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The Smart & Caring Communities Fund the smartest way to ensure funding is getting to the areas that need it most within your community. Our Smart & Caring Community Fund is a flexible granting model. This means that a collection of our community-minded volunteers can create grants to aid the areas that need it most without having to worry about limitations or specific parameters.
This week, in honour of Remembrance Day, we are highlighting the Community Foundation’s Portraits of Honour Bursary.
This bursary was created nearly 10 years ago to demonstrate community support for reservist members of military units who are undergoing training courses offered by the Canadian Armed Forces. The bursary provides financial support to help offset some of the personal and family costs arising from the considerable time commitment required by these training courses. It reflects a keen understanding that this type of training contributes directly to the success of the central Alberta community as it enables valuable leadership and technical training opportunities for our serving military citizens.
On a practical level, this bursary acknowledges that reservists serve in a part-time capacity and have significant other full-time employment and family responsibilities which are often impacted by this commitment to technical training and leadership development.
“I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been approved for the Portraits of Honour bursary for two career-critical training courses with the Canadian Armed Forces,” said Jason Taylor, recent Portraits of Honour Bursary recipient. “Having been able to complete these courses with the financial burden significantly reduced was critical in my success while on course, and my ability to transition back into civilian life with ease.”
“These military courses, not only critical for my career progression as an Artillery Officer, have changed my life for the better, and would not have been possible without the Portraits of Honour Bursary” said Taylor.
The Portraits of Honour Bursary was founded as a legacy of the Portraits of Honour Fund, established through the financial support of central Albertans to the 2012 Portraits of Honour Tour, which honoured Canadians who lost their lives in active military service during the Afghan war.
As part of our commitment to ensure that charities in central Alberta receive consistent funding, the Red Deer & District Community Foundation had a busy summer of coordinating disbursement cheques to charities with designated funds.
The total amount of funds returned to community agencies through designated disbursements in 2022 is just over $190,000.00, distributed to 47 organizations. This money is generated by the interest on designated funds, meaning that charities receive disbursement cheques each year, guaranteeing sustainable, long-term funding.
Charities with designated funds are found across all areas including arts and culture, health and wellness, human services, recreation, sports, education, and environmental sectors. Funds are started by agencies themselves, or by individuals looking to make an impact in a certain area, or for a specific charity. The primary benefit of these funds is that disbursements happen annually, providing a steady source of funding for the receiving agency.
“The Community Foundation is focused on helping charities move more towards financial sustainability,” said Erin Peden, Executive Director of the Red Deer & District Community Foundation. “We are so proud of the fact that these endowments are making huge impact year after year by putting tens of thousands of dollars back into this community. It’s a thrill to administer these cheques each year, knowing that these disbursements are helping the Community Foundation to fulfil our mission of strengthening the quality of life in Red Deer and surrounding areas.”
Examples of disbursement recipients include the Legacy Land Trust Endowment, which distributed over $10,000 for conservation efforts, as well as the Care for Kids fund, which distributed over $15,000 to cover children, youth, and family fees in order to increase accessibility for city programs and facilities.
Anyone interested in learning more about designated funds is encouraged to contact Erin Peden at the Red Deer & District Community Foundation.
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Red Deer & District Community Foundation Receives Prestigious Grantmaker of the Year Award
Portraits of Honour Bursary
This week, in honour of Remembrance Day, we are highlighting the Community Foundation’s Portraits of Honour Bursary. This bursary was created nearly 10 years ago to demonstrate community support for reservist members of military units who are undergoing training courses offered by the Canadian Armed Forces. The bursary provides financial support to help offset some […]
Red Deer & District Community Foundation Disburses Over $191,000 to Local Agencies
As part of our commitment to ensure that charities in central Alberta receive consistent funding, the Red Deer & District Community Foundation had a busy summer of coordinating disbursement cheques to charities with designated funds. The total amount of funds returned to community agencies through designated disbursements in 2022 is just over $190,000.00, distributed to […]