Thanks to a $15,000 grant from the Victoria Foundation's Community Grants Program, local organizations working at the Mustard Seed's Food Security Distribution Centre will have a greater ability to address food insecurity in the capital region.
The initiative is just one example of people and organizations coming together to find solutions to the complex challenges facing the region.
By helping the non-profits working at the centre to strategically align their efforts and activities, “we hope this will lead to an increased capacity to process and distribute food to support school and community food programs,” says Matthew Kemshaw, Executive Director of Flourish! School Food Society.
The grant is among the record $721,318 distributed to 17 non-profit and charitable collaborations in the region. The record amount of funds requested underscores the increasing need for support, as highlighted in the Foundation’s latest State of the Sector report, ‘Under Pressure.’
“This funding through the Collaboration Stream will help to strengthen collaboratives between philanthropic organizations working so hard to find solutions to some of the deeply rooted issues in our community,” says Victoria Foundation CEO Sandra Richardson.
At the same time, "it also conveys the ambition and eagerness of local organizations to put their minds and resources together to create lasting change. The community knows that great things can happen when we work together," Richardson says.
Kabir Hosein, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Sport for Life, says that through strategic collaboration, their $42,000 grant will provide newcomers to Greater Victoria with opportunities to engage in sports and other physical activities while connecting with others in their new community.
“By connecting Victoria’s leaders, this grant helps foster inclusion, community building and safety, and opportunities for employment and well-being. The collaboration will help break down barriers to participation and create a supportive environment for newcomers to stay active,” Kabir says.
Grant recipients were chosen with an emphasis on an equitable distribution across the region’s geography and equity-deserving populations, while prioritizing organizations working on key Vital Signs issue areas.
Comprising discretionary endowed funds, the Victoria Foundation’s Community Action Funds and $270,000 in one-time funding by the Government of British Columbia through the Community Prosperity Fund, the approved grants represent an eight per cent increase over 2023. And 25 of the record 39 organizations submitting applications were first-time applicants.
The 2024 Community Grants Program has two grant streams, including the Vital Stream and the Collaboration Stream. Starting in 2024, the grant streams had separate intake timelines, to better recognize the distinct program goals for each stream and to align better with the community’s capacity for collaborative projects.
See the full list of successful Collaboration Grant applicants here.