Community Enrichment

From Here. All In. For You.

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Why Does Community Matter to Us?

Community is one of the three pillars upon which Integris was founded: Members, Staff, and Community. Our purpose is to enrich the lives of all we serve through responsive financial expertise and innovative solutions to our communities. We live our purpose through our connections to the people, priorities and projects that make Life Out Here so great! Many members choose Integris because they know that Integris is a part of our communities.

Integris communities also share in our profits through our contributions of time, talent, and the tools we’ve developed to deliver our From Here. All In. For You. promise. Through engagement, investment, and partnerships, Integris enriches communities throughout north central BC, a remarkable region we are so fortunate to call home. Healthy, resilient, prosperous communities are foundational to both our culture and our measurement of success. For us, it’s people before profit; because we are here when our friends need us – investing in one another – to make Life Our Here the very best it can be!

Community Investment

What is Community Investment?

Community investment at Integris refers to our financial resources (cash, sponsorships, in-kind support and charitable donations) to local non-profit organizations whose mandates are supported by our community enrichment objectives and that impact people and place here in north central BC.

Integris Community Foundation

The Integris Credit Union Community Foundation (the Foundation) promotes and provides charitable assistance that contributes towards the vibrancy, sustainability, and well-being of communities in the Nechako-Stuart region (Vanderhoof, Fort St. James, Fraser Lake and the surrounding area).

Please note that only registered charities and qualified donees can receive grants directly from the Integris Community Foundation. If you are a BC incorporated society/association, you may be eligible to receive an Integris Foundation grant however, you MUST partner with a Registered Charity (ex. United Way, a Municipality, a Regional Districts, any registered charity). The Registered Charity or the Qualified Donee will apply on behalf of your BC Incorporated Society/Association. A Partnership Agreement must form part of the application to the Integris Community Foundation. If you have questions about your organization’s eligibility to receive a Foundation Grant, please email us at communityinvestment@integriscu.ca or call and ask to speak with Dan Wingham, Integris Manager of Partnerships.

Since 2002, the Integris Foundation has invested over $1,200,000 into community projects in the Nechako-Stuart region, including: The Integris Community Theatre at NVSS, the Takla Nation Emergency Sockeye Hatchery, a Cardiac Ultrasound Machine at St. John Hospital, and specialised medical and survival equipment for regional Search & Rescue/local volunteer fire departments just to name grants in the last five years.

From HERE. All in. For YOU!

Some of the benefits include:

Developing value-aligned partnerships through cooperation with community and regional stakeholders
Building a lasting legacy
Maintaining a cycle of charitable giving and philanthropy
Creating a vehicle for merging business, social and environmental objectives
Adding capacity and effectiveness to community enrichment activities

Grant Criteria

The income from the Foundation’s endowment will be used to assist with community and regional projects and priorities. The more of these points that can be addressed within the application, the higher that likelihood of a successful application. The Foundation provides grants to organizations that:

Are not-for-profit
Enrich communities by creating lasting legacies
Enable organizations to improve their financial sustainability
Encourage and enable financial literacy in our communities and throughout the region
Contribute to Truth and Reconciliation and opportunities with Dakelh Nations
Reduce financial barriers to participation for vulnerable and marginalized people
Encourage and promote respect, diversity, equity & inclusion
Are free from political, racial, social, and gender bias
Enable innovative solutions to local/regional social and/or environmental challenges
Contribute to natural habitat/species restoration and/or conservation efforts
Contribute to waste reduction initiatives
Encourage physical activity and healthy lifestyles
Provide permanent recognition to the Foundation

Grant Eligibility

While registered charities, qualified donees, and BC incorporated societies are invited to apply to the Foundation, only registered charities and qualified donees are eligible to receive grants directly.

If the applicant organization is not a CRA registered charity or qualified donee, please review Section 2.2.2 of the CRA Guidance CG-004: Using an Intermediary to carry on a Charity’s activities within Canada for details on how your organization may be a suitable ‘intermediary’ to conduct charitable activities.

If you have questions about your organization’s eligibility to receive a Foundation Grant, please contact us.

Documentation

In Section 3 of the grant application, there is an option to upload supporting documentation. This Section is optional and is intended for a detailed project budget, most recent annual report (including financial statements) and current listing of directors & officers. If the Foundation Advisory Committee requires additional documentation for their due diligence, then the authorized contact will be notified to make arrangements. Optional documents include:

Society charter & incorporation documentation
Current listing of directors & officers
Most recent annual report & financial statements
Detailed project budget inclusive of additional funding sought/confirmed
Letters of support

The following Application types are not supported:

Research, surveys or studies
Medical research
Conferences and/or travel
Operating costs
Deficit reduction
Projects that have already been completed
Professional development
Organizations outside the Nechako-Stuart region

Community Foundation Application

Community Investment Council

Our Community Investment Council meets every quarter to adjudicate applications received from non-profit organizations. Integris welcomes Community Investment Grant applications from local non-profit organizations whose mandates address one or more of the following:

Create and/or contribute to lasting local legacy
Enable financial literacy
Reduce financial barriers for vulnerable and marginalized populations
Enable innovative solutions to local/regional social and/or environmental challenges
Contribute to food security and eliminate supply chain challenges for all living in north central BC
Contribute to Truth and Reconciliation, and opportunities for Indigenous peoples in Dakelh and Secwepemc territories
Contribute to natural habitat/species restoration and/or conservation efforts
Promote waste reduction and recycling
Improve financial sustainability for the applicant organization

Community Investment Application

Educational Awards

Over the years, Integris has made substantial community investment by providing opportunities and financial assistance to students from across our region while supporting our regional post secondary education partners, CNC and UNBC.

As a financial cooperative, we enable and reward our members so we have included Integris membership in the eligibility criteria.

High School Awards

For youth graduating high school, we provide scholarships and/or bursaries for students in:

School District 28 (Quesnel)
School District 57 (Prince George)
School District 74 (Clinton)
School District 91 (Nechako Lakes: open to students in Vanderhoof, Fort St. James, and Fraser Lake)

For more information on scholarship & bursary eligibility and the application process, please contact your school’s counselling office.

Post-Secondary Awards

At the post-secondary level, we invest in our youth who work hard to make our communities the very best they can be. This is done through our partnerships with the College of New Caledonia and the University of Northern BC.

By investing in students pursuing post-secondary education here in north central BC, our aim is to:

Strengthen our region by keeping young professionals in our communities.
Enable students who aspire to people and place over profit.

For more information on award eligibility/process, please contact CNC and/or UNBC.

Community Engagement

What is Community Engagement?

Community engagement at Integris refers to our contributions of time and talent (i.e., our human resources: Integris volunteers, staff at events, financial literacy workshops & outreach, etc.,) to local non-profit organizations/projects whose mandates are supported by our community enrichment objectives and that enhance communities here in north central BC.

Community Engagement Teams

Community Engagement Teams (CETs) are specialized operational teams in each of our communities that work closely with local branch leadership, key stakeholders, and existing/emerging partners to identify and action initiatives that align with our community enrichment objectives. CETs engage community at events, encourage & facilitate staff participation, and develop & deepen business opportunities with value-aligned individuals, households, and organizations. CETs are our collaborative ALL-IN local assets that connect Integris to community.

Do Some Good

ICUBBQ

Shortly after launching our refreshed brand in 2015, Integris launched our ICUBBQ initiative. A cornerstone of our Life Out Here brand is to create community connections – we do this by providing opportunities for people in our communities to support each other. The ICUBBQ ‘shows up’ differently for Integris community partners in that when it rolls up to an event, it enables our community partners to feed, inform, and fundraise, providing unique connection and engagement value for all involved.

Since the ICUBBQ (aka the Sauce Boss) launched, the asset has attended over 200 events across the region and has raised well over $200,000 for community organizations and initiatives; it has surpassed our most enthusiastic projections. It is a hot commodity indeed … if you’d like a shot at becoming the next grill master, here is your chance: please apply at the link below.

ICUBBQ Application

Partnerships

What does a partnership with Integris look like?

Partnerships involve both Community Engagement & Investment while ensuring mutual benefit (typically advocacy and promotion) between and on behalf of the partners.

Strong partnerships rely on the ability to detect, discern, and deepen relationships with key individuals and organizations in positions of influence, capability and leadership across the region. We achieve our Vision, Mission and Community Enrichment objectives when we enable our partners’ mandates.

Partnerships typically involve multi-year Community Investment and Engagement agreements which provide financial certainly to mission-aligned organisations while reinforcing Integris as leading corporate citizen.

This is accomplished through shared storytelling, logo placement, targeted promotion, and further engagement opportunities Partnerships plays a vital role in the Strategy as it is through their efforts that the organization connects and deepens connections with key community and sector partners.

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Community Enrichment

Why Does Community Matter to Us?

What is Community Investment?

Integris Community Foundation

Some of the benefits include:

The following Application types are not supported:

Community Investment Council

Educational Awards

High School Awards

Post-Secondary Awards

What is Community Engagement?

Community Engagement Teams

Do Some Good

ICUBBQ

What does a partnership with Integris look like?

Our Partners

Become a Member

Join Our Board

Credit Union Shares

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