About Us – Phoenix Foundation

What We Do

The Phoenix Foundation recognizes our Boundary community needs many things to be a place where people choose to live and work. It needs a vision for the future. It needs to be a safe place to live. It needs easily accessible resources for its residents. It needs affordable artistic, athletic and cultural programs. It needs dedicated people who care enough about their community to make it better. It needs funding for community activities and programs.

The Phoenix Foundation helps the people of the Boundary Region by bringing people together to identify and address local issues, encourage philanthropy and fund charitable activities. The Foundation assembles and administers permanent “income-earning” endowment funds that continue to grow thanks to support from financial gifts & bequests of area residents, local businesses, the Vancouver Foundation and other charitable organizations.

Guiding Principles

Dividends from endowed funds are directed by our guiding principles for the benefit of:

Community grants awarded to charitable organizations to support local initiatives benefitting the citizens of Boundary Communities.
Scholarships provided to students who are continuing their education.
Not-for-profit groups with established agency funds within Phoenix Foundation that receive annual earnings to help with their operations/programs.

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History Of The Phoenix Foundation

In 1997 the Phoenix Foundation of the Boundary Communities was created as a Community Foundation and a member of the Community Foundations of Canada. The Phoenix Foundation was established as a reflection of the great values individuals, families and businesses place on the Boundary area, its heritage, its people and its communities of Beaverdell, Bridesville, Christina Lake, Grand Forks, Greenwood, Midway Rock Creek and Westbridge.

Our founding directors were Dave Dale, Art Stavenjord, Bill Uphill, Bill Strookoff, Homer Good, Peggy Philips, Annie Holtby, Steve Babakioff (USCC Rep.) and Steve Burt (City of Grand Forks Rep.), key supporters and community forum facilitators included Denny Kemprud and Maxine Ruzicka (School District 51), Leda Leander (BFISS) and Cathy Manson (Grand Forks Credit Union).

Throughout the early development of the Foundation School District 51 and the Grand Forks Credit Union were supporting organizations providing critical administrative services and resources.

Our Founding Donors

Directors and Staff

A volunteer Board of Directors and part-time paid staff, comprised of respected citizens from the Boundary, oversees the Foundation. The Board determines policy and provides direction to committees made up of volunteer experts.