The Victoria Foundation’s distribution of $2.8 million in community grants will allow 109 local non-profits to operate in the community.
The foundation’s Community Grant program funds housing, environment, health and arts programs and organizations, tackling the issues and initiatives that matter to Victorians.
Individuals donors and funders contributed nearly $767,000 of the $2.8 million through the foundation’s Make it Happen! guide.
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In a statement, Victoria Foundation CEO Sandra Richardson says the community grants allow the foundation to tackle issues identified in the organization’s annual Vital Signs report, created from the input of Victoria residents.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to see so many inspiring civil society organizations get the resources they need to make a real impact in our community,” Richardson says.
This year the foundation’s focus on outreach was fruitful, with 19 first-time applicants for a wide range of community projects. According to the foundation, the Community Grant program worked to get information to organizations that might not have been aware of the funding opportunity.
For Cetus Research and Conservation Society, the community grant will contribute to research on the direct impacts of vessel traffic noise on at-risk marine mammals.
“It will enable Cetus to provide crucial corroboration to support further meaningful protections, particularly for the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales,” says Cetus executive director Mark Dombowsky.
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Another grant recipient is the Victoria Film Festival. The foundation’s funding will support the 2020 Media Art Exhibit, which installs interactive pop-ups around Victoria’s downtown.
“Art sparks imagination in the community and so making more of the programming accessible is always a goal,” says Festival Director Kathy Kay. “Without the support given by the Victoria Foundation this would not be possible.”
Applications for 2020 Community Grant program open Feb.3 and close March 2.
The Victoria Foundation is the region’s largest non-governmental funder. It has awarded more than $18 million in 2019 and more than $240 million since it began in 1936.
For more information on projects and funding, visit victoriafoundation.ca.
