Grants from Greenest City Fund near $1 million mark

February 4, 2014

Today the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Foundation announced the community grant recipients of the second cycle of the Greenest City Fund …

Today the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Foundation announced the community grant recipients of the second cycle of the Greenest City Fund, which will help support projects related to the City’s greenest city goals. The fund has distributed nearly $1 million of the earmarked $2 million in funding toward environmental sustainability projects throughout Vancouver.

“The Greenest City Fund is building community capacity that supports our greenest city goals, and the public’s response to this popular program has been tremendous,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “It is inspiring to see so many residents, especially young people, taking action to help make Vancouver the greenest city in the world by 2020.”

The Greenest City Fund was created April 2012, with the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Foundation contributing $1 million each to start the fund. Since launching, the fund has made grants totaling $933,000 in support for 286 projects that reinforce the City’s Greenest City Action Plan.

“One of the real benefits of the Greenest City Fund is that it provides an opportunity for the entire community to be involved,” said Kevin McCort, President and CEO of Vancouver Foundation. “We hope that 2014 will bring even more interest in the Greenest City Action Plan so that we can continue to raise awareness about the value of grass roots sustainable projects that engage and inspire residents.”

The Greenest City Fund is comprised of three granting programs: Generation Green Grants, which fund youth-led projects; Greenest City Neighbourhood Small Grants, which fund projects created by Vancouver residents that benefit their neighbourhood; and Greenest City Community Grants, which fund Vancouver projects led by community-based charitable organizations. The Fund is administered by the Vancouver Foundation.

The 136 Greenest City Fund projects approved in the second cycle include an Indigenous Welcome Garden at Templeton Park Pool to help Aboriginal families learn more about traditional native foods and medicines, and a collaborative community garden at the Kitsilano Neighbourhood House.

The Greenest City Fund is a four-year, $2 million fund for community-led green projects that support Vancouver’s Greenest City 2020 Action Plan goals. The first of the Greenest City Fund application deadlines for 2014 begins February 21. For information on application deadlines or this year’s projects visit www.vancouverfoundation.ca/greenestcityfund.

Following is a breakdown, by category, of the projects supported by the Greenest City Fund in 2013, with links to the full list of recipients:

Generation Green Grants

Support youth-led projects reviewed by Vancouver Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Council (YPC), a volunteer advisory committee composed of youth age 14-24.

8 applications were received, and 7 projects were supported, totaling $50,500.

Greenest City Neighbourhood Small Grants

Support neighbourhood-based projects created by residents.

151 applications were received, and 117 projects were supported, totaling $64,702.

Greenest City Community Grants

Support green programs developed by charitable organizations.

40 applications were received, and 12 projects supported, totaling $279,943.

For more information on the Greenest City Fund visit: https://www.vancouverfoundation.ca/initiatives/greenest-city-fund

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Media contacts:

City of Vancouver Corporate Communications

604.871.6336 media@vancouver.ca