BC Interior Community Foundation to distribute $400k to local non profits

Photo: BCICF

The BC Interior Community Foundation has been chosen to help distribute hundreds of thousands of dollars in new grant funding from the federal government to local organizations.

On Tuesday, the federal government announced the launch of a $400 million recovery fund — called the Community Services Recovery Fund — intended to support charities and non profits as they recover from the pandemic.

Kathy Humphreys, president of the BCICF board of directors, said the foundation applied for the opportunity to participate, and have been chosen as one of the 140 foundations to receive and distribute funds.

“For a lot of non profits right now, as for many businesses and individuals, it's a difficult time. It’s been a tough couple of years, the economy is not great right now, there are all these challenges. And of course, a lot of non profits and charities are under-resourced, and are not able sometimes to make the kinds of improvements that would really help their clients,” Humphreys said.

“As a community foundation, our role is to provide funding that will help a wide variety of organizations do their work, and make our communities better places for all of us.”

BCICF said it expects to receive about $400,000 in grant funding to disburse through a grant process to the region.

Humphreys said the funds are meant to help non profits and charities adapt, modernize or receive resources they need to “do their jobs to their best ability.”

“It's really going to increase our impact that we can make in our communities. And the benefits to our communities are going to be enormous,” Humphreys said.

Humphreys said organizations will apply to receive funding through one grant portal, and foundations like BCICF will be provided tools to use in evaluating applications from their own region.

“We'll have a committee that will review the applications. …It's the best way to divide up the money that we have and and have the greatest impact in our communities,” Humphreys said.

According to BCICF, it is working with community foundations across Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross and United Way to distribute funding.

Humphreys said she encourages organizations to look at information made available on the Community Services Recovery Fund website before the application period opens.

Applications will be accepted between Jan. 6 and Feb. 21, 2023.