A community foundation is more than a charity — it’s your community’s forever fund. Built by local people, for local people, it grows over time and gives back through grants that respond to real needs in the places we call home.
The Parksville-Qualicum Community Foundation (PQCF) exists to strengthen the quality of life across our region by connecting local generosity with local solutions. Through endowment funds and community-led grantmaking, PQCF supports initiatives that make a lasting difference today while building resilience for future generations.
Unlike organizations focused on a single cause, a community foundation serves the whole community. PQCF invests in a wide range of priorities — from mental health and youth programs to affordable housing, environmental stewardship, arts and culture, and community connection. This flexibility allows the Foundation to respond as needs evolve, ensuring support is directed where it will have the greatest impact.
What makes a community foundation truly powerful is its local leadership. PQCF is guided by neighbours who live, work, and care deeply about the Parksville-Qualicum region. This local knowledge helps identify gaps, opportunities, and strengths that might otherwise go unnoticed. It also ensures grant decisions are grounded in lived experience and an understanding of what matters most to the community.
At the heart of PQCF’s work is its endowment — a permanent pool of funds created through donations, bequests, and legacy gifts. These funds are invested carefully, and the income generated is used to provide grants year after year. Because the endowment continues to grow, the impact of each gift extends far beyond a single moment. Even a modest contribution today can support community projects for decades to come.
Community foundations are also connectors. PQCF brings together donors, nonprofits, volunteers, and community partners to strengthen relationships and encourage collaboration. By sharing knowledge about local needs and supporting innovative, resident-led ideas, the Foundation helps spark solutions that might not happen otherwise.
Programs like Community Foundation Grants and Neighbourhood Small Grants reflect this approach. They empower local organizations and neighbours to take action, build connections, and create positive change from the ground up. These grants don’t just fund projects — they help cultivate belonging, participation, and pride in our shared community.
PQCF’s work is fueled by generosity, but its impact is measured in outcomes: stronger social connections, healthier environments, more inclusive opportunities, and a community better equipped to face future challenges together.
By investing locally through the Parksville-Qualicum Community Foundation, you help ensure that care, opportunity, and support remain rooted right here — now and for generations to come.