United Way NWT will provide $170,000 to 21 non-profits throughout the Northwest Territories in 2017.
The funding will come from the charitable organization’s Community Investment Fund. Every year, the amount of funding it distributes is generally determined by donations made through workplace giving campaigns.
United Way NWT says the number of applications for its grant program increased by almost 50 per cent this year to reach $285,000.
The number of applications from outside Yellowknife also rose.
“We were excited to be able to provide grants to non-profits in communities that we haven’t been able to invest in yet,” said United Way NWT chair Tracy St-Denis.
“Donors from every region of the Northwest Territories donate to the United Way through their workplace charitable campaigns, so it will be meaningful for them to see money going to every corner of the NWT.”
Non-profits in Aklavik, Inuvik, Fort Providence, Fort Smith, Hay River, Ndilo, Yellowknife and Wrigley were approved for funding.
You can find a full list of organizations that were approved below:
- Food Rescue Yellowknife (multi-year recipient)
- Aklavik Indian Band
- Community Garden Society of Inuvik
- Ecology North
- Food First Foundation
- Fort Smith Ecumenical Group Soup Kitchen/Food Bank
- Girl Guides of Canada Yellowknife
- Hay River Committee for Persons with Disabilities
- Ingamo Hall Friendship Centre
- Inuvik Emergency Warming Centre Society
- Inuvik Food Bank
- Inuvik Homeless Shelter Advisory Board
- Inuvik Youth Centre Society
- K’alemi Dene School Cubs
- Keeper’s Program – Deh Gah Elementary and Secondary Schools
- Northern Youth Leadership
- Pehdzeh Ki First Nations
- Hay River Soup Kitchen
- Yellowknife Association for Community Living
- Yellowknife Women’s Society
- YWCA of NWT
Last year, United Way NWT introduced a multi-year funding project whereby it commits $15,000 to a single organization every year for three years.
The successful organization this year is Yellowknife Food Rescue.
Hay River’s soup kitchen, Yellowknife Association for Community Living receive funding
For Laura Rose, long-time president and volunteer with Hay River’s soup kitchen, $7,500 in funding from United Way NWT is ‘hugely’ appreciated.
“On days when we’re busy and have school kids coming in here, we can easily feed 50 to 60 people a day,” she said.
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“Getting any kind of help is really hugely appreciated because everybody knows what’s happening with the price of groceries. Everything is going up and up and it’s really hard to make ends meet.”
Rose says the funding will help the soup kitchen cover utilities and groceries costs.
In the capital, the Yellowknife Association for Community Living will receive $7,000 in funding.
Executive director Lynn Elkin says the non-profit will use the ‘flexible’ funding to provide more community inclusion activities for teens and young adults.
“This United Way funding helps us to engage people who might not otherwise be able to participate in certain things because they need a little extra help,” she said.
