Every year the Comox Valley Community Foundation identifies community needs and supports charitable groups that are working hard to enrich lives in the Comox Valley.
In October, the Foundation Board considers grant requests from dozens of CV charities. In November and December the tough decisions are made and in January, cheques are presented at the Foundation’s “Community Enrichment Awards” event. This year, the CVCF will disburse more than $200,000 in the Comox Valley.
“Sometimes a need or opportunity will arise that doesn’t fit into our granting cycle,” explains Keith Tatton, chairman of the CVCF distribution committee. “For those ‘emergent’ needs, we set money aside every year and our Directors keep their eyes and ears open to identify a project that could use CVC Foundation support.”
The first CVC Foundation emergent grant was $5,000 to help build the Rotary Skypark accessible playground near the Courtenay Airpark. “The project came together very quickly after our granting cycle had ended and it needed to be built when the weather permitted,” remembers past president Lorne Harder. “The Rotarians wanted to get the park in place before the summer – before our next cycle would begin. It was a perfect project for our emergent grant funds.”
Since then, many other projects have benefitted from the generosity of CVCF donors — foundation repairs at the Denman Island Community Centre, a new steeple and roofing at St. Andrew’s Church and AIDS Vancouver Island’s cold and wet weather outreach program – to name a few.
To learn more about the CVC Foundation’s grants and how you can support worthwhile projects in our community, in perpetuity, please visit the website…
