MIllion-dollar gift from credit union

You may have noticed the subtle change to the sign of Kwantlen’s library, which now reads “Coast Capital Savings Library.”

The name is meant to honour Coast Capital Savings for its recent donation of $1 million to Kwantlen, according to Jeff Norris, Kwantlen Foundation executive director.

Norris said the donation, generated from company profits, is the most significant gift Coast Capital Savings has ever given.

He also said the donation is about more than just the money.

“Bringing a gift of this size, a significant gift, really puts us on a higher stage when it comes to philanthropy in general, and I think we’ll start to see others choose Kwantlen as a place to make a donation.”

Norris said the relationship between Kwantlen and Coast Capital Savings began a few years back.

“A lot of the things Kwantlen held as value aligns nicely with Coast Capital and we realized that we could do something quite significant between the two organizations.”

The bank has supported student orientations and alumni, as well as given away free book scholarships, according to Norris.

“Coast Capital has showed an appetite to find other ways to engage in the institution above and beyond this particular gift,” he said.

Coast Capital will also benefit from the relationship.

“Most of our graduates tend to stay in this region. They thought it would be a great idea to be making investments in graduates that could be potentially their workers,” said Norris.

Gen Porcina, 21, who works at Coast Capital as a financial service representative and is also in the Kwantlen Human Resource program, said the biggest significance of the partnership is that both institutions are community driven and have similar goals.

Kwantlen Students could likely get some work experience at Coast Capital, if not an actual position, said Porcina.

“I see them working together and kind of sharing the students and the work force.”

As for the new name of the library?  Porcina, said she doesn’t mind it, but it is “a little bit much.”

“I’m used to seeing Coast Capital branded on a lot of things and when I’m at school I kind of like to see the difference.”

Coast Capital is a part of Imagine Canada, a national registered charity whose mission, according to its website, is “advancing knowledge and relationships to foster effective and sustainable charitable and nonprofit organizations.”