About
Kw’umut Lelum Foundation invests in the limitless potential of Indigenous youth and the communities that love and empower them.
Kw’umut Lelum Foundation is the only independent Indigenous-led community foundation in British Columbia, and one of three in Canada. We collaborate with a vibrant community of private and public donors, united in our efforts to expand cultural, economic, social, educational and recreational access in support of Indigenous children and their families.
Our work is founded in Snuw’uy’ulh (snew-why-uth)—Coast Salish values from our loved ones and Elders that weave together ceremony, community, family, Nations, stories, and traditions, and place youth at the centre of all our work.
The Foundation is led and stewarded by nine Coast Salish Nations: Halalt, Lyackson, Málexeł, Penelakut, Qualicum, Snaw-naw-as, Snuneymuxw, Stz’uminus and Ts’uubaa-asatx. These nine Coast Salish Nations have a shared purpose and vision for children and communities.
The Foundation is a charitable organization and CRA-registered.
Our Impact
“Having the agency to change our lives and support our communities, based on our knowledge, experiences, and understanding of our interconnectedness to each other and the land, is the only way we can build social and economic prosperity for our Nations. Kw’umut Lelum Foundation supports our Stitumstuxw tun shqwuluwun—self-determination—by empowering communities to identify and resolve the challenges we face and then create our own pathways to a brighter future.” Chief John Elliott, Chair of the Kw’umut Lelum Foundation
We develop Indigenous-led solutions to community-identified challenges. We invest in Indigenous children to support their health and wellness, create equity, and to encourage meaningful participation in the local community, broader region and Nation. We invest in building an eco-system to help small and medium-sized community-based businesses and charities thrive, creating opportunities for decent work, growth in local economies and social and economic prosperity.
In 2022-23 we distributed:
- almost $430,000 to the nine Coast Salish Nations for community-based programming
- 10 Indspire Scholarships for a total of $52,800 to support Indigenous students in their post-secondary educational journeys and
- more than $31,000 to support access to sports and recreation programs for youth from the 9 Nations
