Louise Lodge is the chair of the North Thompson Communities Foundation which serves the valley from McLure to Blue River. Like many volunteers, she offers her time to a number of worthwhile organizations in the valley and also serves as a councillor for the District of Barriere.
Lodge grew up in Barriere and upon graduating from Barriere Secondary School left to attend the University of B.C. obtaining her teaching degree. She taught in the Vancouver area for eight years and then travelled overseas for 16 years teaching in various countries.
"When my dad passed away I decided to move home to Barriere and spend time with my mum and after she passed I retired and thought it was time to give back to the community that I grew up in. I volunteer for numerous organizations in Barriere, starting off with the Barriere Outdoor Club which led to my involvement with the North Thompson Communities Foundation (NTCF). The foundation gave the Outdoor Club a grant for the 'Amazing Race" that I organized and when they held their AGM they invited any of the grant recipients to come. When I learned more about how the foundation gives back to communities throughout the valley I became involved and I've been with the foundation for six years, nearing seven now. I started as a board member then became vice-chair and stepped into the role as chair two years ago now."
Lodge explained how the foundation, like most foundations in Canada, has a mission to support the greatest needs and priorities of communities, noting the North Thompson Communities Foundation is no different.
"Their mission is to provide a pathway for donations and endowments and legacies to support the North Thompson communities in the form of grants and bursaries. There are 12 seats available for the board and we have a need for more board members. I felt it was a great way to learn about foundations and to get involved to help improve the quality of life for the community members and residents throughout the valley," she said.
The chair of the NTCF said the foundation encourages and connects organizations assisting them with funding to do what they need to do to support their communities within the valley.
"When this foundation established in the North Thompson it started off with $100,000 coming from the Vancouver Foundation and some donations from families in the valley as well. The money is invested and the foundation can grant money from the interest on those investments. Whatever we have invested each year we give back the interest on that money to the communities during our granting session in the spring. Over the last several years, we've decided that we need to keep more of the foundation money local and invest it with Interior Savings or Beam so we have more control over it locally. We really want people to understand when they donate or leave money to the NTCF they are actually investing back into the community they live in."
They recently launched a small campaign on Giving Tuesday because they wanted to increase their bursary funds. All of the funds raised on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3 will go into the bursary fund and they raised just over $2,000 for that recently.
The NTCF is now looking for new ways to partner with different organizations throughout the valley by holding coffee houses where residents can drop in for a coffee or tea and learn more about the foundation and what it does. The NTCF would like to build upon a bigger portfolio of endowments so they can focus on some priorities that are needed in the North Thompson and the foundation would then grant to those organizations and areas for their particular needs.
Lodge explains there are a number of new goals such as creating informational material to help people understand what the foundation actually does and how their donation money, or other types of donations can be a giving legacy that will continue to support groups, organizations and growth in a sustainable way.
"You know, you have a little bit of pride when you see that you've actually granted people money that is going to a good cause or project in the community and you see it put to good use. We are looking for individuals to join us also with a variety of skills and if someone is interested in volunteering or becoming part of the foundation we would love to talk with them," she said.
If you are interested in learning more about the North Thompson Communities Foundation, volunteering or perhaps becoming a director, please contact: Chair Louise Lodge at: 250-879-1268 or email ntcommunitiesfoundation@gmail.com.
