Do you have a great idea for building community in your neighbourhood this winter?
The Victoria Foundation’s Neighbourhood Small Grants Program is underway, welcoming applications for small grants up to $500 for local, neighbourhood projects happening between November 2022 and March 2023.
Applications for the NSG program are welcome until Oct. 30, 2022, after which the grant committee will review the projects and distribute grants. While the program focuses on the Quadra Village, Oaklands, Burnside Gorge and North Park neighbourhoods, applications from other Greater Victoria communities may be considered if funding allows. Youth-led projects are encouraged.
With past examples including multicultural events, community gardens and more, program goals to consider in your planning include: connecting and engaging neighbours; sharing neighbours’ skills and knowledge within the community; building sense of belonging and connection; and building respect and celebrating diversity.
To be considered, projects must be free, accessible and welcoming to all, with no entrance fees, donation requests, or fundraising for other projects and/or organizations.
Projects must also begin after the grant decision is made – retroactive funding is not available – and preference will be given to new projects or those that have been funded for fewer than three years in a row.
Will Power: Make a difference now, and in the future
Since 1936, the Victoria Foundation has managed charitable gifts to create permanent, income-earning funds that support hundreds of charities each year. Today, the Foundation grants more than $1.5 million a month to non-profits making a difference!
Programs like the Victoria Foundation’s Neighbourhood Small Grants, its Community Grants Program, emergency grants, Victoria’s Vital Signs and other initiatives are only possible because people understand the value of creating a community that is liveable for all residents. A community where everyone has access to housing, food, recreation, healthcare, education, nature, the arts, and other essentials.
As part of its efforts to make that vision a reality, the Foundation is part of the national Will Power campaign, working to inspire more Canadians to think differently about giving, and the significant impact leaving a gift to charity in their will can have on their community.
Consider, for example, that just one per cent of an estate left to charity can result in a significant gift, while still leaving 99 per cent of the estate for loved ones. And if enough Canadians donated just a small percentage of their estate to charity, it could mean up to $40 billion for the causes we all care about.
Learn more at willpower.ca/charities/the-victoria-foundation and learn about the many ways you can support community through the Victoria Foundation here.