Victoria Foundation Now Accepting Applications for Community Grants

The Victoria Foundation has once again started accepting applications for their popular Community Grants. Applications will be accepted until August 11th

WireService.ca Media Release (06/08/2015) Victoria, BC – Last year, Community Grants provided nearly $1.5 million to 86 non-profits on Vancouver Island, bringing the total granted by the Victoria Foundation in 2014 to $13.3 million and over $144 million since the organization’s inception in 1936.

“The Foundation is pleased to accept applications from local non-profits to undertake projects aimed at improving the quality of life in our region” said Victoria Foundation CEO Sandra Richardson. “Through the generosity of our donors, we have the pleasure each year of helping to fund a broad spectrum of important work all across our community.”

Community Grants have ties to Victoria’s Vital Signs®, an annual community report card produced by the Victoria Foundation and sponsored by Island Savings. All of the grants have a connection to one or more of the 12 issue areas identified in the report that contribute to the vitality and wellbeing of our community: Arts & Culture, Getting Started, Standard of Living, Learning, Belonging & Engagement, Safety, Sports & Recreation, Economy, Transportation, Housing, Environment, and Health & Wellness.

“The Victoria Foundation Board of Directors has recently established both food security and homelessness as our three-year strategic granting priorities,” noted Victoria Foundation Board Chair Rasool Rayani. “This signifies our intention to help drive significant, ‘systems level’ improvements on these issues. We encourage qualified organizations whose mission strongly aligns with one of these priorities to apply for new project funding.”

Organizations seeking a Community Grant should visit the Victoria Foundation’s website at www.victoriafoundation.ca to learn more and to apply online.

– 30 –

Background: Established in 1936, the Victoria Foundation is Canada’s second oldest community foundation and the fifth largest of nearly 200 across the nation. The Victoria Foundation manages charitable gifts from donors whose generosity allows them to create permanent, income-earning funds. The proceeds from these funds are then distributed as grants for charitable or educational purposes. To date it has invested more than $150 million in people, projects and non-profit organizations that strengthen communities in B.C. and throughout Canada. Read more about the Victoria Foundation’s vision and mandate.

For more information, please contact: Robert Janus, Director of Communications

Victoria Foundation
P. 250.381.5532
C. 250.886.6112
E. rjanus@victoriafoundation.bc.ca

NT3