The County Foundation

10/07/2026

Introducing Gwen Benjamin from our Board of Directors! 💙

Gwen joined our Board this year, but has been volunteering with The County Foundation since 2023, serving as a member of our Vital Signs & Community Engagement Committee, our Grants & Community Impact Committee, as well as our Governance Committee.

Gwen is a recently retired lawyer, working in the area of trusts and estates, as well as having many years of experience working with charities – both pro bono and otherwise – and has acted for donors in structuring their philanthropic gifts. While she no longer practices law, her knowledge and expertise continue to be an asset to our Board and committees.

Thank you Gwen for your continued dedication to the work of TCF, and for always pitching in where you can help make a difference!

10/06/2026

Tune in for an interview segment on the newly established Picton Food Bank Endowment Fund. Social media is not a fan of the news, but a quick Google will get you there!

Mark Houghton and his wife Erika established the fund with an initial donation of $100,000, with a goal of raising $1 million to support the sustainability of the food bank for those who need it.

Mark speaks to the growing demand for the food bank in our community, the power of an endowment fund to provide dependable, long-term revenue, and his and his wife’s own experiences with food insecurity, and why these personal experiences inspired them to give.

10/06/2026

Tune in to CBC's Ontario Morning for a segment on the newly established Picton Food Bank Endowment Fund.

Mark Houghton and his wife Erika established the fund with an initial donation of $100,000, with a goal of raising $1 million to support the sustainability of the food bank for those who need it.

Mark speaks to the growing demand for the food bank in our community, the power of an endowment fund to provide dependable, long-term revenue, and his and his wife’s own experiences with food insecurity, and why these personal experiences inspired them to give.

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-112-ontario-morning/clip/16241430-the-picton-food-bank-endowment-fund

10/06/2026

Congratulations to Brian Beiles, our past Board Chair & current committee member, for receiving the Outstanding Volunteer Award at the Inaugural Civic Recognition Awards.

The Civic Recognition Awards celebrate “the exceptional individuals, organizations, and groups that have made a lasting impact on the community”.

Under Brian Beiles’ leadership, The County Foundation evolved from a small group of committed residents into a respected community institution. Brian’s commitment to building partnerships, fostering a culture of giving, and strengthening community connections has helped shape The County Foundation into the trusted organization it is today.

The Outstanding Volunteer Award is presented to individuals whose extensive volunteer efforts have contributed to the quality of life in Prince Edward County. Congratulations to each of the recipients awarded, and thank you all for your ongoing dedication and commitment to making Prince Edward County a better place for all who live here.

TCF Staff and Board members were so thrilled to attend the ceremony and celebrate Brian’s contributions to our community (and sincere apologies to David who is hidden in our group photo!). To see the full announcement and Brian’s full remarks, visit The County Foundation’s website.

Photo credit: Michelle Beaudette Photography

https://www.thecountyfoundation.ca/news-and-events/post/brian-beiles-recognized-at-civic-recognition-awards

10/05/2026

Election season is here! ✅

Use your voice and cast your vote this election season. What issues matter the most to you as a resident of Prince Edward County?  

At The County Foundation, we believe in creating a thriving and united Prince Edward County where everyone belongs. You can help shape our community by voting in our local election, highlighting what matters to you, and informing yourself on issues and community needs. Our local Vital Signs data and reports can be an excellent resource for this!  

In Prince Edward County’s 2022 election, 47% of eligible voters cast their ballots. We encourage all voters to participate and have their voices heard.  

A big thank you to Paul Snepsts for partnering with TCF to encourage civic engagement! 

💙 Election Day: Monday October 26th 
💙 Advanced Voting Day: Saturday October 17th  
💙 Online Voting: October 17 at 10:00 a.m. → October 26 at 8:00 p.m 

For full details on how to vote in Prince Edward County, visit: www.thecounty.ca/government/election/information-for-voters

10/02/2026

PEC Council & School Board Trustee candidates’ responses to youth-focused questions are now available at www.thecountyfoundation.ca/youthvoice.

The County Foundation invited Council & School Board Trustee candidates to respond to questions submitted by youth and parents/caregivers about issues that matter to young people and families in Prince Edward County.

Thank you to each of the candidates who responded, and to the local youth-focused organizations that helped to facilitate questions submitted by youth and young families, including the ROC Youth Services, Reaching for Rainbows, and Greater Than Youth Collective.

The responses to these youth-focused questions not only matter to youth and young families, but to everyone in our community, so we encourage everyone to review the answers shared. Be informed before you cast your vote on October 26th! ✅

10/02/2026

Deadline to apply coming up next Tuesday (October 6th)!

We are now accepting applications for the secondary intake of the Municipal Community Grants program for in-kind grants from September 1st to October 6th at 4pm.

In-kind funding refers to services or resources offered by the municipality (use of municipal venues, services, equipment, labour, etc.) as valued by the Fees and Charges By-Law that can help support the work of the applicant and reduces expenses of the work or initiative proposed.

Each year, there is a Primary intake in the Spring with the full amount of funding for the year available and a Secondary intake in the Fall to grant out the remaining In-kind funds for projects or events taking place between November 1st and May 31st.

Applicants can apply twice a year for in-kind funding during the Primary or Secondary intakes unless they have received the maximum grant size during the Primary intake. The maximum grant size for an in-kind grant is $2,000 per year. For this year’s 2026 secondary intake, there is $7,417.90 in in-kind funding remaining.

Full details on eligibility and how to apply are available on The County Foundation’s website.

10/01/2026

We are thrilled to announce that the Picton Food Bank Endowment Fund has been established at The County Foundation.

In 2025, the Picton United Church Food Bank provided over 110,000 meals – and this year they are experiencing a 40% increase in visits to the food bank. This sharp and sudden increase reflects the escalating number of families and individuals dealing with food insecurity in the County.

The idea for the endowment fund comes from Picton Food Bank volunteer, Mark Houghton and his wife Erika, who see it as a way to help alleviate the uncertainty that comes from operating a food bank that is dependant on fluctuating community donations. And to ensure that the Fund gets off to a healthy start, the Picton couple have seeded it with a donation of $100,000.

The Picton Food Bank is seeking to raise an initial $1 million, which will generate interest that can be used by the food bank annually to ensure shelves are stocked with meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables, dried goods and other essentials.

Visit The County Foundation’s website to read the full announcement. Those interested in supporting the Picton Food Bank Endowment Fund are encouraged to connect directly with Dominique Jones at The County Foundation to discuss their giving plans. Dominique can be reached at [email protected] or 613-519-4470.

https://www.thecountyfoundation.ca/news-and-events/post/picton-food-bank-endowment-fund

09/30/2026

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a moment to reflect on our shared past and connected future with Indigenous peoples. Connected and inclusive communities grow from a foundation of trust, truth, and respect.

TCF Staff Dominique and Gillian had the pleasure of attending the opening of Tsi Tyónnheht Onkwawén:na’s new language and cultural centre in May this year. A new purpose-built space that will be an enduring space for learning and celebrating Mohawk language and culture. It was a moving moment that we were thankful to have been invited to, and we know its impact will only continue to grow as time goes on.

We are grateful to the donors we work with who have helped support the preservation and celebration of Indigenous culture, both here in Prince Edward County and alongside our neighbours in Tyendinaga.

09/29/2026

The County Foundation is transitioning several of the grant programs that we administer to a new online grants portal.

This new grants portal will allow organizations to manage the entire grant process in one place - from applying to reporting. You will now be able to collaborate with other team members directly in the system. And we are thrilled that the much-requested feature of being able to use bullet points will now be available!

The grant programs transitioning to our new grants portal moving forward will include the Municipal Community Grants, PEC Arts Fund, Built Heritage Fund, Huff Family Fund, and our Vital Impact Fund, as the portal is geared specifically toward community organizations applying for funding. For the other grant programs that we administer, we will continue to use our previous system.

The new system will launch with the 2026 Vital Impact Fund. Read our full announcement on our website for everything you need to know and for detailed instructions for getting started.

As a reminder, most of The County Foundation’s grant programs are only open to registered charities and other qualified donees, as defined by the Income Tax Act.