Building a Legacy of Community Support: Jim and Anne-Marie Kanester’s Impact Through CFNO
Giving back to the community is more than a tradition—it’s a personal commitment.
From Scholarships to Science Centres: How the Kanester Family is Building a Legacy of Community Giving
For Jim and Anne-Marie Kanester, giving back to the community is more than a tradition—it’s a personal commitment shaped by their own experiences and values. Through multiple funds with the Community Foundation North Okanagan (CFNO), the Kanesters have established a legacy that supports students, educational institutions, and cultural organizations in the North Okanagan. Their story highlights the profound impact that local philanthropy can have on the lives of others and how it can build stronger, more vibrant communities.
Jim’s inspiration for supporting educational opportunities began with his own journey as a scholarship recipient. “When I graduated from high school here in Vernon in 1971, I received a scholarship from the Teachers Association and attended first year at the newly formed Okanagan College at the old Vernon Army Camp,” he recalls. “That scholarship was instrumental in me completing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Victoria.” This experience instilled in Jim an appreciation for the transformative power of educational support, especially for students from less advantaged backgrounds.
In 1989, the Silver Star Rotary Club established the Silver Star Rotary Education Fund, which has since provided scholarships to students in School District #22. Over the years, Jim has matched donations to the fund, helping it grow and enabling it to assist even more students. “I am glad to know that students from low economic status families are benefiting in the transition from high school to secondary education,” he says. “It is hard to get students from such backgrounds to know that they have the ability to succeed in post-secondary education, which is mostly attended by students with more financial resources.”
One particularly memorable story highlights the deep impact of the Kanesters’ support. “We recently had a Rotary scholarship winner come and thank our club for her scholarship. She came from a large family with a single unemployed mom who had an eye disease requiring multiple cornea transplants,” Jim shares. “She told us how much the scholarship made a difference for her to attend UBCO and how surprised she was that a local organization would give her money to go to school.”
In 2015, Jim and Anne-Marie further extended their support through the James and Anne-Marie Kanester Scholarship Fund, established in memory of Jim’s parents, Clifford and Lillian Kanester. This scholarship fund, dedicated to students pursuing trade or technical education and science-related programs, reflects the Kanesters’ belief in the importance of skilled careers and scientific knowledge. “We hope to build our scholarship in memory of my parents to the point where it will cover a full tuition for a year or slightly more,” Jim explains.
More recently, the Kanesters established the Anne-Marie and James Kanester Family Fund, a Donor Advised endowment fund through CFNO, to support organizations like the Okanagan Science Centre and the Allan Brooks Nature Centre. This new fund gives them the flexibility to direct grants annually to causes that align with their values. “Other than scholarships, we would like to see support for the Okanagan Science Centre and the Allan Brooks Nature Centre through our Discretionary Family Fund,” Jim shares, underscoring their commitment to educational and environmental causes.
When asked why they chose CFNO to manage their legacy, Jim points to the foundation’s local presence and accessibility. “The CFNO was local and easy to deal with. I heard about it from my Rotary club and realized that it was a good, easy way to manage my family’s legacy funds,” he says. This convenience, combined with CFNO’s community expertise, has allowed the Kanesters to focus on their impact rather than the administrative details.
Jim encourages others to consider establishing a fund to make a lasting difference in the community. “I see many organizations that don’t have a permanent fund to distribute to their causes, such as scholarships, year by year. They simply give money in the year for that year,” he observes. “I think that a permanent fund at CFNO makes a lot of sense for making a lasting impact, and it is very easy to set up and administer.”
For those inspired by the Kanesters’ story, CFNO offers various fund options tailored to individual goals, from scholarships and memorial funds to flexible Donor Advised Funds. CFNO Executive Director Leanne Hammond can help guide new donors through the process, ensuring that their contributions are thoughtfully invested to support causes that matter to them.
To learn more about how to create a legacy of giving, contact CFNO at 250.542.8655 or via email at leanne@cfno.org. Just like the Kanester family, you too can make a difference that will benefit the North Okanagan for generations to come.
This story has also been featured in local media:
https://www.vernonmorningstar.com/marketplace/building-a-legacy-of-community-support-7652567
