Creating long-term sustainability

The OSNS Legacy Foundation’s mission is to secure the delivery of pediatric rehabilitation in the South Okanagan Similkameen by ensuring the financial stability of the OSNS Child & Youth Development Centre.

The OSNS saw a need to diversify its revenue base to ensure long-term stability. Unfortunately, there are long standing unacceptable waiting times for children with diagnosed developmental challenges. Costly private treatment is not within the reach of most families. The government plays an important role in providing funding for the Centre but does not fully fund treatment services. Each year, clinical staff must spend precious and scarce time, energy and resources on fundraising to cover shortfalls that allow children access to the help they need.

The OSNS Legacy Foundation has been created to remedy this. The goal is a $10 million endowment fund that will secure treatment services and support urgent needs of the Centre.

The OSNS Legacy Foundation endowment fund will be held with the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen. Along with holding our endowment fund, the Community Foundation will support us to process the more complicated gift types such as gifts of RRSP, gifts of securities, and legacy gifts.

Why the OSNS is so important

The words ‘Pediatric Developmental Challenge’ refer to situations in which children do not have the skills we would typically expect them to have. This often means they do not learn to move, communicate, play, think or manage emotions like their peers. 

The OSNS Child and Youth Development Centre has delivered treatment and support to these children and their families in the South Okanagan for over 41 years. Their work is evidenced-based, community-minded and driven by a team of dedicated developmental specialists.

The need is great. Timely intervention is vital.

Rehabilitation for neurological disorders is part of medical care. In the case of children, these medically needed services are managed through government contracts with Child Development Centres. These funds are targeted to provide salaries for direct treatment staff. There is no provision for facility maintenance or expansion, new equipment or innovative approaches to care. 

This funding gap in rehabilitation services for children has resulted in a pattern of annual fundraising to meet basic operating costs. It has also contributed to long waiting lists preventing timely intervention, when clear evidence shows that early intervention leads to life changing positive trajectories. 

By creating an endowment fund, the OSNS Legacy Foundation seeks to meet community need for early and evidence-based care. We seek to secure this precious resource for children now and for the children of future generations.

Supporting the OSNS Legacy Foundation

Our commitment to you:

• We will stay focused on our mission.
• We will plan for the future.
• We will invest wisely.

The objective of the Foundation is to ease the financial burden that the OSNS faces each year. The hope and expectation are that the Foundation’s endowment fund will grow to a size that will not only meet the immediate financial requirements of the OSNS, but that it will facilitate the growth of the Centre so that each child receives specialized compassionate care for generations to come.

Ways to Give

There are many ways you can support the OSNS Legacy Foundation endowment fund. You can make a one-time gift, give monthly or in honor/in memory of someone. If you’re a local business, we can work with you to find a way you can support us that aligns with your business goals. You can also talk to us about planning a legacy gift – include a gift in your will, name OSNS Legacy Foundation as a beneficiary of your RRSP, RRIF or TFSA, or gift your life insurance policy or other assets. Please reach out to us to learn more.

By supporting the OSNS Legacy Foundation endowment fund, your gift will make a measurable, long-term difference to children’s lives. Thank you for your consideration.

For more information about the OSNS Legacy Foundation and ways to support us, please visit www.osnslegacyfoundation.org. To contact us directly please email us at osnslegacyfoundation@osns.org.