Mark Saturday, November 17th on your calendar to support your local foundation through the Endow Manitoba 24-Hour Giving Challenge.

This annual event encourages Manitoba residents to partner with the Winnipeg Foundation through giving to their local community foundations.

This year the Manitoba Government has joined the Winnipeg Foundation to stretch the fund raising. For every $5 gift, both the Winnipeg Foundation and the Provincial government will each contribute $1, stretching that $5 to now $7.

Both the Winnipeg Foundation and the Province of Manitoba will each contribute up to a maximum of $2,000 per year per foundation.

Laura Kempthorne is the General Manager for the Brandon and Area Community Foundation (BACF). She says the 24-Hour Giving Challenge is a great way to help community foundations in Manitoba grow their own community funds.

Local foundations grant out money to various projects throughout their community and every year, grants are given out to a wide variety of local projects.

"It's always a great opportunity when somebody comes along and says, 'Hey, we want to help you build that fund,'" says Kempthorne.

"With the help of the Winnipeg Foundation Endow Manitoba, and this year the Provincial Government, every $5 becomes a $7 gift. And that`s great for our community foundations, in helping us grow our funds."

The BACF accepts and donates grants to many projects throughout the entire Westman region.

Kempthorne says the 24 Hour Giving Challenge not only brings awareness to the donation opportunity on November 17th, but also to the BACF and how their organization helps the many projects and communities across Westman.

Though the BACF has been in existence for some 50 years, Kempthorne says many are still unaware of the work they do. "This gives us the chance to show the public who we are, what we do, and allows them to donate to our community fund."

For more information go to www.endowmanitoba.ca and click on the link to find your local community foundation.

Visit www.bacf.ca for more on the Brandon and Area Community.