Canadian charitable and non-profit organizations are on the frontlines. Their services are now in high demand as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and they are offering more than before with limited donations and volunteers.
In a bid to provide financial support for these organizations, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Honourable Ahmed Hussen announced that non-profit organizations and charities requiring financial assistance to tackle the pandemic can request for funding as from May 19, 2020.
The Government of Canada has expressed its pleasure to work with the Canadian Red Cross, the United Way Centraide Canada and the Community Foundations of Canada to avail the $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund. Each of these trusted partners will post eligibility criteria information and how to apply on its website.
Community-based organizations in Canada will be able to apply for fund to support activities like:
Increasing volunteer-based home deliveries of groceries and medications.
Provision of transportation services; scaling up help lines that provide information and support.
Provision of training, supplies and other required supports to volunteers so they can continue to make their invaluable contributions to the COVID-19 response.
Replacement of in-person, one-on-one contact and social gatherings with virtual contact via phone calls, texts, teleconferences or the Internet.
The Minister also announced that the Government of Canada is advancing in investing $25 million with the space of five years to help Black community organizations. As part of this extra investment, grassroots organizations will be afforded the opportunity of applying for grants of not more than $100,000 in late spring to put in place want is needed in a bid to serve Black Canadian communities better.
The federal government also plans to work with Le Initiative, Tropicana Community Services and the Black Business Initiative to facilitate disbursement of investments. Once these organizations are fully established as intermediaries, they will commence their own funding calls to seek proposals from grassroots organizations from all over Canada for organizational capacity building projects before the year ends.
