This year, it feels twice as good to give to Dufferin Community Foundation because your gift will be matched up to $25,000 by our generous donors, Steve and Julie Wood. That’s double the community impact, every year, forever for a gift to any of our charitable funds.
The Woods’ donation is the first in a decade of matching gifts to our Sustainability Fund, which provides operational support to the Foundation.
Steve and Julie Wood
“I have been on the Board for six months and see a great amount of momentum, but few resources for infrastructure,” said Steve. “A big part of my corporate value system is that organizations need capacity to grow. You can’t grow without resources.”
The Woods are well-known in Dufferin County for their commitment to the community. Julie has volunteered extensively, including with organizations like the Orangeville Community Band, Dufferin Parent Support Network, Heidi’s Walk for Hope, the Island Lake Rowing Club and schools ranging from preschool to high school while raising their two sons.
When Julie toured the Pine River Institute last spring, her love of volunteering intertwined with her love of rowing when she heard there was interest in getting a team together. She initiated a “Learn to Row” program for a group of students and participated as one of the instructors.
“It was great. They were an amazing group, so excited to be doing this and very motivated. It’s a difficult sport to learn and they showed a lot of maturity and perseverance,” said Julie.
The team from Pine River, a residential treatment program helping teens with addictions, entered a regatta in Toronto… and won! Julie was especially proud when a young woman on the team said that she hoped to find a rowing club in her community when she went home.
“I feel it’s important for people to participate in community programs and events,” she said. “We all benefit from many different things in our community and that’s because there are people behind the scenes running the programs and volunteering.”
The Woods have a donor-advised fund with the Foundation, which continues their whole-hearted tradition of family giving with their children, Cameron and James. After being invested for one year, the WoodLot Fund began granting in 2023. In addition to a gift to the Pine River Institute, the fund supported Dufferin Child and Family Services, Streams Community Hub and the Orangeville Food Bank.
“It’s a joyful notion that our gift to Dufferin Community Foundation will be intergenerational. It’s comforting to know that when we’re not around anymore, support for this community will continue.” said Steve.
“A matching gift creates momentum. We want the foundation to hit its goal of $10 million in 10 years.”
Steve, Cameron, Julie and James Wood in 2021 when they established the Woodlot Fund with Dufferin Community Foundation
