H2O: Ideas & Action for Canada's Water

I’m often asked for examples of ways that community foundations can get involved in water related work. Here is a terrific example of a community foundation taking some initiative in getting their community together to think about the very real water issues they were facing.

Beautiful Sunshine Coast Scene

The Sunshine Coast Community Foundation, a relatively new community foundation incorporated in 2003, decided to put alot of focus on the water issues facing their region of British Columbia. They partnered with a local environmental group, the Ruby Lake Lagoon Nature Reserve Society, to organize the 1st Sunshine Coast Water Summit in 2006. The local government district, the Sunshine Coast Regional District came on board with matching funds and the 2 day summit was held.
 
Don Basham, a board member of the Sunshine Coast Community Foundation, feels that being involved with putting on the Water Summit was very helpful for the foundation in terms of positioning them within the community. They were taking leadership on an issue which holds long term consequences for the health of their community. Being involved in the summit helped their foundation to make connections with a variety of people coming from all walks of life, who now support their community foundation. Ensuring clean, safe water now and for the future is a goal we can all support. Could your foundation help to convene such a Water Summit in your community?