Airdrie not-for-profit organizations and neighbourhood associations interested in 2017 Community Investment Funds (CIF) should mark a few upcoming dates on their calendars as deadlines are quickly approaching.
“(CIF funding), I think, allows the opportunity for local groups to provide something that enhances the quality of life in Airdrie,” said Pauline Clark, social planner with the City of Airdrie. “It’s really about bringing the community together through different functions that highlight all those core pieces that we look at that makes a community thrive.”
CIF funding is essential in executing many annual popular events – from AIRSCARES to the Airdrie Festival of Lights, events small and large utilize the funds to co-ordinate and pull off annual events.
Three tiers of funding – neighbourhood, small-scale festivals and large-scale festival – comprise available options for applicants. According to Crystal Zeemel, events and volunteer co-ordinator with the Boys and Girls Club of Airdrie, the funding helped make this year’s AIRSCARES the most successful yet.
“It’s a huge help. The majority of our dollars are fundraising dollars,” she said. “So that grant gives us a little boost to do advertising and get our name out to the community and bring people to AIRSCARES.
“We’ve done (AIRSCARES) in the past without the funding and it was hard. Now, we can utilize the funding – this was the first year we had it. It’s been great.”
For large-scale festivals and events, such as the Airdrie Festival of Lights, CIF funding matches funding up to $15,000 to not-for-profit organizations that have an “established history” of hosting large events.
However, even small neighbourhood organizations can utilize CIF funding for local events. The program provides matching funds up to $500 for initiatives that “bring neighbours together.”
“I think it’s about making that sense of belonging in Airdrie,” Clark said. “It’s allowing our residents to experience different methods of engagement and fun and creating that sense of community.”
An information session is scheduled on March 10 at 6 p.m. at Airdrie City Hall. The deadline for applications for 2017 is April 29. Applications for neighbourhood organizations are accepted year-round, but must be received two weeks prior to the scheduled event.
