Wheatland County ’s Post

Grant $$ available to Maryland Small Business Owners! Through $10 million in small business and community development grants, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development plans to target investments to activate vacant spaces in business corridors and support small businesses with start up or expansion funds while creating jobs and increasing local economic activity. There are two paths that the grant funding can be accessed: economic development entities can apply for Project Restore 2.0, which will incentivize commercial investment in downtowns, Main Streets and other business districts by providing funding for entities to subgrant to businesses. Or eligible new and expanding small businesses in designated Sustainable Communities can apply for funding directly through Business Boost. https://lnkd.in/e-AYvsMX

The CFEK Communities Committee recently met to review a number of great applications from across our region and had the tough decision of choosing three nonprofits to receive $5,000 each to support their Community Economic Development (CED) projects. Congratulations to: 🎉 Golden Community Economic Development 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. This project aims to engage the community of Golden and CSRD in visioning what the Kicking Horse River (from the mouth of the canyon to the confluence with the Columbia River) would best look like 10-15 years from now, thereby enhancing the community's connection to the river. 🎉𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲. This role aims to unite nonprofits and create a community hub for RDEK AREA B, thereby fostering collaboration, understanding community needs for projects and services, and addressing service gaps. 🎉𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝗶𝗱𝘀' 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗛𝘂𝗯 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆. This study will investigate the opportunities of using space at the Mountainview School in Sparwood to increase the number of full-time day-care spaces for those under 5, support before and after school care, provide offices for child support services and also allow space for other community programs to use. We look forward to sharing more about these great community-led projects in the coming months. 😃 #CommunityFutures #CFEK #EastKootenays #GoldenBC #JaffrayBC #SparwoodBC #EconomicDevelopmentGrant #Grant #CED #Community #VibrantRuralCommunities #Rural

The Department of Rural and Community Development has launched the Community Support Fund, with a national allocation of €7 million. This fund will support community and voluntary groups in disadvantaged areas. Donegal County Council and the Donegal Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) are inviting applications from Community groups in disadvantaged areas for funding under the Local Enhancement Programme for running costs and/or Capital expenditure. Further information available at: https://lnkd.in/etFZQy3t #DonegalItsInOurDNA #IrelandsDNA

Ontario Accepting Applications for Senior Community Grants Funding will support community groups that deliver programs for Ontarians 55+ Brockville – Steve Clark, MPP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousands Islands and Rideau Lakes, announced today that applications are now being accepted for the 2025-26 Ontario Seniors Community Grant Program which supports local community groups and not-for-profit organizations to deliver programs and learning opportunities for Ontarians aged 55+. https://lnkd.in/gGc5FkX9

Governor Kristi Noem has awarded $920,000 for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to fund community improvement projects in Wagner. Full press release: https://bit.ly/3W0Xbld

Funding success for Stromness Community Development Trust with £138,054 awarded for the purchase of the Stromness Community Centre. The Stromness Community Centre was initially highlighted as a priority by the community during the ‘What’s Next for Stromness’ consultations, this led to the Trust investigating the possibility of community ownership. The process began in 2022, with funding for the feasibility study and conceptual designs awarded by Scottish Land Fund Stage 1, Orkney Islands Council Community Development Fund and Community Led Local Development Fund. Kristopher Bevan Bevan, Chair, Stromness Community Development Trust, said “Stromness Community Development Trust is delighted to have secured a Scottish Land Fund grant to purchase Stromness Community Centre. The community centre is a vital asset for a range of community groups. We want to develop and improve the centre to provide a fit for purpose facility which will support existing Community Centre users as well as welcome new users, activities and events.”

CFHC recently issued Mini Grants to three organizations from component funds of CFHC. Most of the grants were made from the Hancock County Community Development Fund, which helps support long-term solutions; respond quickly to emergencies; and meet changing social, cultural, educational, and environmental needs in our local community.

For too long, community development finance has fallen prey to market conservatism, prioritizing scale over social mission and uniformity over community-tailored solutions. But a different model is sprouting up that empowers community voice, prioritizes equity, and responds flexibly to local needs. Community development experts David Fukuzawa, Nancy Andrews, and Rebecca Steinitz take readers from Appalachia to Coachella to understand this dawning revolution: “Taking community development impacts to scale requires high-volume capital deployment and the conservative risk thresholds that attract and retain private, public, and philanthropic investors. The result is a virtuous cycle of expanding capital, expanding deployment, and broader reach. Yet it is increasingly clear that to achieve the impacts it seeks, community investment needs to better address the roadblocks of structural and systemic racism, local complexities, and overly restrictive views of philanthropic leverage and investment.” Read the full story in SSIR’s new winter issue: https://lnkd.in/eaYGbpgk

A must read for those looking at transformative and systemic changes: "Patient, flexible leadership and funding will be needed for the field of community development finance to evolve from the principles of market, scale, and self-sufficiency and fulfill its promise of increasing equity and opportunity in historically disadvantaged communities. Philanthropy will be essential for this move, but so will public and private developers, other public- and private-sector partners, and, most important, the empowered community residents and organizations who will be in the driver’s seat."

Carefully crafted grantmaking strategies are at the heart of a private foundation's efforts—whether fostering community development, sponsoring education, or supporting sustainability. These strategies ensure effective resource allocation and meaningful change while embodying the foundation's mission. To optimize impact and comply with tax laws, it's important for foundations to thoughtfully develop and refine their approaches. #PrivateFoundations #Grantmaking