Community Foundation looking to fund great ideas

By Alexandra Noad - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on January 15, 2025.

The Lethbridge Community Foundation is now accepting grant applications for three different programs that will help qualifying charities and people to support important work throughout the Southern Alberta Region.

One of the programs is The Youth in Action grant program, which funds projects that are initiated, led and organized by an individual or group 25 years or younger.

This program was the brainchild of a donor who sees the strong value of youth leadership, and wanted to introduce youth to philanthropy so they can understand the value of giving back to the community.

Charleen Davidson, executive director of the LCF, says there have been some interesting projects presented by the youth. One that stands out is a young man from a Cardston-based project to better understand and preserve the local bat population.

“It was all his idea and he came up with some great stuff,” says Davidson. “He was building bat boxes; he did some really good on that.”

The deadline for the Youth in Action grant is Feb. 28.

The other two grants are both open until March 17.

The Community Priorities Fund focuses on supporting charities and will distribute more than $300,000 to qualifying charities.

The Henry S. Varley Fund for Rural Life focuses on projects and initiatives from organizations that are committed in supporting a high quality of life for rural Southwestern Alberta.

Davidson says these grants are more to support and encourage communities to think outside the box and bring their best ideas to the table.

“It’s not about us telling them necessarily what to apply for, so much as them coming with the great applications that our committee can be happy to put some money behind.”

More information on the grants can be found at wwwlsflsa.ca/grants