21 Jan Sunshine Coast Foundation Grants $95,000 to local Women’s Organizations

Sunshine Coast Foundation has awarded new grants totalling $95,000 to three local organizations. Grants from the Fund for Gender Equality support women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse individuals working towards a future grounded in equity, inclusion, and justice.

Grant Recipients

Grants from the Fund for Gender Equality were awarded to the Sunshine Coast Community Services Society ($35,000 to increase women’s access to Family Resource programming), the Sunshine Coast Arts Council in collaboration with elders, artists, and numerous community partners ($30,000 to nurture intergenerational learning and connect girls and women across cultures through weaving) and the District of Sechelt in collaboration with Sunday in the Park with Pride Society ($30,000 to cultivate a better understanding of gender diversity and improve the quality of life for 2LGBTQIANB youth).

Partnerships

The Fund is part of a partnership with Community Foundations of Canada, funded through the Government of Canada. Sunshine Coast Foundation is one of 21 community foundations across Canada that are participating. In total, these foundations are granting $3.4M towards the movement for justice and equity for women, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse individuals. Over five years, this collaboration will make $8.2 million available to women-led and women-serving organizations across Canada.

“We are thrilled to support these three organizations who are working to advance gender equality in our community,” said Manjit Kang, Chair of the Foundation’s Board. “Our investment in their work is key to supporting women who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We can work towards a just recovery by tackling systemic issues like racism, wage inequality, and gender-based violence. Along with the other 20 participating community foundations, we are committed to lasting systems-change in philanthropy, by writing gender equality into our investment practices and organizational policies. As the year progresses, we look forward to sharing more about this journey.”

Community Foundations of Canada

“From coast to coast to coast, feminist organizations have a long and rich history of mobilization to advance gender equality in our country,” said Andrea Dicks, Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) President. “As budgets are re-allocated to public health and economic programs in the wake of the pandemic, these organizations are most at risk of losing funding. To create communities of true belonging and recover from this pandemic, we need to advance gender equality across the country. We’re grateful for the financial support from the Government of Canada and the leadership of Sunshine Coast Foundation for taking part in these efforts.”

Sunshine Coast Foundation provides sustainable funding to local charities that help to make the Sunshine Coast and healthy and vibrant community. Since 2005, the Foundation has provided more than $1.5 Million in grants to worthwhile projects.

To learn more about the national Fund, click here: https://communityfoundations.ca/initiatives/national-efforts-to-advance-gender-equality/