Greater Victoria is beautiful year-round; the summer brings a vibrancy and energy to the community. I have been enjoying music and entertainment throughout the community, much of it for free and accessible for anyone to enjoy. It always warms my heart to see families sharing the experience together. A majority of these events are put on by the civil society (charitable sector) organizations working to strengthen community wellbeing.
Earlier this month the Foundation announced a record amount of funding distributed through our Community Grants Program.
Thanks to the support of the community and donors we were able to distribute $4.899 million to 199 organizations in the capital region. This is an important program for the Foundation, and in 2022 represented $4.32 million of the $25 million in funding we distributed in Greater Victoria, across the province and the country.
The organizations receiving funding are working to strengthen community wellbeing in a wide variety of areas including arts and culture, health and wellness, gender equity, racial equity, and reconciliation. It is heartwarming to provide support to these organizations that are making a difference for those who live, work, and play in our region.
While we’re proud of the support we are able to provide to the community, we need to ensure the sector is sustainable. There are growing pressures on the sector as highlighted in the State of the Sector report: Safety Net.
The Foundation and other funders are seeing record requests through our funding call, and we are hearing from organizations concerned about their future. However, there is hope that something better can happen if together we reach out and support the sector year-round.
Lastly, if you’d like to learn more about the Victoria Foundation, how we’re building off what we heard in our annual Vital Signs report, and better understand our model, please pick up a copy of our 2023 Pulse magazine or find it online at victoriafoundation.ca.
Given the opportunities and challenges listed above, I think we can all take a lesson from the Bayview Middle School story and paddle together towards a vibrant, caring community for all.
Sandra Richardson is CEO of the Victoria Foundation.
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