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Endowment fund for youth projects in the Shuswap given $75,000 boost

SASCU fund intended to have meaningful impact for youth in the region

A group of young volunteers focused on supporting youth-centred projects in the Shuswap received a pleasant surprise from SASCU.

Members of the Shuswap Community Foundation (SCF) and the foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Advisory Committee (YPAC) gathered at the downtown Salmon Arm SASCU branch on Tuesday for a $75,000 cheque presentation from the credit union’s president and CEO Barry Delaney. The money brings SASCU’s Youth Endowment Fund total to $100,000.

Designed to last into perpetuity, income earned from the fund’s balance is awarded annually to non-profit organizations for projects benefitting children and youth (under age 30), or projects organized by children and youth in the Shuswap that benefit the broader community.

Preference is given to initiatives that align with one or more of SASCU’s community pillars: gathering, prosperity, and youth sports and arts.

“We started our initial endowment for the youth in 2012, it’s now 21 years later,” said Delaney. “We gave an initial endowment cheque for 25,000. Today we’re doing 75,000 because we wanted to get to $100,000 so it has a meaningful impact for the youth in the Shuswap.”

Read more: SASCU supports Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail with $50,000 donation

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Delaney said this is the single largest donation SASCU has ever given to a non-profit agency.

“Part of it came because of our financial results, part of it came because of the need in our community, and part of it was it was the right thing to do,” said Delaney.

The fund’s investments and award distributions are administered by the SCF, with project selections determined by YPAC.

“We really appreciate SASCU’s vision for supporting youth programs in our community,” said YPAC president Mikayla Wilkinson. “Over the past five years we’ve really been able to bring great programs to our community.”

Wilkinson and fellow YPAC member Callie Hay-Vicars explained their volunteers, aged 13-21, oversee two funds, SASCU’s and another with the SCF. Both support youth projects in the region.

More information about YPAC, including how to join, can be found at shuswapfoundation.ca.

“We’d love anybody who is just excited to be a part of the community,” said Hay-Vicars.



lachlan@saobserver.net
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