Community Foundation announces 2023 spring grant recipients

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Sunny South News

By Erika Mathieu
Sunny South News

Charitable initiatives across southwestern Alberta will see a $390,000 cash influx thanks to various funding streams as part of the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta.

The spring grant cycle includes the Community Priorities Fund, the Henry S. Varley Fund for Rural Life, and the Youth in Action program. The Community Foundation will support 44 projects and initiatives including $226,800 in resources to be distributed to 31 organizations, provided by the Community Priorities Fund.

Successful applicants of the Community Priorities Fund Grant include the Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation in Coaldale, which will receive $15,000. Of this, $1,000 will be provided by the Lethbridge Auto Dealers Association (LADA) which provided over $15,000 in additional funding to 14 projects. The grant will be used to build a new interpretation site that focuses on Western Painted Turtles on site.

Palliser Regional School division will receive $20,000 in supports from the Community Priorities Fund Grant as well. The Friends of Jennie Emery Elementary Society have successfully acquired $10,000 from a field interest fund, which provide financial supports to applicants which meeting donor-specified criteria, and will be used to improve accessibility and add inclusive equipment to the existing playground structure.

Under Palliser School Division, the Sunnyside Community Association will receive $10,000, ($1,000 from LADA) which will be used to build a greenhouse in Lethbridge County that will also serve as an outdoor classroom for students.

The Community Foundation’s Youth in Action Grant Recipients include Raymond Junior High School. The school will receive $1,200 which will support the desire to purchase building materials which will facilitate the collection, sanitization, and redistribution of used egg cartons to small farms in the region. Additionally, Westwind School Division’s Magrath Elementary School was successful in obtaining a Youth in Action Grant of $2,000 courtesy of the Field of Interest Fund. The money will support the school in purchasing materials for garden boxes for a community garden, a program which will allow seniors and students to garden together.

According to the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta, the Youth in Action Grants program, “aims to empower young leaders by supporting youth-led initiatives that will benefit the community. Projects funded through Youth in Action Grants must be initiated, led, and organized by residents of Southwestern Alberta up to 25 years of age, in collaboration with a charitable partner.”

According to Community Foundation Executive Director, Charleen Davidson, each of the grants “will support something that helps build a healthy and vibrant community.”

“The projects we’re funding range from building renovations and upgrades to accessibility and inclusion to the welfare of both people and animals. It’s wonderful for us to be able to support the work of the many groups that deliver the diverse programs that help us maintain a high quality of life in Southwestern Alberta,” she continued as part of the Foundation’s funding announcement on May 11.

Thanks to the Henry S. Varley Fund for Rural Life Grant Recipients, the AdaptABLE Outdoor Recreation Society will receive $22,500 to support the adaptive hiking and adaptive paddling programs which provide access to outdoor destinations for people with disabilities.

The Raymond Recreation Facilities Society will receive $5,000 in funding to support inclusive and accessible recreation programs in town.

More information on the Community Foundation and a full list of the 2023 Spring recipient can be found at https://cflsa.ca/grants/.