Fall Grants 2010
Did you know? The Victoria Foundation is the second oldest community foundation in Canada. The Foundation grants to organizations within the Victoria area that have a focus on these fields of interest
- Arts, culture and heritage
- Community services
- Education
- Environment
- Health and recreation
Over the coming weeks we’ll be distributing over $700,000 in community grants to 66 organizations within the Capital Regional District and 4 further up-island. Of this amount, $504,956 comes from the Foundation’s discretionary granting portfolio and $198,312 from donor-advised funds held in permanence at the Foundation. This year the Victoria Foundation received 90 applications seeking just over $1.2 million in funding.
With this recent approval, total grants so far in 2010 have reached $6.75 million.
This year the Victoria Foundation saw a substantial increase in support from donor-advised fund holders; in fact it’s doubled to 28% from 2009. These fund holders have agreed to allocate their distributions to community project applications.
“I think the significant increase in donors directing their gifts to specific issues in our community is the result of Victoria’s Vital Signs,” says Foundation CEO Sandra Richardson. “More than ever before, individual donors are making granting decisions based on information in our community report card.”
Victoria’s Vital Signs is Victoria’s annual report card. It’s an opportunity for the community to grade how well we’re doing – and what we need to do better. The report strives to connect philanthropy to community needs and opportunities.
The three objectives of Victoria’s Vital Signs are
- To support donor requests for information on the needs of our community
- To have the Foundation’s grant making be more effective and proactive
- To strengthen the Foundation’s understanding and ties to the community.
The Victoria Foundation will distribute funds to a diverse number of projects and programs. These include the Greater Victoria Public Library for creating accessible workspaces, Pacifica Housing for its Growing Our Gardens, Growing Ourselves program, Saanich Neighbourhood Place for the Tillicum Child Care Implementation Plan, and Victoria Symphony Society for a Community Engagement Initiative.
Identifying projects like these that improve quality of life for those in our region has been a focus for the Victoria foundation for almost 75 years. If you’d like to read more about our fall 2010 grants, please visit our website.