Waterloo Region Community Foundation grants $296,000 to local women, girls, Two-Spirit and Gender-Diverse-led and serving organizations
WATERLOO REGION, ON — Today, Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF) announced funding totalling $296,000 to 12 local organizations leading initiatives to support women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse individuals working towards a future grounded in equity, inclusion and justice. $280,000 of the total funding is through the Fund for Gender Equality (the Fund), with an additional $16,000 being provided through WRCF Fundholders. This initiative is part of a partnership with Community Foundations of Canada, funded through the Government of Canada. WRCF is one of 21 local community foundations from coast to coast to coast that are taking part. In total, these community foundations are granting over $3.4M towards the gender equality movement.
“We are thrilled to support these organizations who are working on the ground to advance gender equality in our community,” said Eric Avner, President & CEO, Waterloo Region Community Foundation. “Investing in their work and this movement is key to supporting women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse individuals who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Together, we can work towards a just recovery by tackling systemic issues like racism, wage inequality, and gender-based violence. Along with the other 20 participating community foundations, we are committed to creating lasting systems-change in philanthropy.”
This funding spans a variety of purposes, including efforts to pilot new initiatives, to address long-standing community needs, or to support a just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiatives themselves may touch on a wide range of areas that are affected by gender equality, including food insecurity, income inequality, racial injustice, domestic violence, and many more. In particular, the Fund prioritizes initiatives that are ‘self-led’—those that are led by the same groups that they focus on serving.
“Community organizations led by and dedicated to supporting women, girls, gender-diverse and Two-Spirit individuals are at the centre of the movement towards gender equality and equity,” said Andrea Dicks, Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) President. “While this can feel daunting at times, these organizations demonstrate tenacity, resiliency and hope as they shift power. To create communities of true belonging and to recover from the pandemic, we must advance gender equality across the country. We’re grateful for the financial support from the Government of Canada and the leadership of Waterloo Region Community Foundationwho is taking part in these efforts.”
A list of organizations that received funding is included below:
African Women's Alliance of Waterloo Region
Ayr Rockets Hockey Team
CIDO (Canadian International Development Organization)
Coalition of Muslim Women of KW
Community Justice Initiatives
Pat the Dog Theatre Creations
Porchlight Counselling and Addiction Services
Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region
Shelter Movers Waterloo Region
SHORE Centre
Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region
YW Kitchener-Waterloo
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About Waterloo Region Community Foundation
Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF) collaborates with partners to create sustainable, equitable and thriving communities. We connect regionally and locally, working with three cities and four townships – to include the people and places across our region. Together, we develop forward-thinking innovative solutions and seize opportunities to meet current and future needs of our community. We make philanthropy easy for individuals and companies to support organizations and issues they care about. WRCF is focused on Granting, Impact Investing and Convening to make measurable and sustainable impacts. Gifts are directed to WRCF's endowed funds that drive positive change through grants with the income generated being distributed in partnership with Fundholders to support a wide range of charitable causes within our community. A portion of the endowed funds are also used for impact investments that deliver both financial returns as well as positive social or environmental outcomes. As a leading community-building organization we also work to amplify voices and issues of importance by convening conversations and sharing information, while approaching our work with an equity mindset. www.wrcf.ca
For additional information about this release or to schedule an interview, please contact:
Lynne Short
Vice President, Waterloo Region Community Foundation
519-725-1806 x 204
lynne@wrcf.ca
