Niesje Vanden Dool accepts a $7,000 grant from Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta director Anne Stevick on behalf of the F.P. Walshe school fund-raising program.
Fort Macleod and district organizations shared in more than $437,000 in funding Wednesday from the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta.
The foundation provided grants to support 43 projects and initiatives through its spring application cycle.
“We are all very excited about this round of grants,” community foundation executive director Charleen Davidson said. “For many reasons, but in part because this was our first in-house grants celebration since the COVID-19 pandemic — the last one being December 2019. We’re delighted to welcome the community of southwestern Alberta back into our office.”
The grants were presented Wednesday at the foundation office in Lethbridge.
The foundation’s Community Priorities Fund provided $266,875 to projects from 36 organizations.
This funding is made possible by private, unrestricted donations given generously by supporters of the foundation over the past five decades.
Additionally, 11 of these grants received a total of $59,600 from various field of interest funds, which provide support to successful applications that meet specific criteria determined by the donors.
The Henry S. Varley Fund for Rural Life provided $84,950 to seven projects, with two of those projects receiving a combined $18,500 from field of interest funds.
This fund, established from a bequest by Pincher Creek-area rancher Bill Long and named to honour the memory of his uncle, supports projects whose purpose is to sustain a high quality of life for residents of rural southwestern Alberta.
The F.P. Walshe school fund-raising program received $7,000 to help build an accessible, outdoor stage and learning space.
The Fort Macleod and District Allied Arts Council received $5,890 to create a new art gallery and storefront space to showcase local artists.
The MD of Willow Creek Library Board received $14,000 to renovate the front room of the Granum Library into a functional multi-use space.
The Shinah House Foundation in Fort Macleod received $14,000 to build and furnish a sensory room for residents.
The Rural Development Network and Fort Macleod Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) received $20,000 to gather and analyze rural-specific homelessness data, as well as produce strategies to address rural housing insecurity.
