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CFKR reaches new peak with 2026 granting
The Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies (CFKR) reached a new peak in its annual community granting, disbursing nearly $160,000 in 2026.
In 2026, CFKR granted a total of over $135,000 to 67 community initiatives, six scholarships, and one community volunteer award. In addition, a total of over $23,000 was re-invested in the principals of 18 endowment funds, to grow future granting.
CFKR Executive Director Lynnette Wray said, “In 2026, we’re excited to celebrate the on-going giving from our 48 permanently invested endowment funds, including the inaugural disbursements from our newest endowments: the Elk Valley and Area Hospice Legacy Fund and the Cranbrook Food Bank Society Legacy Fund.
“For our 2026 granting process, we incorporated several innovations, including a move towards trust-based philanthropy through a new online form, streamlined questions, and a shorter application period. These improvements were very well-received by the applicants,” added Wray.
In 2026, CFKR granted to a wide range of community projects and programs. Each grant application was reviewed by CFKR’s local volunteer committees, with granting decisions ratified by the CFKR Board.
For more information: https://www.cfkrockies.ca/grants/.
| Elkford Community Fund – Total Granting | $4,257.94 |
| Elkford Women’s Task Force Society -Elkford Early Years Programming | $1,500.00 |
| Elkford Alliance Church – Community Space Improvement | $1,500.00 |
| District of Elkford – Elkford Urban Wildlife Committee | $757.94 |
| Elkford Public Library Assoc.- Accessibility Project | $500.00 |
| Sparwood Community Fund – Total Granting | $6,733.01 |
| Sparwood Trails Alliance – Tool & Rest Station | $1,000.00 |
| Sparwood Farmers’ Market – Music at the Market! | $2,000.00 |
| Air Cadet League of Canada, 279 Elk Valley Squadron Sponsoring Committee – New simulator computers | $2,000.00 |
| Coal Miner Day Society – Coal Miner Days | $1,000.00 |
| ELK VALLEY & AREA HOSPICE SOCIETY -Hospice & Bereavement Awareness (Sparwood) | $733.01 |
| Fernie Community Fund – Total Granting | $4,867.41 |
| Cycling Without Age Fernie Foundation -CWA Safety Coverage (Insurance) | $1,000.00 |
| Fernie and District Arts Council -Community Public Art Project: Out of the Box | $1,157.00 |
| SPECIAL OLYMPICS BRITISH COLUMBIA SOCIETY – Elk Valley Special Olympics Bowling | $567.41 |
| Fernie Food Security Society – Full Bellies Full Hearts/Addressing Food Insecurity among Children | $1,157.00 |
| ELK VALLEY & AREA HOSPICE SOCIETY -Hospice & Bereavement Awareness (Fernie) | $986.00 |
In Cranbrook and area, including the South Country, $35,208.83 was granted to a total of 19 community initiatives, funded by several endowments, including the Cranbrook Community Fund; Seniors’ Enhancement Fund; Kimberley-Cranbrook 2008 Winter Games Arts/Culture and Sports Funds; Knights of Pythias Fund; Arts, Culture, and Heritage Fund; Environment Fund; Outdoor Recreation Fund; Neil & Patricia Sinclair Fund, and Addressing Homelessness Fund.
| Community Volunteer Award, $750.00 from the Knights of Pythias fund to the recipient’s charity of choice, to be awarded in the fall of 2026 | $750.00 |
| Addressing Homelessness/Cranbrook Food Bank Society – Safe Sips/Portable Water Access Program | $1,989.62 |
| Addressing Homelessness/ANKORS – Safe Haven After Hours Program | $4,980.00 |
| ANKORS – Peer Art Project | $2,049.63 |
| ANKORS – EK Harm Reduction Mail-Out | $1,500.00 |
| ELK VALLEY & AREA HOSPICE SOCIETY – Hospice & Bereavement Awareness (South Country) | $1,000.00 |
| Wycliffe Exhibition Assoc./Cranbrook Pro Rodeo – Bleachers for Rodeo Grounds | $2,500.00 |
| Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary – 2026 Kootenay Rockies Gran Fondo | $2,500.00 |
| Triangle Women’s Institute – Insurance for Grasmere Pioneer Hall | $2,000.00 |
| Spirit of the Rockies Society – Live Entertainment at Central Fairgrounds | $2,000.00 |
| THE FRIENDS OF THE CRANBROOK PUBLIC LIBRARY – Seniors’ Luncheon | $1,800.00 |
| North Star Rails To Trails Society – Admin Expenses | $252.16 |
| BC Senior Games Society Zone 7 – Annual Operations | $1,833.86 |
| THE CRANBROOK ARCHIVES MUSEUM AND LANDMARK FOUNDATION (CAMAL) – Fort Steele Heritage Town Map Re-Design | $2,500.00 |
| THE CRANBROOK ARCHIVES MUSEUM AND LANDMARK FOUNDATION (CAMAL) – Cranbrook History Centre Toddler Tuesday | $1,800.00 |
| Community Connections Society of Southeast BC – K Choir for Seniors | $838.10 |
| CRANBROOK AND DISTRICT ARTS COUNCIL – Free Community Arts & Events | $1,801.72 |
| Wildsight Kimberley-Cranbrook Branch – Cranbrook Connection Project | $1,346.68 |
| NORTHERN B.C. FRIENDS OF CHILDREN SOCIETY – EK Friends of Children Family Support | $1,767.06 |
CFKR’s agency/designated endowment funds provided the following grants, for a total of $32,569.51:
| Cranbrook Community Theatre Legacy Fund | $819.51 |
| Cranbrook History Centre Endowment | $2,206.88 |
| Cranbrook Public Library Fund | $1,211.69 |
| Columbia Outdoor School/Blue Lake Camp Legacy Fund | $3,937.87 |
| EK SPCA Fund | $758.78 |
| EKFH Endowment | $2,799.47 |
| EKFH Roy and Annabel Maundrell Endowment Fund | $372.23 |
| Elk Valley and Area Hospice Legacy Fund | $326.81 |
| Friends of Fort Steele Society Endowment | $9,775.23 |
| Key City Theatre Legacy Fund | $519.51 |
| StellerVista Credit Union Fund to Cranbrook Salvation Army local food programs | $5,500.00 |
| Symphony of the Kootenays Fund | $4,341.53 |
CFKR’s donor-advised funds granted the following: $8,755.26
| Cranbrook Past & Present Teachers’ Legacy Fund – SD#5 Resource Centre, Picture Books for Literacy Development | $900.09 |
| Community Matters Legacy Fund – Cranbrook Kimberley Hospice House Fundraising Campaign | $783.13 |
| Greg Fisher Community Fund – Centre 64 Werx 26 Arts Programming | $1,700.00 |
| Greg Fisher Community Fund – Cranbrook Food Bank Society Operations | $507.84 |
| Janice Regnier Fund for Mental Health & Addictions – Wildsight Classroom with Outdoors (Cranbrook) | $911.93 |
| Jim & Delphine (Bella) Kennelly Legacy Fund – Cranbrook Kimberley Hospice House Fundraising Campaign | $3,232.23 |
| Melodie Hull Fund for Mental Health and Addictions – BC Schizophrenia Society EK Family Support Project | $720.04 |
CFKR’s donor-advised Casey & Corrine Hanemayer Fund granted a total of $36,647.85:
| North Star Rails To Trails Society – Admin Expenses | $1,216.00 |
| BGC-Cranbrook – Youth Impact Summer Programming | $2,500.00 |
| SCIENCE WORLD – On the Road Cranbrook Tour | $2,500.00 |
| Cranbrook Kimberley Hospice Society – Technology Upgrade | $2,500.00 |
| East Kootenay Regional Science Fair Society – Student Travel to Canada Science Fair | $2,400.00 |
| Wildsight – Classroom with Outdoors (Cranbrook) | $2,500.00 |
| CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION FOR THE KOOTENAYS – Mental Health Workshops | $2,475.00 |
| Active Cranbrook Physical Literacy Society – Nature Steps Pathway | $1,000.00 |
| Community Connections Society of Southeast BC/CBK Women’s Resource Centre – Enhancing Women’s Health | $2,500.00 |
| Scouts Canada/4th Cranbrook Scouts – Water Sports Gear-Up | $2,500.00 |
| Living Lakes Canada Society – Groundwater Literacy Workshop for Youth | $2,500.00 |
| SYMPHONY OF THE KOOTENAYS ASSOCIATION – Western Skies Concert at Fort Steele Heritage Town | $2,500.00 |
| B.C. WILDLIFE FEDERATION – Fishing Forever | $2,500.00 |
| CRANBROOK FOOD BANK SOCIETY – Operating Expenses | $2,500.00 |
| THE CRANBROOK ARCHIVES MUSEUM AND LANDMARK FOUNDATION (CAMAL) – Fort Steele Heritage Town Operating Grant | $4,556.85 |
CFKR looks forward to awarding our 2026 scholarships, for a total of $6,100.00, in the coming months:
| Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce Education Grant | $400.00 |
| Dianne Wray Memorial Scholarship | $600.00 |
| Dr. Sparling and Mrs. Mary East Memorial Scholarship | $2,000.00 |
| Joyce Metcalfe Memorial Scholarship | $600.00 |
| Mark Mahovlic Memorial Scholarship | $1,000.00 |
| Pidoca Memorial Scholarship | $1,500.00 |
The following endowment funds will continue to grow thanks to the re-investment of some or all of their 2026 grants into their principals, thereby growing their future granting: $23,702.70
| BGC Cranbrook Fund | $526.43 |
| Casey & Corrine Hanemayer to EK SPCA Endowment | $5,000.00 |
| Casey & Corrine Hanemayer to SOTK Endowment | $5,000.00 |
| Casey & Corrine Hanemayer-Health to the EKFH Endowment | $2,372.18 |
| Children First Fund | $2,420.54 |
| Cranbrook Food Bank Society Legacy Fund | $604.92 |
| Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce Education Fund | $42.79 |
| Cranbrook Community Forest Society Legacy Fund | $992.57 |
| Dianne Wray Memorial Scholarship Fund | $137.78 |
| Dr. Sparling and Mrs. Mary East Memorial Scholarship Fund | $132.78 |
| Hough Ingalls Fund For Animal Welfare | $859.59 |
| Joyce Metcalfe Memorial Scholarship Fund | $124.63 |
| Key City Gymnastics Club Fund | $865.67 |
| Mark Mahovlic Memorial Scholarship Fund | $10.46 |
| Niedermayer Family Fund | $2,560.46 |
| Northern BC Friends of Children EK Branch Fund | $550.96 |
| Pidoca Memorial Scholarship Fund | $352.44 |
| StellerVista Credit Union Fund | $1,148.50 |
Lead image: Elkford Community Fund: All 2026 Grant Recipients. Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies photos
Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies
