KDCC’s Local Business Spotlight: Kenora & Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation

In this month’s Kenora & District Chamber of Commerce Business Spotlight, we’re shining a light on the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Community Foundation – a charitable organization dedicated to strengthening our region. For over 20 years now, the Foundation has played a key role in supporting local charities, youth initiatives, and community projects that make Kenora and the Lake of the Woods region a better place to live. We sat down with Executive Director of the Community Foundation Lynn McAughey and Communications & Community Engagement Coordinator Darlene MacGillivray to learn more about their work, their impact, and the people who help bring their mission to life. Q: Can you share a bit about your background and how you came to lead the Community Foundation in Kenora? Lynn: “I always knew about the Community Foundation in my role as a principal and knew about the grant opportunities that supported children and youth. I spent over 27 years supporting youth and families as an administrator with the Keewatin Patricia District School Board.”
“And I’m really pleased to have the opportunity in the last two years to be able to support all of our community, not just youth and families, but elders, seniors, and all different kinds of charities and agencies that are doing quality work in Kenora and the Lake of the Woods Region.” Q: For those who may not know, how would you describe what the Community Foundation brings to the Kenora community? Lynn: “The Community Foundation has three major roles. First, we have a partnership with many community charities and agencies – the City of Kenora, Lake of the Woods Hospital Foundation, and a variety of other charities. We build partnerships to strengthen our community. We have two major financial roles – one is to grant to local charities who are proposing projects to support our community, and the other is to build endowment funds and accept donations. The proceeds of the
endowment fund, not the capital – just the proceeds, are what we grant out to the community. In 2024, we granted over $770,000.”
“We also have a strong connection to youth in the community through the Youth in Philanthropy program in local high schools. That program allows students to research and learn about local charities, and they do a mock granting process every year where they choose charities of their choice, and we have generous sponsors who support those grants. So, youth in our community are learning about what it means to be a philanthropist, give back to your community, and support others.” Q: Many people may not realize how accessible charitable giving can be. What should the community know about donating to the Foundation? Darlene: “When we first got going 20 years ago, our Board of Directors always thought that this would be built on the legacies and estates of people who had passed on. But as we grew and brought our message forward, living people saw the good work that we were doing, and wanted to make gifts and help make grants. When we had our granting ceremony in June this year, we had about 100 people come out and recipients had the opportunity to thank them and show them the good how the grant was going to be used. It’s very powerful to see those good actions turn into reality.” Lynn: “And not everyone needs $1 million to make a donation. For as little as $42 per month, you can build a named fund in your name to give to a charity of your choice, or an area of granting interests – health and wellness, community grants, animal welfare, memorial funds, etc. There’s many ways to give, and it doesn’t always require a lot of cash.”
Q: Volunteers play a major role in the Foundation’s success. Can you share more about the impact they have?
Lynn: “The Foundation works with a number of quality volunteers in the community. We have a Finance committee made up of volunteers who are well-versed in investment, accounting, management, and the charitable work of the Community Foundation. We rely very heavily on our volunteers. Our Finance Committee is very important, and our Endowment Building Committee works very hard to help us with our practices around asking for donations, recognizing our community partners, and understanding the importance of giving back to the community.”
Darlene: “We’re volunteer driven and volunteer based, so our boards and committee members are all volunteers. They’re like a bulldozer with the blade down, just making it happen. For many years, it was just a one-person operation here, and we’re so lucky to have three of us here now. But the rock that we’re built on, is our volunteers.” Q: What’s the next big event coming up for the Community Foundation? Lynn: “The Festival of Trees on November 29th is a historical, heart-warming event for us and a cherished tradition in our community. It’s an opportunity for philanthropy to join together with the holidays, and everyone loves a good Christmas party.”
“This year’s theme is a Mistletoe Masquerade and has a fundraising goal of $50,000. It’s a really important fundraiser for us, and it gives us an opportunity to highlight our strong community partners. We have 11 trees that are decorated and will be auctioned off, and a number of prizes. It’s a really nice thing to do, bring your family, look at the trees, play some games, enjoy the music, and consider making a donation to the Community Foundation. And many people who purchase the trees end up donating back to the community. It’s a beautiful tradition of giving.” Q: What’s next for Foundation as it continues building for the future? Lynn: “I’m very excited to partner with the City of Kenora around the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan and what that might look like. It’s an opportunity to be more informed in our granting. The Foundation of this organization has done incredible good in this community, but the potential to continue to support the community is fairly significant. The struggles in our community are not unique, but we want to help and support our community.” Darlene: “I’m excited about our new billboard!” Q: What makes the Community Foundation’s work so rewarding on a personal level?
Lynn: “It’s a lot of fun. It’s really beautiful to see the community’s support and the willingness of people to support the Community Foundation. It’s impressive. I never anticipated just how generous this community could be. It’s really humbling to see each day.”
Darlene: “It’s all about the future of Kenora. The Community Foundation is made up of so many people and so many stories. Real people who have made a real difference. And maybe soon, we can help another community in the region to start their own Community Foundation.” The Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation continues to lead by example – supporting the community, their staff, and Kenora as a whole. The Kenora & District Chamber of Commerce is proud to highlight the important role they play in our community. The KDCC sends a big thank you to Lynn and Darlene for sitting down with us! If you would like your business highlighted, please reach out to the Kenora & District Chamber of Commerce by emailing: communications@kenorachamber.com.