FIG Fund

The FIG Fund was created in 2012 by community leader Adele Poynter and her daughter, Kate McNicholas, with a $20,000 donation to the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (CFNL). 

Through CFNL, the FIG Fund disburses an annual grant of at least $3,000 to assist women who have had to overcome significant obstacles and would benefit from some extra help to assist them in pursuing their goals.

The Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (CFNL) is a province-wide, non-profit organization that builds and manages charitable endowment funds for individuals, families, businesses and organizations. It distributes the income on the funds as grants to many of the humanitarian, educational, health, and cultural charities in this province.

The FIG Fund is named for three women special to Adele -- her mother Florence, her mother-in-law Isabel (McNicholas), and her friend, philanthropist Gretchen (Bauta) -- all of whom Adele felt provided valuable support to people and helped shape the course of many lives, including her own. Adele also wanted the project to involve her daughter Kate, as she begins her own journey of caring about her community.

The FIG Fund’s first grants were disbursed through the St. John’s Women’s Centre to two clients of Marguerite’s Place. Marguerite’s Place offers safe housing and support programs to women who need assistance. The money was used to cover one client's expenses associated with attending community college and to provide urgent dental care for another.

To expand the fund so that it can continue to help more women in our province, the first Fig Fund Fête was held at the Murray Premises in St. John’s in 2013, generously supported by Murray Premises owner Bill Mahoney. More than 70 women joined Adele, Kate, and CFNL board members on a Sunday in December for an afternoon tea featuring performances by musician Pamela Morgan and a reading by author Lisa Moore. The fête raised over $11,000 for the FIG Fund and the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador.

 

The fête has since become an annual event, hosting repeat performances by Lisa Moore and Pamela Morgan and by singer-songwriter Jenina MacGillivray.

Grants from money raised at the fête have been used to set up a jewelry-making program at The Gathering Place, a service centre that offers programs to people who are homeless, unemployed, and/or do not have adequate social or financial support; to help with the start-up costs of the Safe Harbour Outreach Project (SHOP), which assists women who engage in sex work or survival sex in St. John’s and surrounding areas; and to provide postsecondary scholarships to newcomers to Canada.

Thanks to the community of women who attend the annual fête and the generous contributions of donors, the FIG Fund had a value of more than $46,000 at the end of 2015. As it continues to grow, the interest from the fund will be a permanent source of grants to women's causes in our province. Anyone can contribute to the FIG Fund, and all gifts are tax deductible. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or donate now using Canada Helps or Paypal.

Adele Poynter died of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in June 2016. To celebrate Adele's life and to reflect the growth of the fund, $10,000 was allocated for granting from the FIG Fund in 2016. This money has been matched dollar-for-dollar through the Community Fund for Canada's 150th for a total impact of $20,000.

The next fête will be held on Sunday, March 5, 2017. Join us for tea, treats, door prizes, inspiring women, and sparkling conversation to celebrate International Women's Day! This year's event will welcome back Lisa Moore, who will give a reading and is generously offering an original painting for auction. The recipients of the special 2016 grants will be announced at the fête. Tickets are on sale now.

Interested in how we can help you, your family, your business, or your charity start your own fund to support a cause that's close to your heart? Funds can be established with one large donation, small donations from many donors, a bequest in a will, a life insurance policy, and many other options. All gifts are tax deductible. Click here to learn more.