Grants 'trade show' brings Prince George providers and applicants together

The City of Prince George hosted a drop-in grants "trade show" Thursday, Oct. 10 at the Civic Centre focused on funding available for local non-profit organizations and charities.

Groups offering information on available grants during the event included Four Rivers Cooperative, Northern Development, the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, Sport PG, City of Prince George, Interior Savings, Iren, Prince George Community Foundation, and the United Way.

“Where this idea came from is the non-profits themselves,” Sarah Brown, said supervisor of civic initiatives and partnerships at the City of Prince George. “One of the things we asked during engagement was what else can the city do and one of the things we heard was we could offer the opportunity of networking – bringing funders together with the not-for-profits so they can meet each other and learn from one another to find out more about the grants and what’s required.”

Brown said she also oversees MyPG grants and there will be a launch in January of additional grant streams.

“And we’re really excited about that,” Brown said.

“We heard from non-profits that they were interested in operating grants and multi-year funding so we’re exploring that to see how we can better respond to not-for-profits and support them with the service delivery they provide to the community.”

Joann Smiley, centre manager of the Elder Citizens Recreation Association, said she’s never seen anything like the gathering of grant providers and grant applicants in one room.

“There’s been nothing like this ever before and I am pleased to say that as an experienced grant-writer even I got tons of information today,” Smiley said.

“There are about eight grants in that room that I didn’t even know existed. The organizations talked to me about their grants, what I am eligible for and where to apply. They’ve all been just phenomenal. It’s so impressive and this was just what the city needed.”

Four Rivers Co-Operative Community Support Fund has expanded its capital funding to $150,000 and applications are being accepted until Nov. 15, 2024. Registered charities, non-profit organizations and community groups that depend on funding to complete or start their projects, as well as enhance their facilities and services, are invited to apply. For more information visit https://www.fourriversco-op.crs/sites/fourrivers/local/detail/150000-in-funding-available---2024-community-support-fund-

Northern Development Initiative Trust has nine different avenues of grant access including recreational infrastructure, the northern industries innovation fund, cultural infrastructure and more. For more information visit https://www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/apply-for-funding/

The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George addresses the needs of the more outlying areas in the region, including community grants in aid; recreation grants; arts, culture and heritage grants and Fraser-Fort George endowment grants. For more information visit www.rdffg.ca.

Sport PG offers a hosting grant for those organizing a multi-day event that will attract a significant number of out-of-town participants. For more information visit www.princegeorge.ca/grants.

City of Prince George Celebrate PG Grants helps non-profits create new events or improve existing events to boost community pride and bring visitors to the city. For more information visit www.princegeorge.ca/Grants

The Interior Savings Community Investment Fund provides one-time financial support to help launch sustainable programs that empower people in communities with the knowledge, skills and confidence required to achieve their potential. Eligible projects must have a far-reaching, positive impact on the community and a plan to be self-sustainable.

The intent of the fund is not to cover operational or capital costs but to help get new programs off the ground, at times by purchasing the necessary equipment. Allocations typically range between $3,000 and $15,000 depending on the scope and scale of the project and the anticipated impact on the community and surrounding areas. For more information visit https://forms.interiorsavings.com/community/info/cif

IREN Group runs leading next-generation data centres powered by 100 per cent renewable energy and offers non-profits $100,000 a year in grants in Prince George up to a maximum of $10,000 to an organization for Community Participation and Pride, Community Sustainability, Community Safety, Diversity, and Use of Technology for Community Benefit. For more information visit https://iren.com/community-grants-program-prince-george

Prince George Community Foundation has a whole host of funding programs that benefit the community. The Foundation offers grants through the annual grant program to charitable organizations delivering important projects that enhance quality of life in Prince George.

The community foundation shared some good news on its website, stating many organizations have requested assistance with operating funds. Going forward, in the winter grant cycle, instead of allocating 12.5 per cent of funding to operating costs it has now been increased to 50 per cent. For more information visit https://www.pgcf.ca/pgcf_annual_grant_program.

United Way was in attendance showcasing their many programs including those for kids and youth, food security, communities, emergency response, helpline services, and seniors. For more information visit https://uwbc.ca/campaign/united/.