HIGH RIVER, AB: Council accepted the Community Donations Advisory Committee’s (CDAC) recommendations to proceed with a fourth round of grant funding from the High River Disaster Relief Fund at the Monday, Sept. 14 meeting.
“This approach will give boards and committees the chance to identify community needs and engage in meaningful projects to enhance High River,” said Bev Warner, chair of CDAC. “The committee is looking for projects that strengthen neighbourhoods, engage people in community building, build community pride and resilience, and help High River to be a strong and beautiful place to live, work and play.”
The approximately $220,000 remaining funds will be made available as grants to active council-appointed boards and committees that meet the following criteria:
- Demonstrate significant community impact.
- Demonstrate a community and funding need.
- Focus on community improvements and enhancements.
- Demonstrate a strong focus on civic engagement and on building: community, resilience, and pride.
- Where possible, optimize matching grants, corporate sponsorship, and/or community partnerships.
- Be sustainable, in that ongoing operational dollars are either not required or are otherwise covered.
“The broad and diverse range of boards and committees will ensure that the community is well represented,” says Warner. “As always, if any members of the public have ideas for projects they would like to see, they are encouraged to connect with one of the boards and committees.”
There will be a grant application period open to active council-appointed boards and committees with a deadline of December 31, 2015. After this period, the Community Donations Advisory Committee will present their recommendations to council at the January 25, 2016 council meeting.
To date over $800,000 has been distributed back into the community through grants focused on flood renewal and recovery projects.