Neighbourhood Small Grants Available for Hillside-Quadra
September 3, 2015
Victoria, BC – Residents of Victoria’s Hillside-Quadra neighbourhood can now apply for Neighbourhood Small Grants of up to $500 to fund projects that bring people together and build community. The Neighbourhood Small Grants program will be piloted in Victoria this fall. It’s co-funded by Vancouver Foundation and the Victoria Foundation and administered by the Quadra Village Community Centre.
“Fostering belonging and engagement is central to the work of the Victoria Foundation in strengthening community wellbeing,” says Victoria Foundation CEO Sandra Richardson. “We are thrilled to be able to bring the Neighbourhood Small Grants program to Victoria through this partnership.”
Neighbourhood Small Grants help connect and engage residents in their community by encouraging them to come up with their own ideas for how their neighbourhood can be strengthened. Grants are available to local residents, and funding decisions are made by members of a volunteer resident advisory committee. Examples of typical projects include block parties, cooking or skills-sharing workshops, book exchange libraries, and community gardens.
“Hillside Quadra is a vibrant and diverse area, and Neighbourhood Small Grants provide an opportunity for neighbours to participate in the community,” says Kelly Greenwell, Executive Director of the Quadra Village Community Centre. “Anyone living in the neighbourhood is encouraged to apply for a grant.”
This grassroots granting program is based on the simple but powerful idea that when people feel a sense of connection and belonging to their neighbourhood, they are more likely to be engaged in activities that make it a better place to live. And when people are active in the life of their neighbourhood, our communities are strengthened from the ground up.
“For a very small amount of money – often only a few dollars – these small projects help bring people together,” says Vancouver Foundation President and CEO Kevin McCort. “And by entering into co-funding partnerships with other community foundations, we are making these grants available to even more people across the province.”
Individuals who wish to apply for a Neighbourhood Small Grant must reside in the Hillside-Quadra neighbourhood. Applications are open now until the deadline, Thursday, October 15, 2015. Visit www.neighbourhoodsmallgrants.ca to learn more and to apply online.
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About the Victoria Foundation
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 BC and throughout Canada.
About Vancouver Foundation
Vancouver Foundation is dedicated to creating healthy, vibrant and livable communities across British Columbia. The Foundation does this by connecting the generosity of donors with the energy, ideas and time of people in the community. Since 1943, Vancouver Foundation donors have created over 1,600 funds and together we have distributed more than $1 billion to registered charities, including over $57 million in 2014 alone. In addition, the Foundation develops strategic initiatives that aim to address community priorities identified by British Columbians. From arts and culture to the environment, health and social development, education, medical research and more, Vancouver Foundation exists to make meaningful and lasting improvements to communities in BC.
About the Quadra Village Community Centre
The Quadra Village Community Centre is a safe and welcoming gathering place in the neighbourhood of Hillside-Quadra. We work together to nurture community wellbeing by providing services and programs to meet the social, educational, health, employment, environmental and recreational needs of the people in the heart of the city. Our range of options for community members includes prenatal, children’s, youth, family, seniors and community programs. Since 1974, our preventive and responsive community-based programs have helped make change close to home.
Media contact:
Robert Janus, Director of Communications
Victoria Foundation
P. 250.381.5532 C. 250.886.6112 E. rjanus@victoriafoundation.bc.ca