VICTORIA – Just in time for the holidays, the Victoria Foundation has approved a record high $2,294,724.40 in annual Community Grants to 104 non-profit organizations on Vancouver Island.
The region’s largest non-government funder, the Victoria Foundation has awarded over $20 million so far this year and over $196 million since the Foundation began in 1936.
“Each year, we see such a diversity of amazing projects that apply for our Community Grants,” said Victoria Foundation CEO Sandra Richardson. “From tackling the opioid crisis, to supporting single parents, fostering environmental stewardship, to 25 different arts and culture projects, the range is incredible.”
Supported by the Foundation’s Vital Victoria Fund, Community Grants are awarded each December. Individual donors and fund holders also contributed significantly, this year providing almost $800,000 of the total $2.3 million.
The Victoria Foundation Board has established food security and homelessness as the three-year strategic granting priorities for the Vital Victoria Fund. The latest grants include such funding as $15,000 for the Victoria Native Friendship Centre supporting their youth leadership programming in Indigenous food knowledge, to $35,000 for the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust Society’s Food Hub supporting sustainable local food production.
Thanking the foundation for the grant, Bruce Parisian, Executive Director of Victoria Native Friendship Centre, said, “This funding will be directed towards revitalization of Indigenous food systems and knowledge which are essential to the preservation of the cultural identities and self-esteem of these young people, and empowers them to live healthier cultural lifestyles. This contributes to the well being, sense of belonging, and health of our people.”
Patricia Reichert from Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust Society said the grant will go towards building a new local food centre to support local development of food resources in the region. The food centre is a model of infrastructure for storing, processing, and advancing local food education and training.
Community Grants refect Victoria’s Vital Signs®, an annual community report card produced by the Victoria Foundation and sponsored by Coast Capital Savings. All the grants have a connection to one or more of the 12 areas identified in the report that contribute to the vitality and wellbeing of the community: Arts & Culture, Getting Started, Standard of Living, Learning, Belonging & Engagement, Safety, Sports & Recreation, Economy, Transportation, Housing, Environment, and Health & Wellness.
A full list and description of all 104 projects funded is available here.
