The ICF provides the citizens of Rockwood, Rosser, Stonewall, Teulon and Woodlands with the opportunity to invest in the future of their community and region forever. The ICF pools gifts in a capital fund that remains perpetuity providing citizens with a means of permanently endowing their region and helping to shape its future. Your gift is never "spent" or "used up". The income generated from the capital is distributed as grants to registered charities in the region. Our board consists of 10 members who represent the various areas of our Foundation. We are a member of the Community Foundations of Canada.

• Since incorporation in 1994, area residents have been instrumental in building a permanent endowment fund now worth over $500,000.
• Beginning in 1997, numerous community based non-profit organizations have benefited in grant funding of over $200,000.
• In 2003, began a joint project with the Thomas Sill Foundation to establish a Youth in Philanthropy program at Stonewall Collegiate.  In addition to researching and recommending grants for community projects, the students also learn about the importance of the charitable sector in their community.

Some of the organizations which have received grants from the ICF are:  South Interlake Beef Leaders, Meadows Community Club, Norris Lake Pioneer Cemetery, South Interlake Seniors Resource Council, Southwest District Palliative Care, Veterans Memorial Sports Complex, Teulon-Rockwood Green Acres Park, Stonewall and Teulon Band Boosters, Stony Mountain Recreation Centre, Teulon Food Bank, Grosse Isle Recreation Centre, Argyle History Book Committee, South Interlake Regional Library.

• Locally run public foundations that build and manage endowment funds to support charitable activities in their area.
• Each community foundation is autonomous and governed by a volunteer board of local leaders. They exist in every province and one territory and are linked and supported at the national level through their membership organization, Community Foundations of Canada.

Community foundations combine three main roles:

1. Endowment Building/Donor Service: Pool the charitable gifts of many donors to create permanent, income-earning endowment funds – a nest egg that will always be there to benefit communities. Connect donors with the issues and organizations that matter most to them.  Offer a variety of funds to meet donors’ charitable goals; use their insight and experience to help donors have maximum impact.
   
   
2. Grant Making: Use the income earned by invested funds to give grants to a wide range of community groups; the original investment is left to grow over time.
   
   
3. Community Convening and Leadership: Work with the entire community, bringing people together from all sectors to identify and address local issues.
   

All kinds of people give many types of gifts – cash, real estate, stock, artwork and insurance. Flexibility is key.  Donors can choose to support their hometown broadly or designate a favourite cause or charity. Many charities also place their endowment funds with community foundations in order to benefit from greater returns on their investments.

The whole community.  By promoting the value of charitable giving and providing grants from every sector from seniors to youth, health, education, the arts, and recreation.