The Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta (CFSEA) distributed over $466,000 through all their granting initiatives this spring. Of that amount, almost $215,000 was given to 28 organizations through their Community Grants. Community Grants are application-based and recipients are selected by a committee comprised of Board and community members. Grants are awarded based on potential impact, fund availability, and alignment with the Vital Signs priority areas. The 2024 priorities are Connection & Belonging, Work & Economy, and Basic Needs including food, health, and housing. Community Grants support Southeastern Alberta by enhancing belonging of all citizens and strengthening the non-profit sector. Donors choose this fund as a way to allocate their contributions to support the community’s greatest needs.
“We are so grateful to work alongside the Rural Advisory Committees in Brooks, Cypress County, the County of Forty Mile, and Special Areas & MD of Acadia, to ensure the greatest needs in our communities are being supported. Thank you to our incredible group of volunteers who make up our Grants Committee.” – Glenda Hawthorne, CFSEA Grants Committee Chair
For Medicine Hat, the 13 recipients include The Women’s Shelter for New Beds ($10,000), The Mustard Seed’s Foot Care Clinic ($14,212), Wellspring Alberta’s Cancer Connect Program ($15,000), Alzheimer Society of AB and NW Territories’ Memory Kits project ($2,000), Salvation Army’s Computer Upgrades ($4,960), Medicine Hat Family Fun and Flight Event ($5,000), Town of Redcliff Library Board’s Furniture Upgrades ($3,500), Medicine Hat SPCA’s Humane Education program ($5,200), Redcliff Legion’s Electrical Upgrades ($7,712), All Saints Anglican Church Chair Stair Lift ($10,000), Sanare Centre’s Group Therapy program ($9,158), Medicine Hat Family YMCA’s Camp Jude ($25,000), and Shortgrass Library System’s Assistive Reading Technology ($6,566).
For Cypress County, the two grants provided are for Prairie Rose School Division’s Ag Pro Course ($7,500) and Prairie Gleaner’s New Dehydrator ($10,000).
Community Grants awarded in Special Areas and the MD of Acadia include the Prairie Land School Division for Altario School, New Bridgen Community Association, Empress and District Historical Society, Oyen and District Historical Society, Oyen Minor Hockey, and Sibbald Community Club, for a total of $42,767!
Grants awarded in Brooks and District include the Champion’s Centre, Brooks and District Museum, Bassano FCSS, Duchess Community Garden, and Crossroads Clinic Association for a total of $32,522.
The County of Forty Mile is receiving two grants, one for St. Michael’s Church and one for North 40 Mile Recreation Society, for a total of $3,776.
“Each grant awarded, and each donation received is a testament to the collective spirit of compassion and commitment that defines our community. Thank you to our donors, volunteers, and grant recipients for your remarkable contributions and for being the heart of our mission. Together, we are creating a vibrant, healthy, and caring community.” – Sydney Ratzlaff, Community Engagement Coordinator
The next Community Grant cycle will open to applications in early August 2024, kicking off the grant cycle with a virtual workshop at noon on August 8th, 2024.
To learn more, connect with CFSEA by calling 403.527.9038, emailing grants@cfsea.ca or by visiting https://cfsea.ca/we-give/smart-caring-grants/.
To view the 2024 Founder’s Day Picnic event, click here: https://youtu.be/t8MPtDKAFhw
CFSEA is a registered charity that creates meaningful connections between donors and local charities for the permanent benefit of Southeastern Alberta.
For more information, please contact:
Chris Christie
Chris@cfsea.ca
403.527.9038