Lethbridge, AB (Monday, May 16, 2022) — Today, the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta is pleased to announce the recipients of grants awarded as the result of the spring call for applications to the Community Priorities Fund and the Henry S. Varley Fund for Rural Life. These grants will support forty-two projects from organizations throughout Southwestern Alberta with over $460,000 in funding.
The Community Priorities Granting Program is awarding over $310,000 to thirty-four projects. Funded by the endowment of the same name, this granting program is the Community Foundation’s oldest and largest, supporting charities and organizations that are working to address the needs of the day throughout Southwestern Alberta. As the Community Foundation’s granting programs are made possible entirely through donor support, individual fund holders also contribute importantly to these grants. Field of Interest Funds, established by donors to support a cause or area meaningful to them, provided over $59,000 to ten projects.
The Henry S. Varley Fund for Rural Life is awarding $82,000 to eight projects. Established by a bequest from Pincher Creek-area rancher Bill Long, and named in memory of his uncle, this granting program funds projects and initiatives that enhance quality of life for residents of rural Southwestern Alberta. Field of Interest Funds provided just over $7,300 to one project
“We are always excited to be able to support our community with our grants programs,” says Charleen Davidson, Executive Director at the Community Foundation. “This year, we received several applications that create new or improve existing community spaces, and foster inclusion and accessibility. It’s an honour for us to support this important work, because it all helps build the vitality of our community.”
These grants support important projects and initiatives aimed at improving quality of life throughout Southwestern Alberta, notably by improving IT software and network upgrades for community groups, performing necessary renovations and repairs, enhancing spaces for safe community gathering, providing tools for improved learning opportunities, and increasing capacity for the delivery of social services, to name a few. Click here for a list of grant recipients and a brief grant description.
About the Community Foundation
It’s right there in our name: community. For over 55 years, building a strong, vibrant, and inclusive Southwestern Alberta has been the motivation behind our work. We connect generous donors with causes that are close to their hearts, which helped us award $1.3 million in grant funding throughout our region in 2021. Learn more about us at www.cflsa.ca.
