ABOUT US
Our Journey of Community Giving & Donor Engagement
For more than 50 years, the Thunder Bay Community Foundation has helped donors create a lasting impact in our community. Our purpose is to promote and facilitate philanthropy that meets the ever-changing needs of the District of Thunder Bay. Through our focus on endowment funds, we provide ongoing support for local charities, scholarships, and community initiatives — year after year.
By building trust with donors and charitable organizations, we cultivate strong relationships that allow us to make a meaningful, long-term difference in our community.
The Impact We Are Making in Our Community
Every number shows the power of giving in action. With every fund we steward, grant we award, and student we support, we’re helping build a stronger, more vibrant City and the District.
Assets Under Management
2025 Grants
Distributed to Community
2025 Student Awards
WHAT WE DO
Our Purpose: Promote and Facilitate Philanthropy in the District
Donor Funds
Donors are at the heart of everything we do. We connect their generosity to the causes that matter most to them.
Grants
We help charities and organizations bring meaningful projects to life across Thunder Bay and the District.
Student Awards
We are proud to support education through scholarships and bursaries funded by generous donors.
START YOUR GIVING JOURNEY
Create a Fund that keeps on giving today, tomorrow, forever…
IN THEIR WORDS
What Our Community Says
Our community impact is best told through the voices of those who experience it. See how the Community Foundation is making a real difference through the words of our donors, students, and community partners.
COMMUNITY MATTERS
Community Highlights and Stories
Our community impact is best told through the voices of those who experience it. See how the Community Foundation is making a real difference through the words of our donors, students, and community partners.
Investing in Tomorrow: Community Foundation Ignites Education Success with 2026 Student Awards
Originally established in the early 2000s as the Harbour Youth Services Bursary, the award was created to honour the legacy of the late Justice Ronald B. Lester, a respected advocate for youth justice.
Investing in Tomorrow: Community Foundation Ignites Education Success with 2026 Student Awards
For Abigail Heron, recipient of the Helen L. Dewar Scholarship in 2025, receiving the award from the Thunder Bay Community Foundation marked a defining moment in her educational journey.
From Scholarship to Success: How One Student Award in 1987 Changed Lori McKay’s Path
Every year, the Thunder Bay Community Foundation supports students across Thunder Bay and District through its Student Awards program, distributing scholarships and bursaries to help reduce financial barriers to education.
ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY
2024 Community Report
Each year, the Foundation releases a Community Report to share key insights, stories, and outcomes from the work we support. In keeping with our commitment to financial accountability and transparency, full audited financial statements related to this report can be found here.
WAYS TO GIVE
Let’s Make a Difference Together
Online donations can be made through CanadaHelps using a credit card. Tax receipts for gifts over $20.00 will be instantly sent to you once your donation process is complete.
To donate, click here.
Gifts of cash (cheques, money order, etc.) are a straightforward way of making a gift to the Thunder Bay Community Foundation.
Please make cheques payable to:
Thunder Bay Community Foundation
Memo: Purpose of Donation/Fund Name
Tax receipts for gifts over $20.00 will be sent to you within 5 business days.
Other ways to give to the Community Foundation are through the following:
- Appreciated Securities
- Insurance Policies
- Charitable Bequest
- Charitable Remainder Trust
- Other Assets
