Manitoba news: This week, a dollar given in rural Manitoba is worth more than a dollar. The Endow Manitoba Giving Challenge runs November 9 to 15, and gifts to community foundations across the province are stretched by The Winnipeg Foundation and the Manitoba government, with some local gifts more than doubling.
The Giving Challenge is a weeklong push, November 9 to 15, 2026, when donations to Manitoba’s 55 community foundations qualify for an extra 40 percent contribution. Local foundations add their own matches on top, so in Reynolds a $10,000 community effort becomes $24,000 for its permanent community fund.
By Maplestime News Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | November 12, 2026
Sources: RM of Reynolds | Last updated: November 12, 2026
Key Takeaways
- The Giving Challenge runs November 9 to 15, 2026, at community foundations across Manitoba.
- Donations qualify for an additional 40 percent Giving Challenge contribution.
- In Reynolds, $10,000 raised becomes $24,000: $4,000 from the challenge plus a $10,000 fund match.
- In Wawanesa, the first $10,000 raised doubles to $20,000 with help from six local business sponsors.
- The Pembina-Manitou Area Foundation set a $10,000 goal to unlock a $4,000 provincial stretch.
- Manitoba has 55 community foundations, the most per capita in Canada.
How does the Giving Challenge stretch your gift?
The idea is simple. You give to your local community foundation during the challenge week, and your gift gets stretched twice. First, the Giving Challenge adds 40 percent on top of what you donate, with support from The Winnipeg Foundation and the Manitoba government. Then your local foundation can add its own match from its funds.
That double stretch is what turns small gifts into serious money. The money does not go to a one time project. It goes into a permanent endowment, where the original gifts stay invested and a portion of the income earned pays for local projects year after year. As the endowment grows, so does what it can do for the community.
What is happening in Reynolds, Wawanesa and Pembina-Manitou?
Reynolds shows the math best. The RM of Reynolds is asking residents to raise $10,000 for the Reynolds Community Fund by November 15. If the community hits the goal, the Steinbach Community Foundation adds $14,000: $4,000 from the Giving Challenge and a $10,000 fund match. The result is $24,000 in the fund. As the RM puts it, every $1 the community contributes can become $2.40 for the Fund.
Wawanesa is running the same play with local businesses behind it. The first $10,000 raised for the Wawanesa Community Foundation doubles to $20,000, thanks to the 40 percent stretch plus matching from six local sponsors: Ellis Seeds, Shur-Gro Wawanesa, Guild Insurance, Rusty Bucket Auto, Jackson-Elder Family Farm and Ganalane Farms. In Pembina-Manitou, the area foundation set a $10,000 goal to unlock a $4,000 provincial stretch. The foundation made grants totalling $153,967 to 49 organizations in 2026, which shows what this kind of money does once it is in place.
Related: Manitoba Community Spaces 2026 — 100+ New Post-Hospital Beds for Homeless and Mental-Health Patients
A Winnipeg street scene. Photo via Wikimedia Commons
How do you give before November 15?
Time is short. The challenge ends November 15, and only gifts made between November 9 and 15 qualify for the extra 40 percent. In Reynolds, you can give online through the Endow Manitoba website, by cash or cheque at the RM of Reynolds municipal office, or by electronic transfer. Cheques must be dated November 9 to 15, 2026, and made payable to the Steinbach Community Foundation Inc., with Reynolds Community Fund in the memo line.
Donations of $25 or more to the Reynolds Community Fund are eligible for an official charitable tax receipt from the Steinbach Community Foundation. The same weeklong window applies at foundations across the province, so check your local foundation for its own goal and its own match. Manitoba has 55 community foundations, the most per capita in Canada, and this is the one week of the year when a gift to any of them goes furthest.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Giving Challenge end?
November 15, 2026. Only donations made between November 9 and 15 qualify for the additional 40 percent contribution, and cheques must be dated within that window.
Do I get a tax receipt?
Donations of $25 or more to the Reynolds Community Fund are eligible for an official charitable tax receipt issued by the Steinbach Community Foundation. Make sure your full legal name and mailing address are provided so the gift can be receipted.
Where does the money go?
Into permanent endowment funds like the Reynolds Community Fund. The gifts stay invested, and a portion of the income earned supports local charitable projects year after year, from recreation and health programs to arts, education and social services.
Grain bins on a Manitoba farm. Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Maplestime will provide updates from the Giving Challenge across Manitoba as announcements are made.
Have a tip about this story? Email [email protected]
Have a correction? Email [email protected]
If a dollar can become $2.40 for your town, what excuse is left not to give? Tell us in the comments. And share this with every Manitoban.
Enjoying Maplestime? Support independent Canadian journalism — no paywall, no corporate owners.
