Local organization among nominees for Field Law grant

By Lethbridge Herald on October 18, 2023.

Steffanie Costigan
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

The Field Law Community Fund Program is open for voting.

The Calgary-based company had a record 151 applications seeking a portion of the $75,000 funding. 

Field Law is a western and northern regional business law firm with offices in Calgary, Canmore and Edmonton, and Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories.

 The company has more than 120 lawyers and 160 staff working to provide a variety of legal services to businesses and institutions in corporate and commercial matters, litigation and dispute resolution, labour and employment, insurance, energy, intellectual property, privacy, professional regulatory and medical malpractice issues.

“We’ve received 151 requests which is the most we’ve ever had. So this is a very good year from that perspective. We’ve had lots of applicants, which is great, that’s part of the whole idea behind this,” said managing partner Jeremiah Kowalchuk in a telephone interview. 

This is the 11th annual year Field Law Community has offered the program which gives non-profit organizations the opportunity to receive some of  the $75,000. Kowalchuk said the law firm used to give funds out to non-profits irregularly but the firm decided there was a better way to distribute money to them.

“We said to ourselves, ‘well, let’s think this out a little bit more, and how can we harness this better.’ And we devised this program and this application process. And what it’s done is that it allows us to invite people to come and ask for funding. These are organizations that many of them I’ve never heard of before. Some of them are quite small, they’re quite niche, they’re quite unique,” said Kowalchuck.

The public can vote and look at the ideas which have been pitched from the varying non-profits at http://www.fieldlawcommunityfund.com. The public vote will be open until Nov. 10.

Among organizations vying for support is Lethbridge’s Quaint, Quirky and Queer Festival staged annually by Theatre Outre.

“The Quaint, Quirky, and Queer (QQQ) Festival is a vibrant and colorful celebration that brings together an array of talented performers from the LGBTQ2SIA+ community and their allies. This annual event, 10 years strong, is a testament to the power of unity, diversity, and creativity. With its rich history and commitment to promoting inclusion, community, legacy, and spectacle, the festival stands as a beacon of acceptance and pride for all,” says the organization’s submission.

“The QQQ Festival proudly showcases an eclectic mix of talents and art forms, representing a spectrum of identities and backgrounds. From drag queens and kings, to musicians, dancers, poets, and visual artists, the festival’s lineup reflects the vast tapestry of queer culture. The festival is not just a showcase of talent; it’s a gathering of like-minded individuals who come together to celebrate their shared experiences. It fosters a sense of belonging and unity among LGBTQ2SIA+ people and their allies,” the submission adds.

“It creates this opportunity for those people to make applications that we might not otherwise know they’re even out there,” explained Kowalchuk.  

Kowalchuk said non-profits benefit just by participating in the grant process and sharing what they are doing for people in their communities.

“It highlights, even if the people who have applied don’t necessarily get awarded any money, it still gives them some perks. It gives them some spotlight for their organization to highlight the work that they do, and hopefully create awareness in the communities they operate.”

He said awareness of this opportunity has reached outside of Alberta and even as far as the Northwest Territories.  

“I think what’s happening is the program itself, is getting some profile. It gets spread around the communities through throughout the whole province, and in the Northwest Territories, and in other communities in the north,” said Kowalchuk. 

Kowalchuk noted there are some preferred causes the Field Law Community likes to help such as education, health care, at-risk youth, homelessness, diversity, equality, women’s organizations, community, sports, art, and culture.

“Those are the types of categories of organizations, but it’s intentionally very broad, so that we’re offering the opportunity to as many groups and people as we can.”

Overseeing and deciding what organizations will be awarded are three representatives of the Field Law Community along with two community members which change each year.