Neighbourhood Small Grants program now accepting applications in South Okanagan / Similkameen

Penticton, BC – Community Foundation South Okanagan Similkameen is proud to announce the expansion of the Neighbourhood Small Grants program into the South Okanagan Similkameen regions through co-funding partnerships with Vancouver Foundation and the City of Penticton. Residents in the South Okanagan /Similkameen can apply for a small grant of up to $500 to bring people together and build community in their neighbourhood.

What is a Neighbourhood Small Grant? Neighbourhood Small Grants help connect and engage residents in their community by encouraging them to come up with their own ideas for how their neighbourhood can be strengthened. Small grants of up to $500 are available for projects by local residents (not charities), and the grants are administered through our program partner organizations and resident advisory committee members — all local community volunteers.

Neighbourhood Small Grants applications open on Monday, June 27 and the deadline for applications is Friday, July 29, 2016.

“The purpose of these grants is to bring people closer together, to build a stronger sense of belonging, and to make connections between citizens,” says Executive Director Aaron McRann. “The grants are small because the money is meant to serve as a catalyst for action. The real impact comes from real people doing things that matter for their neighbours. Neighbourhood Small Grants are intended to be ‘Big Enough to Matter and Small Enough to Do’”.

The Neighbourhood Small Grants program was created by the Vancouver Foundation in 1999. The program is based on a simple but powerful idea: when people feel a sense of connection and belonging to their neighbourhood, they are more likely to be engaged in activities that make it a better place to live.
For more information on the Neighbourhood Small Grants program, and to apply online, visit
www.cfso.net