13 · Wednesday, June 27, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, June 27, 2012 · 12 2011 Annual Report of the Oakville Community Foundation Seeing beyond today and to our future, connecting those who can with those who can't and seeing the impact of all that our collective efforts can offer, is what makes a community foundation a success. Special people have done wonderful things this past year. As a result, we at the Oakville Community Foundation (OCF) have had quite an exciting twelve months. This condensed report, highlights some of the success stories of the impact our donors and community leaders are making in the Oakville community. To read the complete report visit www.theocf.org About Your Community Foundation Making a difference across a broad spectrum of areas that affect community life, year after year, is what we are all about. With a comprehensive view of the challenges facing Oakville, we focus our granting where we believe we and our fundholders have the greatest impact. We also work with our fundholders, providing the knowledge and community needs awareness to facilitate our fundholder's philanthropic wishes. Making An Impact Charities Deliver Impactful Results Halton Food For Thought Big Brothers Big Sisters Halton Learning Foundation B R E A K FA S T W I T H IMPAC T F U L R E S U LT S H A LTO N FO O D FO R T H O U G H T SE C T ION Rusty Baillie, Baillie, CEO CEO and and Jim Jim Rager, Rager, Chair Chair Rusty In partnership with our 105 Fundholders, we granted $1.7 Million to charities in 2011. Join us in helping to Make An Impact in Your Community. You could start a fund with your Community Foundation You could start a fund at OCF for a very small investment. There are many different ways to establish a fund and we're here to help you decide the best option. Choose one or combine features of fund types within one fund. Types of endowment funds include: Unrestricted Funds: Your gift provides OCF with the flexibility to make strategic grants to greatest areas of needs in the community. campfire and we made Smores!." Summertime brings with it joy for so many children and yet many are unable to attend due to financial or personal constraints on the family. Funding for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton's Camp for Kids Sake program was provided in part by the Oakville Community Foundation. Five of the children who participated in this event came from culturally or linguistically sensitive homes. These particular children were able to experience `Canadian Camping' first hand while developing many new bonds with both the Big Brother Big Sister volunteers as well as their peers. Many of the children learned a variety of new skills that wouldn't have been possible without an event like this. Trips like these children children with with valuable valuable life life experiences. experiences. OCF OCF is is proud proud to to be be able able to to partner partner with with excellent excellent community-based community-based organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton to make these events a reality. B U IL D IN G A CO MM U NIT Y O F R E A D E R S H A LTO N LE A R NIN G FO U NDATI O N It's not easy to learn on an empty stomach! Imagine trying to concentrate, when all you can think about are hunger pangs and having something to eat. This is the reality faced by many children and youth arriving at school without any food to sustain them an entire school day. Halton Food for Thought operates 140 breakfast, healthy snack and emergency lunch programs throughout Halton Region. In Oakville, programs are unique reflecting each school environment: full breakfast programs, in-class snack programs, front hallway grab-and-go stations, senior students and volunteers delivering food baskets to classes or packed lunches for students who routinely arrive at school without food. Programs are confidential, non-stigmatizing and provide a warm and welcoming environment. Oakville Community Foundation was pleased to direct funds to the breakfast program, specifically for those Oakville families who could not afford to pay for meals.Hunger is a reality many families face each and every day in Oakville. Some have been impacted by the economic downturn, losing not only their jobs, but their homes and most sadly, their dreams. For many, turning to a social service agency was unthinkable. Now, they express thanks that our program was there to help. Hunger exists in Oakville, it is merely hidden. As a result of these programs, there is evidence of increased confidence, risk-taking, resiliency, improved social condition, better attendance, a reduction in bullying or behavioural issues, and overall academic success. Although food provision may appear a simple solution to a complex problem, the impacts are astounding. One cannot underestimate the impact of hunger. Investing in this program today will realize cost savings for many years to come, diminishing the need for costly health and social service intervention. We are well aware that one of the most effective ways to eliminate poverty is through a good education. It takes a Village As one school Principal shared: "A child sent to my office every day, is now only in my office if he wants to say hello or to chat". S U MME R T IME P R O G R A M P R O D U C E S P O S I T I V E IMPAC T O N T H E L I V E S O F 2 3 C H IL D R E N B I G B R O T H E R S B I G S I S T E R S H A LTO N Designated Funds: You designate one or more charitable organizations when your Fund is established and grant to them every year as part of your estate. Field of Interest Funds: You identify specific areas you care about and rely on our expertise to make effective grants. Donor Advised Funds: You provide imput on the annual grants to charitable organizations of your choice. 6.5% Arts and Culture Halton Learning Foundation Readers Program 1 of 3 It's no secret that literacy is a basic entry card for meaningful employment. But at an even more fundamental level, research has shown that it also has a direct impact on civic engagement, health, and poverty reduction. Simply put, literacy gives people the right skills to participate more fully in society and enables them to increase their quality of life. Embracing these ideals, the Oakville Community Foundation, together with one of its fundholders, invested in two home and school-based reading programs at Oakwood and Palermo Public Schools which have benefitted a combined total of almost 500 Oakville students from Junior Kindergarten through grade five. The grants have enabled the two schools to purchase over 700 small books to provide students with interesting, engaging, and relevant materials, targeted at their individual reading abilities. Educators point out that in every classroom, kids are reading at a broad range of levels and have often finished all the books that the school owns that are appropriate for them. Having material that is at the "just right" level goes a long way to reinforcing and encouraging good reading habits. As Mary Beth Doolittle, a teacher at Oakwood explains, "I can see how incredibly motivated children are when they may choose from a larger selection of brand-new, colourful books to take home to share with their families. The contribution of new resources to this program is invaluable." The books also provide a critical home-school connection. Research has demonstrated that when a young child reads with an adult for 15-30 minutes a night, their academic performance improves in all areas. Since students bring the new books home to read with a parent, sibling, grandparent or guardian, they often associate reading with expressions of care and guidance. Parents are further involved by signing tracking sheets that document the books their children are reading and the strategies they're using to help them derive meaning. Helping schools to boost literacy and nurture a love of reading is just one small way that the Oakville Community Foundation is striving to create a culture of caring and to build the skills and framework needed to support a successful community. 2011 Granting Highlights $1.7 Million 2011 Financial Highlights » Total assets under management of over $46 million. » Total gifts received in 2011 of over $5 million. 52.7% Health and Recreation 32.3% Community Service 0.6% 7.9% Educational Environmental » Establishment of a Stabilization Reserve Fund to recognize the requirement to provide fiscal stability. » The complete Financial Statements have been audited by Glenn Graydon Wright LLP, Chartered Accountants and are available on our website. www.theocf.org Fun, inspirational, connected, with a touch of Canadiana. These are all the things that come to mind when we think about the twenty-three underprivileged children between the ages of 5 and 14, who along with their adult volunteer matches, participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters overnight camping retreat at Bronte Provincial Park in August 2011. As one very grateful little camper stated, "This summer I went on my first overnight camping trip... I got to pitch a tent, build a » Goal is to invest as a prudent investor, preserve capital and optimize long term results. » Diversified between five Investment Managers. » Investment returns of 2.9% for the year were3.1% above the benchmark return. » The annualized rate of return over the past 10 years was 6.4%, against a benchmark of 4.5%. 2011 Investment Highlights Our Partners Thank you to our Partners in supporting the Vision and Mission of OCF CO MM U NI T Y V I S I O N A RY S U P P O R T E R S For More Information info@theocf.org | www.theocf.org | Phillips, Hager & North The Larry & Gerry Wilson Fund The Oakville Community Foundation is a registered charity #891934374RR0001 905.844.3562 478 Morden Road|Suite 204|Oakville L6K 3W4 CO MM U NI T Y V I S I O N A RY S U P P O R T E R S CO MM U NI T Y V I S I O N A RY S U P P O R T E R S