In 1974, Adam Crossley left $15,604.26 of his estate to serve the people
of Minnedosa and district. With Crossley’s estate and a $100.00 donation
in memory of Maxine Stewart, the Foundation was an
established local charity.
The Minnedosa Town Council appointed James Chipperfield, Ed Taylor,
and Hazel Vellam to the first serving board of the Foundation.
Shortly after the Foundation’s inception in 1975, it created the first
“In Memoriam” donation envelope, a version of which is still
available today to make donations in loved one’s names. Local groups
and people started taking interest in the money the Foundation
was collecting, and that is how the Foundation began giving,
what are now, annual grants.
In the next 30 years, as donations came in slowly, the Foundation tried
to inform the people of Minnedosa and area of its role,
while continuing to give annual grants to local projects and
organizations to better the community.
In 2008, the Foundation sponsored the Minnedosa Homecoming Opening Ceremonies, and began a luncheon to recognize grant recipients each year. It also created annual newsletters, which are still published to date.
Since initial donations in memory of Maxine Stewart and Adam Crossley, the Foundation has relied on the citizens of Minnedosa and area to grow its funds. Historically citizens have made memorial donations, estate donations, and straight tax deductible donations to increase the Foundation’s assets. Today, the Foundation has a wide variety of donation options you can explore.