There are some new funds that charities in the South Cariboo can apply for.
The Prince George Community Foundation (PGCF) announced this week it will provide $197,630 to support local charities responding to COVID-19. The funds are part of the Government of Canada’s $350 million Emergency Support Fund (ECSF).
South Cariboo Community Enchancement Foundation (SCCEF) spokesperson Lisa De Paoli says the PGCF applied on behalf of a number of organizations, including SCCEF, because they have a charitable number.
Local charities can apply to the PGCF and they’ll review the applications weekly, says De Paoli. When the PGCF receives an application from the South Cariboo they’ll contact the SCCEF for feedback, which is why local charities are eligible.
“Then they’ll make a decision within seven to 10 days of receiving the application.”
The funding is intended for vulnerable groups such as children, single moms, elderly, people who’ve lost jobs because of COVID-19, people with mental illness or chronic diseases and Indigenous groups, says De Paoli.
Organizations with a charitable number would get the funding directly, she says, adding that other groups may still be eligible but in that case, the funds would be handled by PGCF.
De Paoli says to think of projects in the $5,000 to $15,000 range and that it can be for capital funding.
“An example would be if an organization needs to buy computers in order to be able to communicate with their clients. They need I-pads. They need some kind of technology because it’s such a big thing right now in terms of how we can receive service while still being socially distant but a lot of the smaller organizations don’t have that technology.”
De Paoli says she thinks the funding is excellent adding it’s backdated to April.
If anyone has questions, they can contact Mindy Stroet at PGCF (mindystroet@pgcf.ca) or De Paoli (lisad8@telus.net).
For more information, visit the Community Foundations of Canada website (www.communityfoundations.ca) or the PGCF website (pgcf.ca).
