Leave a Legacy
Grants
Scholarships
The Winkler Community Foundation builds and manages endowment funds to support local charitable activities.
These are funds where money is invested and only the generated interest is dispersed.
These funds are held in perpetuity, meaning they are never spent: each year it keeps on earning interest and giving back to the community annually.
GENERAL FUNDS
Community Fund
This fund supports the community through its general granting program. This includes arts, culture, heritage, environment, recreation, seniors, family services and social services.
This is our general unrestricted fund.
Thomas Sill Fund
In his last will, Tom Sill established the foundation which bears his name. His will, a measure of his astuteness, contained only this instruction:
“I have decided to create an entity for charitable purposes.”
This fund will begin granting in spring 2025.
DONOR ADVISED FUNDS
Falk Fehr Foundation Fund
The fund’s mission is to improve the quality of life in the city of Winkler and the surrounding area and to give everyone an equal opportunity to succeed. They work with local charities to promote education, make sure our local families have food, and give everyone a chance to participate in sports.
This fund was created by 2 former NHL hockey players – Justin Falk and Eric Fehr that have come back to Winkler to raise their families.
Mend the Gap Fund
The purpose of this fund is to support initiatives, programs and services that alleviate poverty through innovative approaches impacting families and making a difference by Mending the Gap in the community of Winkler. The fund has supported Christmas housing projects, housing play structure project, and other low income housing projects.
Family Funds
This fund was created by community members who want to have a say in how they support their community. Each year they direct the grant dollars from this fund to projects that are important to them with the goal that the granting pattern will continue long past their lifetime.
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Kalansky Family Fund
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MAP Fund
AGENCY FUNDS
Gateway Resources Fund
This fund was created when the Gateway Foundation board moved their investments to the Winkler Community Foundation to continue their work. The fund supports the programs and services of Gateway Resources Inc.
Winkler Fire Rescue Fund
Winkler Emergency Services and fire department members created this fund to provide annual funding for safety equipment, training, and education purposes.
Winkler Heritage Museum Fund
Winkler Heritage Museum preserves and exhibits local history. This fund was created to capitalize on the Manitoba Heritage Trust Program, which aims to attract public and private funding and provide long-term sustainable revenue for the heritage organizations.
MEMORIAL FUNDS
Evan Thomas Memorial Fund
Evan Thomas was a bright young man with an engaging smile and a generous heart. He was a fantastic athlete and an even better student. He played a lot of baseball and hockey. Evan loved his teammates, quality time with them was a direct line to his heart. Many of Evan’s friends and family believe that he played sports more for the love of being amongst his teammates than for the sport itself, although Evan was noted for being an exceptional competitor and team leader. Evan was tragically killed in a horrific bus accident on April 6, 2018 on his way to play hockey with his Broncos teammates.
The EVAN THOMAS MEMORIAL TRUST FUND and WINKLER MINOR HOCKEY are, jointly, pleased to announce the creation of an Endowment Fund within the Winkler Community Foundation. The intent of this Fund will be to create an annual payout sufficient to cover hockey registration fees for one male and one female athlete annually, in perpetuity.
In 2022 the Winkler Flyers Alumni were celebrating the 25th anniversary of their MJHL championship. Through the generosity of that alumni group, the proceeds of the 50-50 draw were donated to the Evan Thomas Memorial Trust Fund. The directors of the Evan Thomas Memorial Trust Fund wanted to somehow return that donation to the community of Winkler and help children, specifically, who might be facing tough economic times get to participate in hockey. Thus, the seed money for this Endowment Fund was created.
Wyatt Kash Fehr Memorial Fund
In August 2024, the Wyatt Kash Fehr memorial fund was created through the Winkler Community Foundation. Construction of an outdoor classroom is to be built in his honour. The outdoor classroom is currently in the planning phase and will be located at J.R. Walkof School where Wyatt was a student. The structure will keep Wyatt’s memory alive in the hearts and minds of his school and the broader community of Winkler & District.
Wyatt attended kindergarten at J.R. Walkof Elementary School. His passion for superheroes, dramatic play, cars, blocks and building brought a delightful energy to each day. Wyatt’s enthusiasm for celebrating his friends and their unique interests was heartwarming, and his love for listening to stories added an extra layer of joy to his interactions.
Jake and Tina Neisteter Memorial Fund
Jake and Tina were very involved in their community and were known to say, “If you live in a community, you have to give back.”
This fund supports community grants in memory of Jake & Tina.
DESIGNATED FUNDS
Katie Cares Fund
This fund exists to support the work of Katie Cares (katiecares.ca).
Katie Cares was created by Kaitlyn Reimer, together with her parents, with the original mission of helping to provide for the needs of kids fighting cancer.
Frank & Vi Wiebe
Frank and Vi Wiebe Winkler Cheerboard Fund
Frank Wiebe had a long history of building and supporting foundation work which is why the family chose the Winkler Community Foundation as an option for in-memory donations. The family discussed options of how to best direct this gift so it would be a continued inspiration for them as a family and possibly others moving forward.
Frank and Vi always enjoyed the Christmas season and all it offered in connecting with friends and family. They also believed that those in more challenging times of life should also have the opportunity to enjoy what the Christmas season offered, so they would find ways to support them in various ways.
This fund supports the work of the Winkler & District Cheerboard whose mission is “to aid and assist families in need with a food hamper in the spirit of Christmas, and to involve the community in meeting this need.”
Winkler Minor Ball Fund
The purpose of this fund is to support the programs and services of Winkler Minor Ball. These funds may be used for equipment purchase, development and training of coaches, players and officials, and cover expenses toward higher level of competition and tournaments, and/or capital purchases.
This fund was created by a former coach and baseball enthusiast who wanted to see that there would be annual funds to support youth playing higher levels of ball.
FIELD OF INTEREST FUNDS
2014 Manitoba Winter Games Sport Legacy Fund
The Winkler Community Foundation will provide grants to community organizations to enhance the quality of their programming through the 2014 Manitoba Winter Games Sport Legacy Fund. These grants are for the purchase of equipment, coaching and training for community-based sport and recreation programs. This fund was created with the surplus generated by the 2014 Manitoba Winter Games to provide opportunities for promotion and enhancement of leadership and/or sports development within Winkler and the RM of Stanley.
To learn more about what this fund supports, please review the Purpose Of Sports Legacy Fund document.
Darlene Peters Health Fund
This fund was created from the estate bequest of Darlene Peters. The purpose of the fund is to support health related grants. These grants will contribute to health education programs and support programs/initiatives in our community and surrounding area.
Darlene was someone who loved people and loved to do things for others. She gave freely of herself and her time. Above all else, she was a great caregiver.
Dr. CW Wiebe Fund
This fund was formed when the CW Wiebe Foundation ceased operations. WCF was to carry on the granting for the Foundation. Each year medical equipment applications are reviewed.
All projects must be related to medical equipment or benefit the advancement of health care in our community.
“Cornelius W. Wiebe – A Beloved Physician”. He founded the Dr. C.W. Wiebe Foundation in 1982 to provide funding for instruments and technology not otherwise available from the Manitoba Hospital Commission Plan.
Youth in Philanthropy Fund
Youth in philanthropy (YIP) started at WCF in 2002 with funding support by the Thomas Sill Foundation. The YIP Endowment fund supports Garden Valley Collegiate and Northland Parkway Collegiate by providing each high school yip group additional grant dollars.
SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS
Gordon Wiebe Education Awards
The late Gordon Wiebe was a former pharmacist who grew up and worked in Winkler. For many years Gordon operated Wiebe’s Pharmacy at the corner of Main Street and Mountain Avenue. In planning for his estate, Gordon recognized the need to take care of family members, but beyond that, Gordon wanted to create a vehicle to give back to the community in which he had lived and worked.
The Gordon Wiebe Education Fund, is an endowment fund created by the Winkler Community Foundation to financially assist young people from this area in their postsecondary education.
Kaitlyn Marie Reimer Award
The Kaitlyn Marie Scholarship Fund was created by Kerry & Darlene Pollock to honor the life and vision of Katie Reimer.
Annually, a scholarship will be given through the Garden Valley Collegiate Scholarship Program to support deserving students, and help them achieve their educational goals.