GSJ Community Foundation

06/20/2026

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 #𝟯𝟯 - 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻.

For 50 years, the Community Foundation has helped local students pursue their educational dreams. This year, one of those success stories has a special connection to our own team.

On the day she graduated from Simonds High School, Charlize Mullin was named the recipient of the Joshua Porter Gunn Bursary. Selected for the award by her school’s guidance counsellor, Charlize will attend Acadia University this fall to study Kinesiology, pursuing her passion for health, wellness, and helping others.

For the Foundation, Charlize's achievement is made even more meaningful because she is the daughter of our Financial Director, Sarah Frauley. While Sarah works behind the scenes helping steward charitable funds that support students across our region, this year she has the unique joy and surprise of watching her own daughter benefit from a community that believes in investing in young people.

As we celebrate 50 years of impact, Charlize's story is a reminder that philanthropy comes full circle. The support of donors today helps open doors for the next generation.

Congratulations, Charlize, on your graduation and on this exciting next chapter.

06/17/2026

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 #𝟯𝟮 - 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆

What if grantmaking wasn't a competition?

Through 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆, we flipped the script on traditional funding. Instead of competing for grants, seven local organizations came together to collaborate, share ideas, and collectively decide how funding could create more opportunities for children to play, explore, and connect.

The result? More than $200,000 invested in creative community projects, and a stronger network of organizations working together for local kids and families.

Read the full story to see how Free to Play helped us rewrite the rules of grantmaking:

Rewriting the Rules of Grantmaking Through Free Play

06/16/2026

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 - 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 #𝟯𝟭 - 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸.

To commemorate the Community Foundation's 50th anniversary, students at St. John the Baptist/King Edward School recently unveiled a community mural celebrating creativity, connection, and belonging.

The project brought together students, families, teachers, and community partners, with participating students receiving certificates and art kits from the Community Foundation and the Saint John Arts Centre. Local artist Abi Rinehart of Divine Studios presented the awards during the ceremony yesterday.

The unveiling concluded with a group photo of the student artists, followed by refreshments. The mural now stands as a lasting reminder of student creativity and the power of community collaboration.

06/16/2026

⚾️ 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀, 𝗦𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻! ⚾️
We are proud to partner with @𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁. 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 to launch a fundraising campaign to help restore this historic North End field and bring it back to life for the community.

Together, we're raising $50,000 to create a safe, welcoming space where children, families, and neighbours can gather, play, and connect once again.

With support already committed from Jays Care Foundation and City of Saint John, we're almost ready to make this revitalization a reality, but we need your help to get across home plate.

Every donation makes a difference and is eligible for a charitable tax receipt.

Join us in bringing baseball… and community spirit back to St. Peter’s Ballpark. Let's hit this goal out of the park!

To learn more or make a donation, visit: https://thecommunityfoundationsj.com/funds/the-friends-of-st-peters-ballpark-fund

06/12/2026

𝟓𝟎 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 - 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 #𝟑𝟎 - 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Bill Gale believed that potential should never be limited by circumstance.

Through leadership, advocacy, and a commitment to education, he helped create opportunities that continue to change lives today.

Read his story in our 50 Stories for 50 Years series:

How Bill Gale helped make poverty reduction a Saint John priority

06/09/2026

𝟓𝟎 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭: 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 #𝟐𝟗 - "𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝"

Jane Armstrong Earl broke barriers as one of Canada's first female war correspondents, while she and her husband Lawrence built remarkable careers that took them around the world. Today, their legacy continues to support charities throughout Greater Saint John.

Read their story in our 50 Stories for 50 Years series.

Honouring Two Lives of Achievement and Generosity

06/08/2026

𝟓𝟎 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭: 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 #𝟐𝟖 - 𝐀 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠
Some gifts keep giving long after the holiday season ends. When Eileen and Gordon Boyd established the Carleton-Kirk Lodge Fund, they created a legacy that continues to support Saint John seniors today.
Read the latest installment in our 50 Stories for 50 Years series:

The story of a couple whose generosity continues to strengthen senior care in Saint John.

06/06/2026

We are so excited to share a peek of this incredible mural created by students from St. John the Baptist/King Edward School in celebration of our 50th Anniversary. Thank you to the talented students, Divine Studios, and the Saint John Arts Centre for bringing this vision to life. We can't wait for the official unveiling!

06/04/2026

𝟓𝟎 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭: 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 #𝟐𝟕 - $𝟒𝟎𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲
This spring, the Community Foundation of Greater Saint John is investing $400,000 in local solutions, supporting 15 organizations whose work is strengthening neighbourhoods, creating opportunities, and improving lives across our region.

Read more:

The Community Foundation's Spring 2026 Community Impact Grants will support 15 organizations making a difference across the region.