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 Memorian” 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/semi-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 here.
Community Donations of $500 and more to date:
| Neil Cameron | $ 500 |
| Minnedosa Rotary Club (EMS Fund) | $ 5,000 |
| Minnedosa & District Health Auxilary (EMS Fund) | $ 5,000 |
| Minnedosa Lions Club | $ 2,000 |
| David Tesarowski | $ 500 |
| Jack Gibbons | $ 700 |
| Bette Paterson | $ 1,000 |
| Minnedosa Chamber of Commerce (in honour of Burgess Family) | $ 2,000 |
| Minnedosa Christmas Dinner Fund 2015 | $ 500 |
| Jean Burton | $ 800 |
| RBC | $ 2,000 |
| Minnedosa Tribune | $ 865 |
| Minnedosa Heritage Coop | $ 500 |
| Audra Caughill | $ 1,000 |
| Ladies Orange Benevolent organization | $ 600 |
| Rick Everett Memoriam | $ 2,029 |
| Red River Valley Insurance Co. | $ 5,000 |
| Betty Steffens | $ 1,000 |
| Susan Proven | $ 1,000 |
Estate Donations:
| Adam Crossley | $ 15,604 |
| W.M. Burgess | $ 1,000 |
| Art Wilson | $ 5,000 |
| Jack Wareham | $ 23,473 |
| Dora Marsh | $ 22,955 |
| Raymond Girling | $ 122,618 |
| Len Averill | $ 65,673 |
| Verna Averill | $ 1,061,846 |
