Sunday June 6, 1999 Oakville Beaver Weekend Community Foundation raising profile W ith a new logo, full tim e staff and sense of purpose, the CFO is looking to expand support By W ilm a Blokhuis BEAVER FOCUS ED ITO R The Community Foundation of Oakville had a lot to celebrate Tuesday at a town hall reception--a new logo, five years of opera tion, and $3.7 million in endowed funds. More than 100 supporters, partners and volunteers gathered in the atrium at Town Hall for the unveiling of the new logo, a branch with a single oak leaf and a cluster of three acorns inside a circle. It was designed by Ric Riordon of Riordon Design. It sym bolizes Oakville's heritage - the oak tree - and the acorns represent the CFO's three-way mandate of endowment building, good grant making and community leadership. The sym bolism paraphrases the old adage that 'tall oak trees grow from little acorns.' "It's been an amazing five years," said Bruce Etherington, well-known local philan thropist and a founding director of the foun dation. "Community foundations are one of the fastest growing philanthropic organizations in Canada, dedicated to building and strengthening our communities." Etherington said the Community Foundation of Oakville (CFO) was spear headed by the Oakville United Way and its former executive director Bill Deyell. After leaving the United Way, Deyell headed the CFO until 15 months ago when Mary Ellen Frederick took over as executive director. Deyell was part-time; Frederick and her three staff are full time while the number of volun teers has doubled to more than 100. Initial endowed funding to launch the CFO came from the Lawson Foundation and the Alex and Bernice DiMaio Foundation. Its first partner was the Oakville United Way, and the first grant was $10,000 towards the construction cost of the Waterfront Stage at Coronation Park. It has since added 17 more family funds, nine new agency funds, and two field-of- interest funds. And, the CFO's first life insur ance gift comes from Bruce and Karen Etherington. Its community partners include the Lions Foundation of Canada, Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar, Oakville Aits Council, Oakville Public Library, Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Oakville Beaver. Shortly, the CFO will add another partner, the Friends of Sir John Colbome Seniors Centre. To date, the CFO had made grants in excess of $300,000 from its endowed funds. It also has raised more than $697,000 in flow-through and project funding, money donated to the CFO for a specific purposes. "The grants supported a wide range of local initiatives in health, social services and environment," said Etherington. (S e e 'F o u n d a tio n ' p a g e 8) 1 9 9 9 Y ou ng A m bassador Program Teenagers 13-18 yrs J u n e 2 5 th to J u ly 2 2 nd A re y o u r ch ild ren o u tg o in g an d in terested in learn ing S p an ish a m o n g teenagers from Spain? O u r u n iq u e program takes p lace in th e O ak v ille- M ississau aga area ta u g h t by teachers from Spain. O u r A m b assad or program a llow s 2 2 C an ad ian s to learn S p an ish w h ile sharin g their cu lture w ith a S pan ish A m bassador. T his four w eek program is FREE! D eadline Tune 15th - Space is lim ited Canadian English Learning Forum (905) 278-4416 e-mail:celf@istar.ca • w eb page: home.istar.ca/~CELF W I N D O W S B Y B R U C E • Free In-home Consultation • Free Installation 0 0 5 ) 8 2 7 - 1 8 7 6 P h o to by P e te r J . T h o m p s o n Community Foundation of Oakville Executive Director Mary Ellen Frederick and Chairman of the C.F.O. Larry Wilson proudly display their organization's new logo prior to its official unveiling Tuesday evening at Oakville Town Hall. Huge LEVELOR promotion on A LL Riviera® Venetians, A LL Cellular products and 2" wood Venetians ______________________________________ f B L 1 IM O S i mailto:celf@istar.ca