing programs.
Your donation to the Care4Cortes Community Granting Fund will be granted through our community granting process to the Cortes community organizations that are the backbone of Cortes Island.
Day 6: Village Commons
Your donation will help us continue to develop the VC land into a supportive asset for all Cortes Islanders. Over the next few years we will be developing the land to offer amenities to our community that are not available now in Mansons Landing.
- The Pavilion; a 3 season outside performance, meeting and gathering space.
- The Nook; a shared office and meeting space to support our local social profit organizations
- Vending Area; an extension of the existing SCCA outdoor Friday Market next to Manson’s Hall, this area will also host small vendors in trailer-mounted stores.
- Welcome Pole; the creation of local WeiWaiKum/ Kwaakwakawakh carver Ernest Puglas, this pole will stand as a reminder to visitors that we share this land with local 1st Nations and with the natural world
- Wash House; this will include public showers, bathrooms and a small laundromat to support islanders and visitors to the VC who need access to these amenities to support their well- being.
Your donation to the Village Commons Enhancement will go to support the building of these public amenities on this land.
Day 5: Cortes Literacy/ Folk University
Folk University highlights the incredible diversity of knowledge and background of our Cortes community. It brings neighbours together to share what we know and learn from each other. Our fall programming began in late September and has included bike maintenance workshops, moss-identification walks, lectures and discussions about climate change, and much more – all free to whoever would like to learn with us. FolkU also collaborates in organizing and sponsoring various literacy-related programs around the community, such as the Cortes Book Club and regular writing workshops through VIRL. We’re passionate about learning and excited to be gathering in community, for community.
Donate to the Folk University fund to support neighbour-led learning and community literacy.
Day 4: Live Music & Entertainment
Cortes has an amazing history of creating its own fun. Numerous individuals have helped keep this legacy alive both within established organizations, in small groups, and on their own.
The Cortes Island Community Foundation has been able to support music and entertainment through community grants and microgrants and this summer–in partnership with Folk University and Cortes Radio–we were able to host a live music series weekly under the tent in the Village Commons featuring local artists. This fund is to help seed live music and entertainment opportunities year-round so that new initiatives can get off the ground and old-favourites can be revived. This is an “incubation” fund because it can replenish itself given enough time: Your donation to this fund can seed numerous hours of fun.
Consider donating today!
Day 3: Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
Cortes Island is already feeling the effect of climate change. Last summer wildfires sparked on both Cortes and Quadra. Two years ago Cortes experienced the longest drought in recorded history. Across the world, heatwaves and droughts are proving worse than projected with terrifying frequency and Cortes is no exception. Two things are clear: climate change is here and we can not rely on the government alone to help coastal communities adapt and build resiliency.
We are launching our Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Initiatives Fund, so that we can aid our community in building resiliency against growing climate threats. Consider donating today!
Day 2: MicroGrants for Neighbours
Did you attend one of these events this year?
- Gender Diversity Inclusion workshop
- Cortes Island Skate Jam
- Parents and Tots Classes
- Adventures in Leadership end of year kayak trip
- Songwriters of Cortes circle
- Citizen Journalism workshop
- Savoury Asian Cooking class (happening this Sunday, December 3rd!)
All of these projects were made possible by our MicroGrants for Neighbours program. This year our little island MicroGrants program gave away over $6,000. This was our first year as part of a network of Community Foundations across the province running similar programs called Neighbourhood Small Grants. These innovative programs give small amounts of money directly to neighbours with great ideas so they can share their interests directly with their community. More impact, less bureaucracy. Check out our website and video to learn more! https://cortesfoundation.ca/grants/microgrants-for-neighbours/
Day 1: General Fund – Below the Surface
Cortes Island grabs the heart of tourists and long-term residents alike. Yet, below the surface, Cortes Island is a community in need. Learn why by watching this video.
The Cortes Island Community Foundation strives to connect financial human resources with strategic solutions to meet those needs by listening to community needs, supporting local organizations, and investing in a thriving future through fund creation, granting, and program incubation.
This year for our first Giving Tuesday we are doing a 12 days of giving campaign featuring the Cortes organizations and causes that have partnered with us. Each day we will use our Social Media Channels, CortesIsland.com, and our newsletter list to help spread awareness. We invite you to share the causes that matter to you far and wide!
Donate today to the causes closest to your heart at CortesFoundation.ca