Identifying projects that improve the quality of life in our community and supporting those initiatives is high on the list of priorities for The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF).
Recently, donors, stakeholders, sponsors, and media partners of The KWCF attended the inaugural launch of “Vital Ideas” – a tool designed to connect donors and philanthropists to community needs and educate them about funding opportunities.
Meant as a companion publication to Waterloo Region’s Vital Signs, a report on quality of life in the Region, Vital Ideas highlights the important work being done by charities in Kitchener, Waterloo and area – work that is making a real difference in our community.
“The programs and organizations profiled in our newest publication Vital Ideas align with the knowledge we gather from our work on Vital Signs,” says Rosemary Smith, CEO of The KWCF.
The initiatives outlined in the publication provide unique and innovative approaches to dealing with root causes of issues such as: health and wellness, learning, and safety, to name a few.
At the launch, The Working Centre’s Director, Joe Mancini was on-hand to talk about one of the Centre’s projects.
“The Psychiatric Outreach Project, rooted at St. John’s Kitchen, is a creative, cost efficient, and integrated approach that meets the most vulnerable where they spend their time,” he said.
“This project demonstrates that deinstitutionalization must be complemented with effective community-based services accessible to those dealing with the fog of mental illness.”
Another organization speaking at the event was Strong Start. New Executive Director Machelle Denison shared that “Strong Start's Get Ready for School Program helps ensure children enter Junior Kindergarten feeling confident, comfortable, and prepared to learn."
“The work of these organizations and the others featured in Vital Ideas and the positive impact their programs and initiatives bring about is what truly makes our community the vital, creative, and innovative place that it is,” adds Smith.
“By working together and tackling issues where they begin, we can make our community an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.”
The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation improves the quality of life in Kitchener-Waterloo and the surrounding area, now and for generations to come, by building community assets, addressing needs through grant making, and providing leadership on key community issues.
Vital Ideas is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Foundation of Greater Montreal gives more than $1.7 million to community
The total amount includes grants awarded from the FGM’s Community Grants Program sector, as well as donations from individual endowment funds.
The FGM Community Grants Program benefits non-profit organizations in Greater Montreal. The amount of these community funds comes from unrestricted, as well as designated funds.
This year, the FGM is awarding grants totaling $190,000 to cultural organizations, $334,906 to social development organizations, $131,565 to the education sector, $60,000 to environmental organizations, and $177,601 to the health sector, totaling $894,072. Other grants will be announced in October 2010.
The FGM is pursuing its commitment to sponsor projects and programs that meet the needs of the most vulnerable members of society and to improve the quality of life in the region.
For example, the Maison d’entraide Saint-Paul-Émard received a grant for its Camp des
their knowledge and to share it with their families.
A grant to Fondation Le Plateau will enable the music school to restore 70 alto xylophones. The Quat’Sous s’ouvre à la communauté grant, a Théâtre de
Quat’Sous initiative, will set up a series of activities to reinforce links to the community, more specifically, to provide cultural access to new population segments such as children and cultural communities.
And the Consortium Évolution organization will be awarded a grant for its’ Educ-o-vert project, which will encourage third and fourth grade students to donate an old toy to the Lutins Verts organization, who will restore the toys and sell them in their Biosphere workshop in December 2010. This initiative will teach youth about
overconsumption and its impact on the environment.
A portion of these grants has been allocated to Haitian relief projects, including organizations such as the Haitian community of Montreal
“We are especially proud of the number of donations received this year. What a wonderful way to celebrate our 10th anniversary! The quality of projects we received is extraordinary. The Grants Committee decided to allocate a portion of the funds in October of this year, which will be in response to the upcoming publication of Vital Signs,” says Marina Boulos, President and CEO of the FGM.
Of the 150 projects received, 95 were awarded grants. These projects are evaluated with respect to their impact on the quality of life, their viability and practicality, as well as the credibility of the organization.
The Foundation of Greater Montreal
“After 10 years of existence, we are happy to recognize that the growth of the FGM will allow us to respond to the ever growing needs of the community of Greater Montreal,” says Marina Boulos.
By the end of first quarter in 2010, the FGM had more than 260 endowment funds totaling more than $102 million (ranging from $10,000 to $24 million), an increase of at least 40 funds since January 1st, 2009 .
Since 2003, the FGM has allocated more than $5 million to organizations in the greater Montreal
About the Foundation of Greater Montreal
The Foundation of Greater Montreal (FGM) is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to the well-being of the Greater Montreal community. It establishes and manages permanent endowment funds and distributes their income in the form of grants to charitable organizations working in the areas of health, social services, arts and culture, education, and the environment.
The FGM, part of a group of 173 community foundations in Canada
Organizations receive Vital Toronto Fund grants
TORONTO, June 22, 2009 – Today, along with Mayor David Miller, the Toronto Community Foundation celebrated 26 high-impact community organizations and leaders at its annual Vital Toronto event. The event was hosted by Matt Galloway of CBC’s Metro Morning. Mayor Miller also discussed the scholarship fund in memory of his mother at the Community Foundation.
Three grant programs are fueled by the organization’s Vital Toronto Fund – a community endowment used to contribute to and partner on targeted strategies tackling quality of life issues identified in the Community Foundations’ annual Toronto’s Vitals Signs® Report.
1. Vital Ideas invests in Toronto’s most high-impact organizations by providing capacity building grants to further expand or replicate programs with successful track records in other areas of Toronto.
2. Vital People is a leadership grant that assists Toronto’s exceptional community leaders in the not-for-profit sector to grow through professional development and further magnify their impact.
3. Vital Youth supports free high-quality sports and recreation programs to help develop the leadership skills of youth from Toronto’s more vulnerable neighbourhoods.
“We use our Vital Signs Report as a blueprint for investment to transform lives, communities and our city,” said Rahul K. Bhardwaj, President & CEO, Toronto Community Foundation.
“Our solution-focused strategy relies on partnerships with community organizations and individuals such as those recognized today. They are working on innovative and creative solutions and represent the steps towards a more vital Toronto that we should be proud of.”
A complete list of the recipients is available at www.tcf.ca.
Toronto Community Foundation
Community vitality has been our purpose, promise, and passion since 1981, when we started connecting donors to community needs and opportunities. Home to over 300 funds, we help people invest in Toronto, making it the best place to live, work, learn and grow.
We monitor the quality of life in our city, identifying its strengths and weaknesses through our Toronto’s Vital Signs® report. We provide the leadership and guidance to bring people together from all parts of our community. We exist for Toronto - for now and for always.
Since 1981, the Community Foundation has granted in excess of $70 million to hundreds of charitable organizations. In 2009 alone, it brought together and leveraged the resources of the more than 300 funds under our helm to invest $8.2 million in more than 450 community organizations working on innovative solutions to city challenges.
Three grant programs are fueled by the organization’s Vital Toronto Fund – a community endowment used to contribute to and partner on targeted strategies tackling quality of life issues identified in the Community Foundations’ annual Toronto’s Vitals Signs® Report.
1. Vital Ideas invests in Toronto’s most high-impact organizations by providing capacity building grants to further expand or replicate programs with successful track records in other areas of Toronto.
2. Vital People is a leadership grant that assists Toronto’s exceptional community leaders in the not-for-profit sector to grow through professional development and further magnify their impact.
3. Vital Youth supports free high-quality sports and recreation programs to help develop the leadership skills of youth from Toronto’s more vulnerable neighbourhoods.
“We use our Vital Signs Report as a blueprint for investment to transform lives, communities and our city,” said Rahul K. Bhardwaj, President & CEO, Toronto Community Foundation.
“Our solution-focused strategy relies on partnerships with community organizations and individuals such as those recognized today. They are working on innovative and creative solutions and represent the steps towards a more vital Toronto that we should be proud of.”
A complete list of the recipients is available at www.tcf.ca.
Toronto Community Foundation
Community vitality has been our purpose, promise, and passion since 1981, when we started connecting donors to community needs and opportunities. Home to over 300 funds, we help people invest in Toronto, making it the best place to live, work, learn and grow.
We monitor the quality of life in our city, identifying its strengths and weaknesses through our Toronto’s Vital Signs® report. We provide the leadership and guidance to bring people together from all parts of our community. We exist for Toronto - for now and for always.
Since 1981, the Community Foundation has granted in excess of $70 million to hundreds of charitable organizations. In 2009 alone, it brought together and leveraged the resources of the more than 300 funds under our helm to invest $8.2 million in more than 450 community organizations working on innovative solutions to city challenges.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Time crunch worsening for Canadian families, warns report
Mounting pressure affects every aspect of community life
A new study released by the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) paints a portrait of Canadians squeezed the by competing demands work and home life, a formula that doesn’t bode well for individuals or community health, says the CEO of Community Foundations of Canada.
Responding to Caught in the Time Crunch: Time Use, Leisure and Culture in Canada, Monica Patten, said the report clearly points to a population that is less healthy – both physically and mentally.
“This is important research that communities across Canada need to be aware of, and pay attention to,” said Patten, who heads a network of more than 170 community foundations located in cities, towns and rural areas from coast to coast. “If we have less time for ourselves and our families, the entire community suffers.”
Canadians can determine their own personal time profile by taking the ‘Are You Crunched for Time’ quiz on the CIW website.
Recreation and leisure can often get lost in our busy society, said Patten, who noted that community foundations, policy makers, and other local and national organizations need to take note of the changing landscape related to time use in this country. For instance:
• The proportion of Canadians experiencing high levels of time crunch grew from 16% in 1992 to 20% in 2005. About 23% of women felt time pressured and 17% of men.
• In 1992, 23% of Canadians worked non-standard hours (weekends, evenings, nights, rotating shifts). By 2009 the proportion jumped to 29%.
• Adults providing care to seniors grew from 17% in 1996 to 20% in 2006. More women (23%) took care of seniors compared to men (16%).
“Because community foundations fund all kinds of charities in the community, the findings of this report are extremely important to our work,” said Patten. “In addition, they provide important context for us as we work with local networks of community leaders across Canada. The CIW has done us all a service by contributing this research to our national knowledge base.”
The Report concludes with a call for a national dialogue on how Canadians can lead more balanced lives and Patten said the community foundation network will consider ways it can be a part of this dialogue, whether it is locally or through national program like Vital Signs, an ongoing study of quality-of-life issues in our country. On Oct. 5, 16 communities across Canada will release local Vital Signs reports.
A new study released by the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) paints a portrait of Canadians squeezed the by competing demands work and home life, a formula that doesn’t bode well for individuals or community health, says the CEO of Community Foundations of Canada.
Responding to Caught in the Time Crunch: Time Use, Leisure and Culture in Canada, Monica Patten, said the report clearly points to a population that is less healthy – both physically and mentally.
“This is important research that communities across Canada need to be aware of, and pay attention to,” said Patten, who heads a network of more than 170 community foundations located in cities, towns and rural areas from coast to coast. “If we have less time for ourselves and our families, the entire community suffers.”
Canadians can determine their own personal time profile by taking the ‘Are You Crunched for Time’ quiz on the CIW website.
Recreation and leisure can often get lost in our busy society, said Patten, who noted that community foundations, policy makers, and other local and national organizations need to take note of the changing landscape related to time use in this country. For instance:
• The proportion of Canadians experiencing high levels of time crunch grew from 16% in 1992 to 20% in 2005. About 23% of women felt time pressured and 17% of men.
• In 1992, 23% of Canadians worked non-standard hours (weekends, evenings, nights, rotating shifts). By 2009 the proportion jumped to 29%.
• Adults providing care to seniors grew from 17% in 1996 to 20% in 2006. More women (23%) took care of seniors compared to men (16%).
“Because community foundations fund all kinds of charities in the community, the findings of this report are extremely important to our work,” said Patten. “In addition, they provide important context for us as we work with local networks of community leaders across Canada. The CIW has done us all a service by contributing this research to our national knowledge base.”
The Report concludes with a call for a national dialogue on how Canadians can lead more balanced lives and Patten said the community foundation network will consider ways it can be a part of this dialogue, whether it is locally or through national program like Vital Signs, an ongoing study of quality-of-life issues in our country. On Oct. 5, 16 communities across Canada will release local Vital Signs reports.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
KWCF launches Vital Ideas
Waterloo (June 9, 2010) – Donors, stakeholders, sponsors, and media partners of The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF) are invited to attend the inaugural launch of “Vital Ideas” – a tool designed to connect philanthropists to community needs.
Meant as a companion publication to Waterloo Region’s Vital Signs, a report on quality of life in the Region, Vital Ideas highlights the important work being done by charities in Kitchener, Waterloo and area – work that is making a real difference in our community.
“The programs and organizations profiled in our newest publication Vital Ideas align with the knowledge we gather from our work on Vital Signs,” shares Rosemary Smith, CEO of The KWCF.
The initiatives outlined in the publication are providing unique and innovative approaches to dealing with root causes of issues and helping individuals in our community. Issues such as: health and wellness, learning, and safety, to name a few.
“The work of these featured organizations and the positive impact their programs and initiatives bring about is what truly makes our community the vital, creative, and innovative place that it is,” adds Smith. “By working together and tackling issues where they begin, we can make our community an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.”
When: Thursday, June 24, 2010
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (Registration: 8:45 a.m.)
Location: K-W Counselling Services, 480 Charles Street East, Kitchener
RSVP: tracy@kwcf.ca or (519) 725-1806 ext. 6
For more information on the launch of Vital Ideas please contact (519) 725-1806.
The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation improves the quality of life in Kitchener-Waterloo and the surrounding area, now and for generations to come, by building community assets, addressing needs through grant making, and providing leadership on key community issues.
Vital Ideas is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Meant as a companion publication to Waterloo Region’s Vital Signs, a report on quality of life in the Region, Vital Ideas highlights the important work being done by charities in Kitchener, Waterloo and area – work that is making a real difference in our community.
“The programs and organizations profiled in our newest publication Vital Ideas align with the knowledge we gather from our work on Vital Signs,” shares Rosemary Smith, CEO of The KWCF.
The initiatives outlined in the publication are providing unique and innovative approaches to dealing with root causes of issues and helping individuals in our community. Issues such as: health and wellness, learning, and safety, to name a few.
“The work of these featured organizations and the positive impact their programs and initiatives bring about is what truly makes our community the vital, creative, and innovative place that it is,” adds Smith. “By working together and tackling issues where they begin, we can make our community an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.”
When: Thursday, June 24, 2010
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (Registration: 8:45 a.m.)
Location: K-W Counselling Services, 480 Charles Street East, Kitchener
RSVP: tracy@kwcf.ca or (519) 725-1806 ext. 6
For more information on the launch of Vital Ideas please contact (519) 725-1806.
The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation improves the quality of life in Kitchener-Waterloo and the surrounding area, now and for generations to come, by building community assets, addressing needs through grant making, and providing leadership on key community issues.
Vital Ideas is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Community Foundations to release 2010 Vital Signs reports on October 5
Reports shine spotlight on local, national issues
OTTAWA (June 7, 2010) – Community foundations in 15 communities across the country will release their 2010 Vital Signs reports on Tuesday, October 5. The reader-friendly reports offer a comprehensive look at how communities are faring in key quality of life areas such as learning, health, housing, and the environment.
Community Foundations of Canada will also release Canada’s Vital Signs, a national snapshot of issues facing communities from coast to coast. All Vital Signs reports will be available at www.vitalsignscanada.ca.
“Vital Signs gives communities valuable insight into local strengths, challenges and opportunities. We’ve seen what a powerful tool it can be for community groups, schools, government and other agencies,” said Community Foundations of Canada President and CEO Monica Patten.
This year’s participating communities are:
-Victoria
-Vancouver
-Red Deer
-Calgary
-Medicine Hat
-Sudbury
-London
-Ottawa
-Waterloo Region (includes Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge)
-Toronto
-Kingston & Area
-Hamilton*
-Montreal
-Greater Saint John
-Lunenburg County, NS*
*participating in Vital Signs for the first time.
Statistics from Canada’s Vital Signs 2009 illustrated startling trends in areas ranging from youth unemployment and aboriginal education to violent crime and low birth weight.
For ongoing updates, follow Canada’s Vital Signs on Twitter.
OTTAWA (June 7, 2010) – Community foundations in 15 communities across the country will release their 2010 Vital Signs reports on Tuesday, October 5. The reader-friendly reports offer a comprehensive look at how communities are faring in key quality of life areas such as learning, health, housing, and the environment.
Community Foundations of Canada will also release Canada’s Vital Signs, a national snapshot of issues facing communities from coast to coast. All Vital Signs reports will be available at www.vitalsignscanada.ca.
“Vital Signs gives communities valuable insight into local strengths, challenges and opportunities. We’ve seen what a powerful tool it can be for community groups, schools, government and other agencies,” said Community Foundations of Canada President and CEO Monica Patten.
This year’s participating communities are:
-Victoria
-Vancouver
-Red Deer
-Calgary
-Medicine Hat
-Sudbury
-London
-Ottawa
-Waterloo Region (includes Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge)
-Toronto
-Kingston & Area
-Hamilton*
-Montreal
-Greater Saint John
-Lunenburg County, NS*
*participating in Vital Signs for the first time.
Statistics from Canada’s Vital Signs 2009 illustrated startling trends in areas ranging from youth unemployment and aboriginal education to violent crime and low birth weight.
For ongoing updates, follow Canada’s Vital Signs on Twitter.
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