Applications open August 19 to September 26, 2024!
COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT GRANTS SUPPORT VITAL INITIATIVES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO OVERALL COMMUNITY WELLBEING.
What do Community Enrichment Grants support?
This annual grant stream supports the programs, services, and initiatives of eligible Comox Valley non-profit organizations. Community-informed focus areas are set every two years to prioritize funding toward areas of considerable need in the Comox Valley. The 2024/25 program focus areas are:
1) Mental health and connection
2) Food insecurity and food systems
3) Equity, diversity and inclusion
New Application Guide
Our new 2024-25 Community Enrichment Grants Applicant Guide is now available to provide full information about eligibility and how to apply. Before applying, you can view the application questions and the budget template.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible organizations meet the following criteria:
- Your organization and its programs or services directly impact the Comox Valley as defined by the geographic boundaries of School District 71. Organizations located outside the Comox Valley must clearly demonstrate how funds benefit and will primarily be used within the Comox Valley.
- Your organization is one of the following:
- Registered charity as defined by Canada Revenue Agency,
- First Nation, municipality, or public body performing a function of government in
Canada, - Registered non-profit society as defined by the Societies Act of British Columbia
working in partnership with a registered charity as a fiscal sponsor,
- And, if your organization is a past Community Foundation grant recipient, you have completed final reports from all previous grants (2022 and prior). If your organization is a current grant recipient, final reports for your current (2023) grant are due by December 2024.
If you have questions about eligibility, please contact us to learn more.
What activities and expenses are eligible?
Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to general operating costs, staff wages, program costs, new and existing programs and services, materials and supplies, and equipment. Our goal is to support your organization in a manner that is most impactful for you, without restrictions if possible.
Activities that are NOT eligible under this program include scholarships or bursaries funded elsewhere by the Foundation; activities of religious organizations that serve primarily their membership and/or direct religious purposes; political activities, specifically directly or indirectly supporting or opposing a political party or candidate for public office; the establishment of or addition to endowment funds; or the establishment of or addition to operating reserves.
How much funding can be requested?
There is no maximum amount of funds an organization may request; however, grant approvals have historically ranged from $30,000 to $3,000 per application with the majority of requests funded at the $10,000 level or lower. This year, $300,000 will be available for distribution in support of the entire community. We encourage applicants to keep their requests conservative relative to the total funding available.
How and when to apply.
All applications are submitted using the online grants portal, which will be open starting Monday, August 19 until 5pm on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
Tips for Online Grant Applications
- If you are new applicant, please review the Grants Portal User Guide before beginning your application.
- You do not have to finish the application in one session. You may save an application as a draft and continue to edit an application until the deadline.
- When filling out your application, your responses are saved automatically every 100 characters or every time you click off the field.
- All questions marked with an asterixis are required.
- After submitting your application, you can still view it in your dashboard but it will no longer be editable.
- Unfortunately, incomplete, late, or paper submissions are NOT accepted.
