Leave a Legacy
Grants
Scholarships
Pay It Forward May
Our purpose is simple! One act of kindness has the strength and power to create a long-lasting effect in our community. Kindness is a positive action that leaves someone in a better situation. It takes away the focus from ourselves and sparks generosity and gratitude in others. When we look beyond our own needs and help someone else, we better our community in more ways than one.
Pay It Forward May is important to the health and well-being of our community. It creates a better place to live, work and play. So, help us work together to inspire others and create a long-lasting impact with kindness.
CHANGING OUR COMMUNITY, ONE GOOD DEED AT A TIME.
Each MAY, the Winkler Community Foundation encourages their community—businesses, charities, youth groups, church groups, friend groups, and individuals—to look for a way to show kindness to someone without expecting anything in return.
Pay It Forward May Resources
WCF Board members Pay It Forward with spring clean up
Youth In Philanthropy
What is Youth in Philanthropy (YiP)?
YiP program introduces local high school and junior high students to philanthropy and community development. The program provides hands-on experience that benefits both participating students and local charities.
How does YiP work?
Youth Advisory Committees at each participating school discuss their values and goals for the year, look for ways to fundraise & volunteer in the community, and research potential charities and decide how to allocate their grant funds to charities of their choice. They present written recommendations to the Board of The Winkler Community Foundation for final approval.
How does YiP benefit the community?
- Young people learn about philanthropy and giving back to the community, which will continue.
- Youth learn about charities in our community and what they do.
- Youth volunteer in the community in various ways.
- Charitable organizations receive small grants for important projects for students
YiP Handbook
- 2022-2023 Yip Handbook [PDF]
YiP Resources
- YIP Contact Form [PDF]
- YIP Grant Recommendation [Excel]
- YIP Income + Expense Form [PDF]
GVC Youth in Philanthropy Annual Grants
YiP gives you the chance to make a real difference in the world around you.
We hope that your experience with Youth in Philanthropy will inspire you throughout your life.
Ruth Reimer, 2019 Recipient
Citizen Of The Year
We know people who are deeply passionate about a particular cause, driven by a desire to bring about change and make a positive impact. These remarkable individuals have already significantly influenced our lives and the community we live in. We are seeking your assistance in acknowledging and appreciating their outstanding contributions toward making Winkler an even better place.
The Winkler Community Foundation proudly sponsors the Winkler Citizen of the Year Award. We recognize the efforts of an individual who contributes to making the City of Winkler a great place to live, work, play, and learn. This award continues to recognize volunteerism and good citizenship in our community.
The Winkler Community Foundation is currently reviewing the Citizen of the Year program. If you have someone in mind deserving of this honour, please contact us.
Citizen of the Year Past Recipients
“Shining the Light on People who Make a Difference!”
| 1977 – G.W. Neufeld | 2001 – Henry H. Kuhl |
| 1978 – Margaret Penner | 2002 – Henry Neufeld |
| 1979 – Henry W. Bergen | 2003 – Peter W. Enns |
| 1980 – Fred Rietze | 2004 – No Award |
| 1981 – Dr. C.W. Wiebe | 2005 – No Award |
| 1982 – Abe H. Suderman | 2006 – George W. Klassen |
| 1983 – Alex Epp | 2007 – Sharon Dueck |
| 1984 – Henry F. Wiebe | 2008 – Curt Reimer |
| 1985 – Henry H. Janzen | 2009 – Cherrie Goertzen |
| 1986 – Linda Penner | 2010 – Dan Giesbrecht |
| 1987 – Grace Schellenberg | 2011 – W.J. Siemens |
| 1988 – John W. Kuhl | 2012 – Meg Suderman |
| 1989 – Eileen Kroeker | 2013 – Gary Gilmour |
| 1990 – Percy E. Enns | 2014 – Dr. Don Klassen |
| 1991 – Margaret Sawatzky | 2015 – Louis Tanguay |
| 1992 – Annie Reimer | 2016 – Terry Elias |
| 1993 – Philipp Ens | 2017 – George H. Klassen |
| 1994 – Harvey P. Friesen | 2018 – Frank A. Wiebe |
| 1995 – John Zacharias | 2019 – Ruth Reimer |
| 1996 – Ella Neufeld | 2020 – No recipients due to COVID-19 |
| 1997 – No Award | 2021 – No recipients due to COVID-19 |
| 1998 – Robert Day | 2022 – No recipients due to COVID-19 |
| 1999 – John Krahn | 2023 – No Award |
| 2000 – Bernie Loeppky |
Vital Signs
Winkler’s Vital Signs is a community check-up that measures the vitality of our community and identifies significant trends in a range of areas critical to the quality of life. Winkler’s Vital Signs grows our understanding of resident priorities and identifies areas of need within the community. We work with an advisory committee to build community input on our reporting, guide our work with local stakeholders, and mobilize action on the findings.
Culture Fest in Winkler