Alyson Skinner (left) & Lia McKinnon of the Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society stand beside the new-to-them truck that was purchased with the help of a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen. (Photo supplied)
The Community Foundation of the South Okanagan is pleased to announce the launch of the 2016 Granting Cycle, which opened on Dec. 11 and closes on Feb. 19.
The Community Foundation will be disbursing more than $367,000 to charities throughout the South Okanagan-Similkameen, an increase on the $344,000 that was granted in 2015.
“The Community Foundation is honoured to have so many generous donors that believe in providing lasting support to local charities,” said Aaron McRann, executive director of the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen. “It’s incredible to think that since our founding in 1991, the Community Foundation has granted more than $2.1 million, including the 2016 grant allocation. And because the original donation amount is preserved and grants are made from income on investments, our donors have truly created an incredible legacy for our region.”
While grants cannot be made directly to individuals, charities and non-profits throughout the region are encouraged to apply or to contact the foundation with any questions in advance of applying.
For the 2016 grant cycle, the Community Foundation has made its funding criteria more flexible, specifically allowing for requests to cover operating costs.
“While we don’t want to be a line item on charity’s annual budget, we recognize the single biggest financial challenge facing charities is how to cover operating costs,” said McRann. “The simple fact is that you can’t do charitable work without people and most people need to get paid. In many cases, those people are highly trained professionals struggling to meet society’s biggest challenges. There are costs associated with that.”
Applying for a grant from the Community Foundation involves a two-step process with the first step being to create a profile on the foundation’s Community Knowledge Centre website (http://ckc.cfso.net).
The Community Knowledge Centre is a publicly available database of local charities for anyone looking to make an investment in the non-profit sector.
The site is designed to help donors do detailed research when they are deciding on how best to support their community.
The second step in the application process is to complete an online application form.
“We’re excited to offer both a short-form and long-form application process this year,” said McRann.
Projects under $1,000 in value will be able to complete the application process in a matter of minutes. For requests of more than $1,000 more detailed questions regarding project goals and budgets will be required.
The foundation is hosting Free Grant Writing Workshops throughout the RDOS in early January.
Anyone who applies for grants or is interested in applying to the Community Foundation is encouraged to attend.
The seminars will cover general grant writing strategies as well as a detailed tutorial on how to complete the CFSOS application process.
Space is limited so those interested are encouraged to register by calling 250-493-9311 or email [email protected] as soon as possible.
Seminars are scheduled on Jan. 14 from 10 a.m. –noon in Princeton; Jan. 14 from 2-4 p.m. in Keremeos; Jan. 15 from 11a.m. – noon in Penticton.
For more information on applying for a grant, funding guidelines and how to create your profile, visit www.cfso.net/apply-for-a-grant or call the foundation office at 250-493-9311.
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