About
What We Do
The Steinbach Community Foundation invests monetary gifts in endowment funds and grants out a portion of the income earned annually. SCF is dedicated to enhancing the quality of community life by funding local projects that address social services, health and well-being, heritage, sport and recreation, arts and culture, child welfare and family well-being, educational and environmental needs, and other priorities in the Southeast Manitoba area.
Our
MISSION
Our
VISION
General Community Fund
2025 FUNDED PROJECTS
Steinbach Fire Department
Inflatable Fire Education House and Trailer
Teaching children fire prevention and fire safety in a fun and engaging way is a top priority for The Steinbach Fire Department. This travelling inflatable fire house will be accessible to all children and adults throughout southeast Manitoba for presentations made inside or outside, at schools, fairs, manufacturing plants, or anywhere. SCF made this grant in partnership with the Thomas Sill Manitoba Fund ($22,903.32) and an anonymous donor ($4,294).
Total amount granted: $27,197.76
Congratulations and thank you for working to keep our communities fire safe.
Jake Epp Library
Expansion of WonderBook Collection
Stronger literacy skills build stronger families and stronger communities. Your gift improves peoples’ lives by enabling children who are learning to read, learning English, or who experience learning difficulties. Literacy skills improve when reading WonderBook electronic interactive read-along books. This grant is made in partnership with the William and Agnes Lepp Family Fund ($977) held at SCF and an anonymous donor ($8,968). Total amount granted: $9,945.00
Congratulations and thank you for supporting community as this grant enables the library to purchase over 120 new WonderBooks.
Villa Youville Inc.
Courtyard Community Fireplace in Ste. Anne, MB
During COVID we learned people need people and visiting outside was an option, therefore staff started bringing outdoor firepits to work. The residents loved it so much, Villa Youville made it a mission to obtain funding for a beautiful outdoor fireplace for their residents to enjoy the outside with the warmth of friendship by a fire. All supplies and installation were purchased locally in support of local businesses in southeast Manitoba. Total amount granted: $5,000.00
Congratulations and thank you for taking one more step toward creating a better living environment for your residents.
Safe Families Canada, Steinbach Branch
Specialized Volunteer Training
Volunteers who are equipped to handle volatile or emergency situations are better able to help the family stabilize more quickly and more effectively. Stable families can create stable communities. Pooling your gift with others develops funding to allow this project to have a broad, long-lasting impact on adults and children who have walked through a crisis in their life.
Total amount granted by an anonymous donor: $6,220.00
Congratulations and thank you for helping stabilize community one family at a time.
Steinbach Arts Council
NEW Security System
When you make a gift, grants are made enabling organizations to offer their best to community. SAC hosts a vast number of opportunities for adults and children from pre-schoolers to teenagers and works to ensure a safe space where all people belong. This project includes video surveillance and an entry security system to assist staff in monitoring the safety of all who enter the building.
SCF made this grant in partnership with the Carmen and James Koepke Family Fund ($236) and an anonymous donor ($8,764).
Total amount granted: $9,000
Congratulations and thank you for developing a safe, creative space for community to flourish.
Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation
2 adapted tricycles, 1 iPad
You help transform lives with your gift! The Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation supports children in southeast Manitoba to live their best life and to be included regardless of their ability. Just seeing their bright smiles enables better communication and encourages inclusive communities affecting families, schools, businesses, and community as a whole one child at a time.
Total amount granted by an anonymous donor: $10,173.21
Congratulations and thank you for uplifting and changing children’s lives.
Southeast Cancer Support Services
Database Computer System
Your partnership helped develop a specialized database system to manage information on clients, volunteers, donors, and to gather statistics for research to identify needs in southeast Manitoba. This program was designed by a local Steinbach computer programmer to time spent on administration tasks to spend more time supporting programs offered and helping those in need. This grant is made in partnership with the SCF General Fund ($8,538.79) and an anonymous donor ($581.21). Total amount granted: $9,120.00
Congratulations and thank you for your care and services for all in southeast Manitoba.
Musée Pointe-des-Chenes Museum Inc.
Relocate Historical Métis Log House at Ste. Anne, MB
This 150 year old Métis log house has been part of the Ste. Anne heritage for many generations and is used as a teaching tool for local schools and tour groups. Moving the house to a permanent location will bring safety and new life to the house allowing more educational opportunities. Métis elders paired with students leads to great to discussions on ways of life, recipes, and more good stories and understanding. Total amount granted: $12,468.75
Congratulations and thank you for preserving a part of Manitoba’s Métis history.
Cedarwood Supportive Housing
Replace Security Keypad Entry System
Your generosity has made it possible for Cedarwood to offer improved safety and care of seniors. This grant replaces an old, outdated security system with a NEW easy to use FOB system that will allow seniors easier and more secure access to their building. This grant is made in partnership with the SCF General Fund ($1,287) and an anonymous donor ($9,959.35). Total amount granted: $11,246.35
Congratulations and thank you for improving systems to create a safer environment for seniors.
Steinbach Family Resource Centre
Commercial Gas Stove and Installation
Volunteers with a dream and a new gas stove gives SFRC the ability to enhance food programming that supports families facing food insecurities. A commercial stove will allow SFRC to expand their capacity to provide hot, nutritious meals during group programming, cooking classes, and emergency food support initiatives. In the past six months alone, dedicated volunteers have prepared 17 batches of soup, totalling 85 gallons (322 litres), providing approximately 460 meals to families in need. Your partnership feeds families!
Total amount granted by an anonymous donor: $15,000.00
Congratulations and thank you for your passion to feed families in need.
PAST GRANTS
2024
Envision
Digital Resource Library
8118
Steinbach Family Resource Centre
Maintaining Support for Families
6500
Aulneau Renewal Centre
Creating Therapeutic Spaces
5000
Children's Rehabilitation Foundation
Adapted Equipment
2139
Steinbach Arts Council
Art Gallery Display Expansion
2958
Steinbach Christian School
Natural Fitness Playground Course
3037
2023
Children's Rehabilitation Foundation Inc.
Adapted Bike
4078
STARS
Human Patient Simulator Education Program
5000
Serving Seniors Inc.
New Stage Flooring
14419.18
2022
Eden Residential Care Services Inc.
Renovations
5000
Chalet Malouin
Automatic Doors
5000
Steinbach Community Outreach
New Van
8000
2021
Linden Place, HavenGroup
Universal Flip Flop Tables
3000
City of Steinbach
L.A. Barkman Park Basketball Court
7000
Ronald McDonald House
New House Build
2000
Steinbach Arts Council
Community Theatre Expansion
8000
Steinbach Community Foundation is a Proud Supporter of the Chrysalis Fund
Recent News
Updates
$10,000 for 10 Fire Departments: SCF's Response to the 2025 Wildfires

The Steinbach Community Foundation Inc. is thrilled to announce that during October’s Fire Safety Month, we awarded $10,000 in grants to our local fire departments throughout southeast Manitoba. This initiative was designed to recognize, highlight, and support the courageous firefighters and the vital equipment they shared in combating the wildfires that threatened our communities this year.
Our decision to prioritize direct grants to local fire departments stemmed from the Winnipeg Foundation’s (TWF) 2025 Manitoba Wildfire Response Fund. While TWF reached out to encourage community foundations to contribute to a broader initiative, the SCF Board felt it was more impactful to focus on immediate support within our own catchment area. This includes communities spanning east of Hwy 75, south of Hwy 1, west of the Manitoba/Ontario border, and north of the United States border.
We express our deepest gratitude to all who dedicated their time and resources during the wildfires. With this grant, local fire departments are free to utilize funds for operational costs, equipment upgrades, community outreach, or any other local initiatives they deem necessary. Our goal is to empower them to make the best choices for their communities, ensuring ongoing safety and preparedness.
$1,000 grants were made to:
Steinbach Fire Department, Richer Fire Department, Sainte-Anne Fire Department, Hanover Fire/Rescue, Village de/of St-Pierre-Jolys, Taché Fire Department, Reynolds Fire Department, Southeast Whiteshell Fire Department, Woodridge Fire Department, and La Broquerie Fire Department.
Be watching Facebook for more posts and photos of presentations.
November 10 – 16, 2025 is a great time to invest in southeast Manitoba!

Gifts made to The Steinbach Community Foundation Inc. General Community Fund during the Giving Challenge will be matched to receive up to an additional $10,000.
The Steinbach Community Foundation (SCF) plays a vital, lasting role in all aspects of life in southeast Manitoba. Thanks to generous monetary gifts from donors, SCF accepts grant applications from charitable organizations and makes grants to a wide variety of worthy causes in southeast Manitoba from daycares to seniors’ homes, scholarships to school improvements, food banks to mental health, and much, much more. That improves life for all of us.
The larger we build the fund today, the more we can grant out to community next year, and every year after.
To make your monetary gift by credit card to SCF’s General Community Fund CLICK HERE
For more details on giving options and/or to understand how SCF can help your community, email admin@steinbachcf.ca or call/text 204-823-4521 or visit our website at steinbachcommunityfoundation.ca.
Community foundations pool and endow (permanently invest) all monetary gifts, and the investment income earned supports a variety of projects within the Foundation’s designated area, year after year after year. The original gifts (contributions) are never spent, only interest earned is spent (granted), ensuring a lasting legacy for donors and a permanent source of support for the communities in southeast Manitoba. The SCF General Community Fund is set up for charities to apply for grants which in turn will support their projects that address current needs of the community.
Thank you to SCF matching sponsors:
Gold Sponsors
Anne Barkman and David Banman



Silver Sponsors


Wine and Cheese Party Celebrating Community - Nov 20 | 5-7pm

OUR PROCESS
Grant Applications
Granting Process: The grant application deadline is March 31 of each year.
The 3rd Wednesday of April, the applicant will meet with the SCF Board for a 15 minute interview to discuss the project, organization, and answer any questions that may arise.
The 3rd Wednesday of May, the SCF Board will make all granting decisions and all applicants will be advised of granting decisions within one week of the May meeting. All applicants receiving a grant will be expected to sign a Grant Agreement and follow the SCF granting process and policy.
For more information on the SCF granting process and documentation, please contact the SCF office at admin@steinbachcf.ca or 204-823-4521.
Your application is due on March 31
DownloadOur Board
Mary Jane Hiebert
Chair
Sarah Beaver
Finance and Administration Chair
Deb Rempel
Governance Chair
Lynda Lambert
Executive Director
Andrew Warkentin
Director
Crystal Hildebrandt
Director
Tony Lenchyshyn
Director
Ken Wiebe
Director
Glenn Friesen
Director
Robert Banman
Youth Representative
SCF Endowment Funds
Gifts are permanently invested and, according to the SCF spending policy, a portion of the income earned is distributed every year to local registered charities as grants.
General Community Endowment Fund
A non-designated fund that provides general support grants as determined by the Community Foundation board.
The Chrysalis Fund
A donor advised fund supported by a community of women philanthropists to support charitable programs benefiting children, youth, and families in Steinbach and the surrounding area.
Named Family Funds
Designated or donor advised funds created and augmented by individuals or families. These fund holders have the ability to recommend grant support to their preferred charity or field of interest.
Arts Stabilization Manitoba Fund
A designated fund established to support the internal operations of the Steinbach Arts Council Inc.
Heritage – Mennonite Heritage Village Fund
An agency fund created to build and maintain operating capacity for the Mennonite Heritage Village Museum.
Mennonite Heritage Village (Canada) Inc. Signature Museum Sustainability Fund
A designated fund to support the governance and management, operational standards, and enhancement of visitor experiences at the Mennonite Heritage Village Museum.
RESOURCES
