Donation FAQs
Do you have questions about where your donation goes?
Phase one of the Windermere Community Fitness Park (WCFP) is complete and was made possible with funds from donors like you, the Vancouver School Board, the efforts of the Windermere PAC, the government of Canada Healthy Communities Initiative and the Tire Stewardship of BC. Thank you very much to all who contributed. Visit our Donor Wall Of Gratitude and consider a donation to help complete phase two.
As we begin fund raising for phase two of the WCFP, we want to reassure new donors like you that 100% of the money you donate through the Vancouver School Board website donations page goes to Windermere, specifically phase two of the Windermere Community Fitness Park project. Phase two would see the installation of Vancouver’s first dedicated outdoor table tennis court, two tribute benches on the small slope overlooking the park, modest landscaping improvements, and a contingency fund for purchasing adjunctive equipment like stretchy bands, suspension training devices and more.
We hope to allay any concerns you may have about donating by answering some common questions below.
Brad White
Physical & Health Education Department Head
Windermere Secondary School
- Will my donation go to the Windermere Community Fitness Park, Phase Two?
Yes! Donations made online using the links shown on most pages here on the website go to a depository at the accounting department of the Vancouver School Board. This is a parking spot only. The VSB is a registered non-profit in Canada, and funds received there can be issued a tax-deductible receipt. Once a donation is received online and registered, a receipt is registered immediately for downloading by the donor.
- Is any of my donation used for anything else?
Absolutely not! Unlike many charitable organizations, in this case 100% of every dollar donated goes directly to the creation of the fitness park: purchasing fitness equipment and a rubber surface. That’s it. There are no fees, honorariums, salaries or money spent on refreshments, stationery, etc. All those working on this project are volunteers. Money for signs, posters, website creation/hosting, social media creation, etc. have been generously donated by supportive school PAC members, local businesses, or neighbours. This really is a community effort to benefit the community!
- Why isn’t the Vancouver School Board paying for this project?
It is! The VSB is charged with using taxpayers’ money to provide the necessities for educating our children. Typically, the VSB does not create public community spaces; that is the purview of the municipal or provincial government. In this case, the municipal and provincial governments have contributed nothing to the creation of a facility that will be available to all citizens for free for many decades to come. In fact, it is the VSB that is the major contributor to a project that could easily be fenced off and reserved for the school population, rather than be made easily accessible to all community members. The VSB has provided a 41’x71’ piece of land directly beside a public sidewalk. The VSB has permitted the use of federal government funding and PAC money to be used for this project, so far totalling $31,000 after a recent additional PAC donation of $6000! This makes the school board THE major donor. This should also allay any fears about donations going into general VSB coffers.
100% of your contribution will go directly to Windermere Community Fitness Park, Phase Two:
Vancouver's first dedicated outdoor table tennis court, two tribute benches, and modest landscaping improvements.
in Vancouver by