The Community Foundation's office in Lethbridge (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

Community Foundation announces $375,000 in grant funding for COVID-19 response

Mar 30, 2020 | 12:11 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta is helping the region get through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The organization has announced $375,000 in grant funding to support the community response to the coronavirus. In order to provide this funding, the foundation is shifting the Community Priorities, Henry S. Varley Fund for Rural Life and Youth in Action grant for spring 2020.

Executive Director Charleen Davidson said the money will help frontline charities most affected by the pandemic in four priority areas: food, shelter, health care, and families with children.

A survey has been launched to give the Community Foundation a better understanding of how charities are being affected. That survey can be accessed here.

“Depending on what we see as the evolving need throughout this pandemic, that’s where we’ll shift those priorities. We do have a committee that will review the applications…and the committee will basically rate those applications to determine that they fit the priorities and that’s where we feel the money needs to go,” she told Lethbridge News Now.

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Applications for the funding is now open and can be done via cflsa.fluidreview.com, with the deadline for the first round of funding being Friday, April 17.

Davidson noted that $375,000 isn’t necessarily a lot of money, so community members are invited to chip in, if they can.

“All money that comes into it will go right back into the community, it’s not going into our endowment, we’re not charging any administration fee on that, but really, applicants can apply for what they feel they need and we’ll review that,” she said.

She said dealing with COVID-19 is a team effort, and the foundation is encouraged by support local groups have already received.

“We know that Cor Van Raay gave $100,000 to help the food banks regionally, that’s fantastic. We’re anticipating [that] they’re [the food banks] not going to be coming in immediately, so that’s going to free up some of our money to go to folks who aren’t necessarily getting support from others,” she said.

“We are very proud to be able to support our community with this grant program. The money that we’re using has always been intended to support the most pressing needs of the day, and these are the most pressing needs of the day in this pandemic right now.”

For more details on the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta, visit cflsa.ca.