In celebration of its 50th Anniversary, the Brandon Area Community Foundation is participating in The Thomas Sill Foundation's $50,000 Challenge.

The local Foundation has confirmed that if they can raise $50,000, The Thomas Sill Foundation will donate $1 for every $2 raised over the course of the next four months. In other words, when the local Foundation reaches its $50,000 goal, the TSF will issue $25,000 to use in future granting to Brandon and surrounding area.

In order to reach their goal, the BACF is inviting western Manitobans to join them in the challenge. Donations will be directed to the Community Fund which will support community projects.

“BACF is excited to be offered this opportunity to increase our Community Fund, more dollars raised for this fund means more dollars will be granted back into our community projects,” states Laura Kempthorne, General Manager of BACF.  “This challenge will benefit everyone once we achieve this goal.”

Thomas Sill Foundation Executive Director Hugh Arklie says they’re proud to support Manitoba’s rural Foundations like the one in Brandon.
“We hope that the leverage offered by our $25,000 will encourage an enthusiastic response from your community such that even more than $50,000 is raised.”

The TSF is a huge supporter of community foundations in rural Manitoba and is pleased to offer the challenge to help grow the BACF endowment and in turn, encourage more community opportunities.

Manitoba makes up only 4% of the population of Canada, yet is home to 25% of our country’s community foundations.

The Sill Foundation has invested $2 million in foundations since 1993 and through this latest challenge will invest another $1 million into rural Manitoba.

The local Foundation was established fifty years ago when five men gathered their collective faith in the future to create a lasting legacy.