City opens call for two grants
By Alexandra Noad - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on December 17, 2024.
The City of Lethbridge on Monday announced an open call about two grants.
One is for organizations who help homelessness and the second for other non-profits in the city.
The federal government’s Reaching Home program is a community-based initiative focused on preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada.
Andrew Malcolm, general manager of Community and Social Development for the City of Lethbridge, says they received a significant decrease in funding in the last two years, and while that standard across the nation, it caused many to advocate for more funding.
“Many organizations, like ourselves, advocated to the federal government for increased funding. Through those efforts, in the federal budget this year, they announced some increases,” said Malcolm.
With the City of Lethbridge accepting the increase, it means more dollars are available to help prevent homelessness, which Malcolm says is desperately needed.
Because these funds are for the 2024/25 fiscal year, all allotted funds must be delivered to the community during the period of January 13 to March 31, 2025.
Malcolm says the $300,000 Reaching Home funding will optimally go to one-time expenditures such as capital remodelling or equipment such as beds or other furnishings.
“Any of the organizations in our community who provide emergency shelter, stabilization, transitional housing (and) affordable housing who are in need of some one-time capital purchase, potentially for beds, equipment, furnishings, materials that help that help them in the day to day in supporting those in our community that are experiencing homelessness, those would be great expenses to propose in this call,” said Malcolm.
Proposals for the Reaching Home Program must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Jan. 10.
The City also announced a $600,000 grant opportunity for registered non-profits within Lethbridge.
Matthew Pitcher, of Community and Social Development, says the grant comes from previously underutilized grant funding.
“Last week city council approved the Make Your Mark one-time grant opportunity funding framework, which will provide up to $600,000 of previously underutilized grant funding for this one-time call from projects.
In a news release, Mayor Blaine Hyggen says the City doesn’t like to see grant money unused as they know there are many projects throughout the city which can use the funding.
“This type of funding was intended to be used for projects of this nature, so rather than see this money go unused, we’re pleased to see the Make Your Mark grant criteria shaped to make the funds available for the community,” said Hyggen
Organizations applying for the grand could receive up to 100 per cent of a maximum of $50,000 for any project which increases inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility of community services.
With the grant being competitive, Pitcher says the city will be prioritizing organizations who provide the greatest impact to the community.
Applications for the Make Your Mark grant will be open until March 31.
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