At Red River Co-op, we are guided by always trying to do things right. We aim to do the right thing for our members and customers, our employees, our communities and the environment.

Co-ops are built by - and for - the people they serve. We are a different kind of business. We are a co-operative that is owned by our members who live in the communities we do business and a co-operative that is committed to investing in those communities to make them better places for everyone.

The Community Investment Program strengthens the role we take in our neighbourhoods by focusing our donations to charities and non-profits that align with our mission and values.

Donation Requests & Guidelines

In today’s world, appeals for support grow annually in number and variety. While recognizing the growing needs of our community, we recognize that we cannot support each group. Annually, our Community Investment Committee identifies key areas of giving dependent on the needs of our community and social and environmental issues.

All requests are reviewed by the Community Investment Committee at quarterly meetings. Please submit your donation request at least three months in advance of your event or activity. An organization may be a recipient one time in a twelve month period.

Please submit your donation request in advance of November 30. You will be notified of the status of your request in early January. 

Guidelines:

• Applicants must be a charity or non-profit and community organization.
• The organization must operate and serve within the general trading area of Red River Co-op (Winnipeg, Lorette, Oakbank, Headingley, Stonewall, Selkirk, Niverville, Gimli, Teulon, Ste. Agathe, Dryden, Kenora).
• Community level donations will have priority over national donations.
• Special considerations maybe be given to groups that adhere to co-operative principles.

The following is a list of groups and causes to which Red River considers inappropriate to donate to:

• Individual/self-interest. Exceptions may be made for youth education sponsored by Co-op entities.
• Religious organizations except those offering community services on a non-denominational basis.
• Private clubs or organizations - any organization involved in promoting issues or agendas that do not aligns with our co-operative’s values.
• Requests for prizes supporting silent, rainbow or live auctions and raffles.
• Political groups.
• Gala dinners and golf tournament fundraising will be redirected to directly support the charities.

Limitations on giving:

Red River Co-op recognizes the vital and worthwhile role performed by the many charitable organizations in our community. However, due to limited financial resources, we will restrict our support to those groups who best match our objectives.

Submitting a request:

To be considered for support, all requests must be in submitted using our online application form. Click here to submit a request for donation.

Gift Card Fundraising Program:

Red River Co-op also offers a gift card fundraising program for community groups and non-profits. Whether you are raising money to help a sports team, dance crew, charity or travel club, Red River Co-op is here to help!

We welcome the opportunity to be involved and help build a stronger community through fundraising programs that enrich the lives of our community members. Click here for details on our gift card fundraising program.

2021 Non-Profits & Charities That Received Funding