In response to COVID-19, a new funding stream is available to support sustainability and resilience for the charitable sector. This collaborative partnership, led by United Way, will fund entrepreneurial coaching and support for charities, focused on building sustainability in four key areas: revenue, operations, people and impact.
Coaching and Support for Charities Impacted by COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the charitable sector and this funding stream aims to respond directly to emerging and shifting sustainability needs of charities. Successful applicants to the fund will receive one-time grant funding for customized coaching and support through Purppl’s Resilience & Recovery Program. Purppl helps social purpose organizations build financial resilience and improve their impact.
The Sustainable Recovery Grant is an adaptation of the pre-existing Social Enterprise Accelerator Fund for 2020, continuing with the same shared goal of supporting the capacity and long-term sustainability of charities in the Southern Interior region of BC. This new fund stream is a partnership between United Way South Interior BC, Interior Savings, Community Foundation of the North Okanagan, Community Foundation of the South Okanagan I Similkameen, and Valley First, a Division of First West Credit Union.
During this time of heightened need, it is even more important that we partner together to collectively provide leadership in our communities. This includes convening to rebuild and ensure sustainability of the charitable sector in the communities we serve. The Sustainable Recovery Grant allows us to set our sights on COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts to support the resilience of our charity partners.
– Kahir Lalji, Executive Director, United Way SIBC
Organization Eligibility Criteria
- Registered charity, with preference given to charities with social enterprise initiatives
- Facing challenges or opportunities in one or more of the four sustainability focus areas (revenue, operations, people, impact)
- Must have at least one paid staff position
- Located within the geographic boundaries of the United Way Southern Interior BC (Central Okanagan, South Okanagan Similkameen, North Okanagan Columbia, Shuswap)
- Able to contribute $150-300 per month to program costs for the duration of the program
Sustainability Focus Areas
- Revenue: Build, refine, and grow a sustainable revenue model. Develop marketing strategies to tell your story.
- Operations: Improve capacity and operational efficiency. Evolve products, services, or technology to meet changing demands.
- People: Strengthen teams, culture, and leadership. Establish objectives, key results, accountability, and focus.
- Impact: Define your desired community impact, develop steps to get there, measure progress, and communicate the journey.
Eligible charities are invited to submit a short application to the Sustainable Recovery Grant via the United Way SIBC website. The deadline to apply is Friday May 29th 2020 at 5:00pm. Successful applicants will be notified in late June 2020.
For more information on the grant, contact Reanne Holden-Amadio, Manager of Community Investment with the United Way at reanne@unitedwaysibc.com.
