02 Dec Unrestricted giving: A philanthropic choice that makes a huge impact on the Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast Foundation deploys donors’ gifts where they matter the most

If you’re considering making a charitable gift this season, whether a large or small donation, a new fund or a legacy bequest, it often begins with the same question: “Where can my contribution make the greatest difference?”

For those who care deeply about the Sunshine Coast but don’t have a specific cause or charity in mind, unrestricted giving offers a meaningful path forward. It empowers you to support the community you love in a way that is flexible, far-reaching and acutely responsive to whatever needs or opportunities arise.

This is the strength of the Sunshine Coast Foundation. With a long-term commitment to supporting the region and a discerning understanding of local issues, the Foundation ensures that 100% of donated funds stay on the Sunshine Coast while serving the community thoughtfully and effectively.

“Donors are often surprised to learn they don’t have to designate their gift to a particular charity or cause and that unrestricted support is one of the most powerful ways to give back to our community” says Erin Storey, executive director of the Sunshine Coast Foundation.  “When donors choose unrestricted, it shows a deep confidence in our leadership and our mission.”

Through unrestricted giving, the Foundation can direct funds to the most pressing issues, ensuring a greater and more immediate impact in areas like health, education and the environment.

Benefits for donors, trust and transparency

Unrestricted giving offers donors an easy and flexible way to make a meaningful impact. Donors can contribute to an existing unrestricted fund or establish their own, receive tax benefits right away and trust the Foundation to direct resources to the greatest community needs as they arise. Donors can depend on the Foundation’s accredited, transparent stewardship and rely on its deep community knowledge and grant-making expertise.

“We are incredibly proud to be the first charitable organization headquartered on the Sunshine Coast to earn accreditation under Imagine Canada’s Standard program,” reveals Storey. “Out of over 86,000 charities across Canada, just over 300 have attained this prestigious Trustmark.”

The impact of trust

The power of flexible funding and the generosity of donors who believe in the bigger picture cannot be understated. The largest unrestricted gift the Foundation has received — a $1.9 million bequest from Vera Elizabeth Barron in 2011 — has been deployed across five different priority areas over the years, including meaningful grants for large community projects and core funding to hire the Foundation’s first executive director.

“It is humbling and deeply heartwarming when someone believes in our mission enough to include us in their legacy,” says Storey.

Unrestricted gifts also play a vital role in the Foundation’s annual community grants program — funding local charities with a wide range of initiatives, including poverty reduction, arts and culture, food security, housing, healthcare, education, seniors, climate and conservation, youth, support of marginalized groups and more.

Recent grantees include the Gibsons & District Public Library who were tackling accessibility needs of its members, and the St. Bart’s and Pender Harbour Food Banks who needed to expand to accommodate the growing needs of patrons.

“Our Board and team genuinely feel emotion every time we learn of a new gift, knowing we’ve been entrusted to put it to its very best use, and we take that responsibility very seriously.”

Community foundations, like the Sunshine Coast Foundation, rely on all levels of donations from a wide variety of donors. Any size unrestricted donation is meaningful; even very small donations can create a big impact, helping to build new relationships and extend the reach of their grant-making.

For more information on making a gift or how to establish your own endowment, visit Ways of Giving.

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First published by the Coast Reporter.

Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash.