Success Stories
Cortes Literacy/FolkU
In collaboration with Cortes Literacy and Folk University, the Cortes Island Community Foundation has been working to support island-wide community literacy programming. We have supported weekly neighbour-led learning sessions (FolkU Fridays), the Cortes Book Club, a writing workshop series in partnership with Vancouver Island Regional Library, and exciting one-off workshops on journalism, cooking, and more! Stay tuned for more learning opportunities to come.
Stay current with Folk U events & classes:
Join the Folk U list-serv by send an email to
folku-news+subscribe@cortes.groups.io to subscribe.
Live Music
In partnership with FolkU and Cortes Community Radio (CKTZ), the Cortes Island Community Foundation supported a weekly live music series at our island’s Friday farmer’s market. Performed to a live audience and simultaneously broadcast on CKTZ from the Village Commons tent, this event series ran for 9 weeks and hosted 17 local musicians.
The Giving Well
The Cortes Island Community Foundation has been chosen to participate in a one-time experiment in low-barrier, direct giving to our Cortes community. In 2023, with the help of our amazing community cultivators, the CICF was able to give out over $180,000 to community memeber on Cortes who are in acute financial need!
Cortes Island Academy
The Cortes Island Community Foundation has been chosen to participate in a one-time experiment in low-barrier, direct giving to our Cortes community. In 2023, with the help of our amazing community cultivators, the CICF was able to give out over $180,000 to community memeber on Cortes who are in acute financial need!
MicroGrants
The MicroGrants 4 Neighbours program gets small amounts of money (usually $50 to $500) directly into the hands of neighbours doing important things for the community. This program developed out of Cortes Literacy’s seed grant program in partnership with Folk University. Since the beginning we were able to fund 39 different projects surrounding broad themes.
The Launch of our Social Profit Network
The Cortes Island Community Foundation has been working over the past few years to create a network to provide support to our islands many Social Profit organizations (which is over 30!). With this network we hope to provide support by helping to compile useful resources, develop funds & provide philanthropic tools. In 2025 we hosted our 3nd in-person gathering at Hollyhock.
Watch the video to learn more about the network and click here to read about the gatherings.
