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. An organization may be a recipient one time in a twelve month period.

Next Committee Meeting: Please submit your funding requests in advance of May 12, 2021. You will be notified of the status of your donation in early June. 

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

Here’s a complete list of organizations the Community Relations program supported in 2019:

1st Crestview Scout Group
A & O Support Services for Older Adults
ALS Society
Alzheimer’s Society of Manitoba
Aquatic Synchro Club
Archwood School
Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club
Assiniboine Park Conservancy
Bear Clan Inc
Behavioural Health Foundation
Bike Dump
Bike Week Winnipeg
Bookmates Inc.
Bridgwater Trails Neighbourhood Assn.
Canada Royal Winnipeg Ballet
Canadian Institute of Reading Recovery
Canadian Sports Centre
Cancer Care Foundation
CancerCare Manitoba Foundation
Cerebral Palsy
Children's Rehabilitation Foundation
Children’s Wish Foundation
Conseil jeunesse provincial
Corydon Community Centre
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada Ltd.
Dakota Community Centre-Dakota Scholarship Program
Eastman Flames U14AA
Fit from Within-Women's Health Clinic
Fort Garry Women's Resource Centre
Green Action Centre
Habitat for Humanity
IISD Experimental Lakes Area
Indigenous Languages of Manitoba
Jenna's Toonies for Tulips-Quest to End Parkinson's
Jocelyn Hutton Foundation
Kenora District Festival of the Arts
Kidney Foundation of Canada
Knowles Centre
Lakewood School
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Manitoba
Manitoba Brain Injury Association
Manitoba Chamber Orchestra
Manitoba Museum
Manitoba Schizophrenia Society
MS Society of Manitoba
Myeloma Canada
Nature Manitoba
North Point Douglas Women's Centre
NorWest Co-op Community Food Centre
OHEYS Autism
Pembina Trails Voices
Prairie Children's Centre
Prairie Theatre Exchange
Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
Pride Winnipeg Festival Inc.
Rainbow Trout Music Festival
Red River Exhibition Foundation - Cooperative Scholarships
Roblin Park Community Centre
Rossbrook House
Royal Winnipeg Ballet
Movember- Running Room
Share the Magic Book Program
Siloam Mission
South West District Palliative Care Inc.
Springfield Chickendaze-Oakbank
St. Amant Foundation Inc
Stonewall Kinsmen Club
Stonewall Quarry Days
Stony Mountain Community Association
Sturgeon Heights Community Centre
Teulon and Area Canada Day Committee
Teulon Ride in Rally
Theatre by the River
Triathlon Manitoba
University Winnipeg - Cooperative Scholarships
West Broadway Youth Outreach
Winnipeg Foundation Interest Fund
Winnipeg Fringe Festival
Winnipeg Humane Society
Winnipeg International Writers Festival
Winnipeg Police Association-Cool 2be Kind
Women's Health Research Foundation