VICTORIA – Residents of Greater Victoria have always worked together and supported each other as we create a vibrant, caring community for all. Whether serving on the frontlines of this pandemic or providing other vital services and programs contributing to the wellbeing of our community, our local charities need our help now more than ever.
On Monday, March 29, the Victoria Foundation opened applications for its Community Recovery Program (CRP), which provides flexible, general operating funds for local eligible organizations responding to the social and economic impacts of the pandemic. This granting stream responds directly to needs identified by local organizations and is distributed through the lens of recovery efforts and building resilience for local charities for the short and long-term.
“The reality is that for our local non-profits the need is still as a strong as ever as we continue to manage the impacts of the pandemic,” said Sandra Richardson, CEO of the Victoria Foundation. “The Victoria Foundation is determined to remain diligent to ensure our community’s most vital organizations are supported all the way to the end of this crisis and beyond, because if they are suffering, so too are the people who rely on them and, ultimately, the community as a whole.”
COVID-19 has disproportionately affected many vulnerable populations, while the civil society organizations serving them also face unprecedented challenges. The recent report entitled Unraveling: Nonprofits, COVID-19, and the Fabric of BC Communities, released by the Victoria Foundation, Vancouver Foundation and Vantage Point, paints a picture of how many charitable organizations in our region have adapted and pivoted services, but also points to alarming warning signs for the near future.
- 67 per cent of the organizations in the Capital Region have an increased demand for programs and services.
- 51 per cent of the organizations in the Capital Region reported a drop in volunteer involvement, affecting arts and culture and sport/recreation programs the hardest.
- Across BC, 71 per cent of organizations across BC, especially smaller organizations, are expecting a budget shortfall in 2021.
Funding distributed through the Community Recovery Program comes from a range of sources, including from donors who contribute to the Community Action Funds and from revenue generated by funds held at the Victoria Foundation.
In its first offering in 2020, the Community Recovery Program distributed over $2.3 million to 126 organizations on Southern Vancouver Island working in a wide variety of areas from health and wellness, to homelessness prevention, to racial and gender equity and reconciliation. A full list of supported organizations and projects can be found at victoriafoundation.ca.
Applications for the Community Recovery Program are open until midnight, April 30, 2021 and can be made online at victoriafoundation.ca or orally by appointment. Please visit the Victoria Foundation website for more information.
Donations to the Community Action Funds can also be made at victoriafoundation.ca.
