They came. They mingled. They thanked.
Representatives of local community organizations and entities that have received funding from the Peterborough Foundation gathered Wednesday (October 23) at the Peterborough Theatre Guild on Rogers Street to express their gratitude.
Introduced by foundation board member Pat Hooper, each provided a brief description of what pilot project or capital purchase was funded by their grant from the foundation.
In December 2023, 10 organizations — the ReFrame Film Festival, the Mapleridge Recreation Centre, the Down Syndrome Association of Peterborough, Sadleir House, the Peterborough Theatre Guild, Performing Arts Lakefield, 4th Line Theatre, Five Counties Children’s Centre, Peterborough Musicfest, and Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region — shared $43,198.81 in grants provided by the foundation.
Six months later, another 11 organizations — the Peterborough Regional Health Centre, Showplace Peterborough, Camp Kawartha, Ancient Forest Exploration and Research, the Art Gallery of Peterborough, Hospice Peterborough, Volunteer Peterborough/Age Friendly Peterborough, the Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Public Energy Performing Arts — and the Peterborough Kiwanis Music Festival — received a combined $113,850 in grants.
Among those expressing their gratitude was Jacob Rodenberg, executive director of Camp Kawartha, which received $14,400 for the sponsoring of youth without the means to attend the camp do just that.
“As a not-for-profit charity, we can’t just do operations and expect the money we get from people paying is going to cover everything that we have to do,” he explained. “Our mission is to reach as many kids as possible. This helps us get to those kids who couldn’t afford to go to camp, and also do things that we’d never normally be able to do.”
“Isn’t it a wonderful thing?” asked Rodenberg, referring to the Peterborough Foundation grant. “A gift that keeps on giving. What a vibrant community Peterborough is — so many great initiatives underway. But they couldn’t happen without the support of things like the Peterborough Foundation. That is the enabler and we need that.”
The New Canadians Centre, which received $5,000 back in June 2023, was represented by executive director Andy Cragg. He explained the money was put toward the organization’s lengthy exploration of an opportunity to purchase its own property. He couldn’t share any more details at this point.
“The Peterborough Foundation has a unique perspective on how to make an impact in very specific ways,” he said, adding “We heard stories here about concrete items and projects that wouldn’t be funded otherwise.”
“With more complex government funders and foundations with more rules, funding for smaller but essential items or projects isn’t always possible. The reality of non-profits and charities is trying to fit what we actually need, and know we need, with the available opportunities for funding.”
Meanwhile, Sadleir House general manager Matt Jarvis explained that the not-for-profit charitable community centre (also known as the P. R. Community and Student Association) used its grant of $3,825.28 to “upgrade technology which allows us to have more user input into booking the rooms.”
“It takes an administrative task away from valuable staff time and allows us to serve more people faster,” he said. “It’s not a million dollars, but you have to take funding as bricks and build the wall with the bricks. This was a very important piece and we’re very grateful for it.”
Echoing similar gratitude were 4th Line Theatre general manager Lindy Finlan and ReFrame Film Festival creative director Eryn Lidster. The former received $7,500 for the purchase of audio-enhancing equipment for its outdoor Winslow Farm stage, while the latter used its $5,198 grant for the purchase of two computers that will enable the screenings of films “in the best way possible” at both Showplace and Market Hall.
“Somebody has taken their personal wealth and donated it to a fund like this,” said Finlan, adding “Look at how many organizations have benefited over the years.”
“It’s absolutely wonderful and give me hope that people who want to make a difference can make a difference for a long time,” she said.
Lidster, meanwhile, said they are “constantly astounded by the variety of amazing work that’s happening in this community.”
“It’s a little bit of money that goes a long way for so many different organizations,” they noted.
The history of the Peterborough Foundation, which can be traced back close to 125 years, is quite a story in itself.
In 1900, engineer Louis D.W. Magie, who worked for General Electric in the United States, moved to Peterborough to take a position with the company’s Canadian subsidiary, where he remained until his retirement in 1938.
After the death of his wife, Magie married Jessie Fairweather, the daughter of William Fairweather (founder of The Fairweather Company, a leading name on the Canadian retail landscape). With no immediate family members, Magie started to make arrangements for the provision of their estate in 1950, with the assistance of Dr. G.S. Cameron and accountant James H. Turner.
In 1953, the Peterborough Foundation was incorporated on the strength of Magie’s donation of $5,000 — a large sum at the time. Upon Magie’s death in 1956 (his wife Jessie had died two years earlier), the couple’s estate was passed on to the foundation, for which he had named its first directors, Dr. Cameron and Turner among them.
To this day, the foundation is required to present its accounts before the Surrogate Court of the County of Peterborough, ensuring its financial statements are a matter of public record.
Since its inception, the foundation, which is today overseen by a volunteer board chaired by Nancy Martin, has distributed more than $2 million from a capital base of just under $1 million.
According to Hooper, the board meets but twice a year but its work is “so gratifying.”
“What could be better than a board where you sit down and you give away money? There are so many great organizations and they’re all so appreciative. They’re not huge amounts of funding, but it does make a difference in terms of what their organizations do.”
Applications for the next round of funding are open now until Friday, November 1st. To apply, visit peterboroughfoundation.org/apply.
Hooper says the board will next meet on December 19 to review the applications, and will then follow up with the submitting organizations before deciding which organizations will be granted money and how much.
