Franz Friesinger is a knowledgeable advocate for the North Thompson Communities Foundation (NTCF) and would like to spread the word about how the foundation benefits the valley.
The former chair of the NTCF spent six years in the lead role of the foundation until current chair, Louise Lodge, took over. Lodge describes Friesinger as “awesome” and being a “sounding board and mentor” to her when she took over the role as chair.
Friesinger feels the relationship the NTCF has with the Vancouver Foundation is pivotal. “The Vancouver Foundation is very well established with the infrastructure required to manage large funds for smaller communities that benefit so many organizations throughout the year,” he said.
The North Thompson Communities Foundation (NTCF) was formed in 2001 and began to service the North Thompson Valley communities from McLure to Blue River.
At the time, the North Thompson Valley was host to several large logging companies, Weyerhaeuser being the largest. When Weyerhaeuser left the valley the company kick-started the foundation with a legacy donation offering $50,000 to start the organization locally.
“The Vancouver Foundation was in a position to assist from the beginning with the NTCF and essentially helped to double the first donation from Weyerhauser through investing it. It doubled within a year," Friesinger said. "The Vancouver Foundation helps many smaller foundations as kind of a favour and due to this partnership, the rural organizations benefit greatly from the interest that gives back from those investment trusts each year. Any funds donated earn interest that continually is returned to the communities through grants, scholarships and bursaries for example.”
The former chair and president of the Barriere Outdoor Club, Friesinger said the North Thompson Valley has approximately 12,000 “inhabitants” from McLure to Blue River that benefit from the NTCF. Foundation monies can be further expanded by endowment funds, such as a donor leaving a large amount as a legacy donation or codicil in their will, he explained. "Those endowment funds stay as an endowment forever and it's only the interest or income earned from that money that can be granted out.”
Friesinger was known for hosting annual NTCF barbecues in the valley, something chair Lodge hopes to continue in the future. During those social events directors and members provide information to guests about the function of the foundation, its granting program and how donations continue to give back to the communities they serve.
The North Thompson Communities Foundation 2025 granting cycle opened for this year on March 17 and the grant application can be downloaded via the website http://https://www.ntcommunitiesfoundation.com/copy-of-resources with a deadline for applications on April 18, 2025.
“Any money that someone leaves to the foundation will continue to do good work in the valley. That is a really good feeling. It’s the job of the foundation to make sure that a person’s donation lives on. A fund can be left in memory of a person in their own name, or they can stipulate how they would like the donation to be used whether that be for sports, a scholarship, and all donations are fully tax deductible. It’s not to be confused with a charity, it’s a foundation – it’s main mission is to accumulate funds that will generate income in perpetuity. That income is doled out into the communities for many things, like a community garden, for example, or scholarships and bursaries," said Friesinger, “It’s a beautiful way to contribute to so many things in our valley.”
