Recent news and events concerning the Red Deer & District Community Foundation.

Sylvan Lake Endowment Fund Supports Local Agencies

For over 20 years, the Sylvan Lake Endowment Fund has been distributing grants to local agencies in Sylvan Lake and surrounding area. Established in 2001, this fund with the Red Deer & District Community Foundation aims to strengthen the quality of life of Sylvan Lake residents.

 

This year, the Sylvan Lake Endowment Fund has granted over $7,000 to local agencies supporting programs in the arts, mental health, and health care areas. Grantees are chosen by an adjudication committee made up of Sylvan Lake residents who deeply understand and care for their community.

 

“The Sylvan Lake Endowment Fund is such a wonderful demonstration of a community caring for the long term needs of its citizens,” said Erin Peden, Executive Director of the Red Deer & District Community Foundation. “Since starting this fund over 20 years ago, grants have been given to a wide range of agencies doing important work in the Sylvan Lake area. And because of this investment made decades ago, this fund will continue to support the community for years to come,””

 

“When grants open in the spring, we encourage Sylvan Lake agencies to submit applications for programs and projects that will enhance the quality of life here in Central Alberta,” said Peden. “This fund also accepts donations, and might be of particular interest to donors looking to make long term impact in their community.”

 

Recipients of 2022 grants include Shalom Counselling Centre of Alberta which received $3,000 to support their belief that individuals should not be limited in their ability to access mental, emotional, and relationship support because of their financial status. The Olds & District Hospice Society received $2,000 for volunteer recruitment and volunteer training to support chronically Ill individuals. The Red Deer Royals (Red Deer Community Band Society) also received $2,000, to replace musical instruments.

 

The Sylvan Lake Community Grant is open to all charities and qualified donees based in Sylvan Lake or surrounding area, and granting areas are unrestricted, meaning that grants can be given for any area of focus.

 

For more information on this grant, contact Danielle Stewart at the Community Foundation

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Record Number of Scholarships Awarded to Central Alberta Students

With the addition of another scholarship in 2022, the Red Deer & District Community Foundation gave away a record number of scholarships to local students this year. Over $100,000 was awarded to students from Red Deer, Penhold, and surrounding areas.

“These scholarships make such an impact in the lives of students who are facing huge financial barriers as expenses associated with post-secondary education continue to grow,” said Erin Peden, Executive Director of the Red Deer & District Community Foundation. “We are so proud to help facilitate financial awards that ease the burden of tuition costs and open the door of opportunity for students continuing on their educational journey.”

Scholarships administered by the Community Foundation include the newly formed William Arthur Bower Memorial Scholarship, made possible by a $1M donation by William Bower’s nieces, Ruth and Dorothy Bower. This scholarship awarded $5,000 to five students from Red Deer High Schools in 2022, as did the Ford Family Scholarship which awarded $5,000 to five students from Penhold Crossing School.

Other scholarships with the Community Foundation include the Rex Turple Memorial Scholarship, the Murray Family Scholarship, the Trey Purdie Memorial Scholarship, the Dr. Don Church Scholarship, the A. Bernard & Mary B. Dixon Scholarship, and the Rotary Career Opportunity Awards.

Over $86,000 Awarded for Spring Community Grants

The Red Deer & District Community Foundation (RDDCF) has distributed $86,750 to ten local agencies for the Spring Cycle of the Community Grants program.

“This cycle, we received nearly double the number of applications that we typically receive,” Erin Peden, Executive Director of RDDCF said. “This shows us the enormous level of need within the charitable sector right now. The story that we keep hearing from local agencies is that funding is a struggle, while demand for services and programming remains high.”

In response to grant applications, RDDCF is distributing funds to a variety of agencies, for programs and services supporting mental health, education, cultural programming, crisis intervention, and more.

“Our adjudication committee had a challenging job with not only the volume of applications, but the caliber as well,” Peden said. “The committee reviewed so many worthy applications, but ultimately made decisions based on our mission to strengthen the quality of life in Central Alberta.”

Recipients of the spring grants are as follows:

  • Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre 24 Hour Phone, Chat, and Web Crisis Line – $10,000.00
  • The Foundation for Red Deer Public Schools Passive Solar Greenhouse Project at Normandeau School – $5,000.00
  • Golden Circle Senior Resource Centre Circling Our Elders – $16,000.00
  • The Lending Cupboard Society of Alberta Client Care IT Upgrades – $6,000.00
  • Olds & District Hospice Society Hospice, Bereavement and NavCARE Support – $6,500
  • Red Deer Arts Council The Hub 2.0 Wednesdays at the YMCA – $15,000.00
  • Red Deer Community Band Society Replacement of Specialized Musical Instruments – $8,000
  • Red Deer Native Friendship Society Waskasoo SeePee Traditional Pow Wow – $7,000
  • Scientists in School Expanding STEM Enrichment to Underserved Schools in Red Deer – $3,250
  • Shalom Counselling Centre of Alberta Making Mental Wellness Affordable – $10,000.00

“Going forward, we are working towards better supporting agencies in developing sustainable funding for their organizations,” Peden said. “We are available for any local charities who want to discuss sustainable funding options.”

The Red Deer & District Community Foundation distributes Community Grants twice annually, in the spring and the fall. Applications for the Fall cycle of the Community Grants program will open in June, with a deadline of October 3.

Community Grants are available to any qualified donee in Central Alberta, with no limitations as to areas of focus. In 2021, RDDCF granted over $160,000 to local charities through the Community Grants program.

Supporting Volunteerism in our Community: New Volunteer Central Legacy Grant

In honour of National Volunteer Week, the Community Foundation, along with the Volunteer Central Board of Directors, is pleased to announce a new grant opportunity to support volunteerism within the charitable sector here in Central Alberta.

Created to carry on the mission of Volunteer Central, the Volunteer Central Legacy Grant will be granted to agencies looking to enhance the development and sustainability of volunteerism within their organizations. “We are hoping that the Legacy fund will support professional development and/or educational programs to build capacity in the not-for-profit sector in volunteerism in Central Alberta,” said Lynne Mulder, Volunteer Central Board Chair.

After closing in 2021, the Volunteer Central Board of Directors made the decision to endow the remainder of the agency’s assets to create an ongoing legacy. “Volunteer Central did make a difference in the Central Alberta community. We were all very sad that we had to close because of a lack of predictable and sustainable funding, but we hope that this legacy fund can continue the work of Volunteer Central in a meaningful way,” said Mulder.

“I believe you can judge the health of a community by the activity of volunteers,” said Mulder. “Volunteerism is such an important part of any community. It is equally important to the volunteer and the not- for-profit who is the beneficiary of volunteer work. Agencies can serve more people and expand their capacity to carry out their mission.”

Agencies with the desire to build, expand, or strengthen their volunteer capacity can apply for this grant which will open each January, starting in 2023. Grantees will be announced each year during National Volunteer Week, in April.

We encourage those who are interested in getting involved with their community to check out volunteerconnector.org to connect with local agencies looking to fill a variety of volunteer opportunities.

Sustainable Funding for Red Deer Action Group Society

With a goal of moving towards more sustainable funding for the future, the Red Deer & District Community Foundation has granted $25,000 to the Red Deer Action Group in the form of an endowment. By developing this endowment for the Ride Subsidy Program, Red Deer Action Group can confidently plan for tomorrow while continuing their important work today.

In addition to the endowment, the Red Deer Action Group was granted $2,000 to facilitate the immediate needs of the Ride Subsidy Program, which provides reimbursements for transportation costs to support low- income individuals and families in Red Deer. It offers a transportation subsidy to attend social and educational events, as well as trips for medical purposes. The program helps to reduce the cost of bus passes, taxi fares, and other modes of transportation. The Red Deer Action Group Society is working hard to make sure that Central Alberta remains an accessible place to live for all residents, and we are proud to help ensure their work continues.

“Our Community Grants program is set up to help fund programs and projects throughout the entire district. Over the years we have noticed there are several community agencies, much like the Red Deer Action Group, that provide essential services and programming, but due to a lack of resources are required to apply regularly for the same projects,” Erin Peden, Executive Director said. “While the Red Deer Action Group only requested a grant for $2,000, we saw an opportunity to ensure this vital program continues by developing an endowment that will provide funding they can count on each and every year.”

Check out the video below for more about the Red Deer Action Group and their Ride Subsidy Program.

2021 Retrospect: Year In Review

2021 was a busy year here at the Red Deer & District Community Foundation. Check out our 2021 Retrospect: Year in Review to learn about the ways in which we were able to make impact in Central Alberta in 2021 – through grants, scholarships, collaborations, new funds, and more.

Click here, or on the image below, to learn more.

Community Foundation of Central Alberta Collaborates with 100 Women/Men

The Community Foundation of Central Alberta is proud of a collaboration allowing us to work closely with local 100 Women/Men groups to increase efficiency and streamline the donation process.

The concept of 100 Women/Men Who Care groups is to maximize charitable contributions by pooling all member’s donations. These groups come together in meetings where members nominate local charities, listen to presentations on the charities’ needs, and then vote on which charity to support with their donations. A substantial amount of volunteer time was required to ensure that cheques were getting to the correct charity and that charitable tax receipts were being received.

The Community Foundation recognized that we could alleviate some of the administrative weight from the volunteer organizers and the recipient agencies by accepting all of the donations on behalf of the 100 Men/Women Who Care organizations, issuing the tax receipts and then donating 100 per cent of the group’s pooled donations to the voted upon charity.

“The Community Foundation is here to ensure that agencies are receiving the support required to address pressing needs within Central Alberta. The 100 Men/Women groups have proven over and over again that they are also committed to enhancing the quality of life in Central Alberta. It only makes sense for us to work together,” said Erin Peden, CFCAB Executive Director.

In this capacity, CFCAB collaborates with 100 Women Red Deer & 100 Men Red Deer.

 

Members of 100 Women Red Deer, donate here.

Members of 100 Men Red Deer, donate here.