By Brooklyn Galloway
Special to the Record
In the fall of 2021, Comox Valley Child Development Association (CVCDA) was announced as one of 32 recipients of a Comox Valley Community Foundation (CVCF) Community Enrichment Grant.
The 2022 Adults with Diverse Abilities Community Table Grant in the amount of $5,000 was specifically granted to the CVCDA’s Project Inclusion Program following a ‘pitch party’ style application process addressing the Project Inclusion participants’ requests for support of more outdoor and camping-related activities.
With the money, the CVCDA program proposed a collaboration with Courtenay Recreation to offer a week long, summer day camp to take place at Cumberland Campground , July 25-29. The Adaptive Outdoor Summer Skills Camp will host up to 25 registered participants providing leadership and instruction in activities such as canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding along with music and outdoors and camping skills development.
Registration for the course will begin on May 16, through Courtenay Recreation Adapted Programs.
Prior to our application, the CVCDA had been part of conversations hosted by CVCF to understand the needs and priorities of local charitable and not-for-profit organizations in the coming year, as well as to hear our thoughts on the major issues facing the community as a whole.
“We have taken a very deliberate approach to our granting program this year – the pandemic has exacerbated the inequities experienced by many in our community, and we plan to add our support and voice to the many organizations working to address these complex issues,” said Christine Helpard, CVCF’s president. “Our intent is to direct our community’s funds where they are most needed, and we are thankful for the honest and forthright advice we received from individuals who are witnessing first-hand the immense challenges our most vulnerable neighbours continue to face. We are also committed to incorporating principles of community-based decisions and trust-based philanthropy within our granting program.”
In response to what the CVCF heard and to move forward with CVCF’s goals of community-based decision-making and incorporating trust-based philanthropy principles within their granting program, $50,000 of the available funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year were specifically allocated to support recreation and social programming for adults with diverse abilities.
Community enrichment grants through the CVCF are also based on the following principles:
• Innovation where there is demonstrated need, the likelihood of effectiveness, and strong potential to serve as a model to others.
• Partnerships and collaborations to make the best use of limited resources.
• Projects and/or activities that build on the strengths of the community to respond to identified issues and priorities.
• Demonstrated commitment to the project and/or activities through the applicant’s contribution of human and/or financial resources.
• Evidence of significant and appropriate support from other funding sources (including the community).
• Involvement of the target population benefitting from the proposed project/activities in the development, implementation and evaluation of the project/activities.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Realistic plans for longer-term funding for projects and/or activities that will be ongoing after the grant’s completion.
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