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Canada Post gives back to youth

Grants available from Canada Post Community Foundation
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Sooke’s Post Master Nancy Low and colleague Lori Jeyes display the Canada Post Community Foundation poster.

Did you know there is money available for special community and school projects that benefit children up to age 21?

Parent Advisory Committees, schools, and local non-profits, if you have a project in mind that can positively impact youth, there might be funding available through the Canada Post Community (CPC) Foundation.

According to Lori Jeyes who works at the Sooke post office, the Canada Post Community Foundation has raised over $8.4 million, Canada-wide, since it’s inception in 2007.

“Nancy Low the Postmaster at the Sooke Post Office and her team would like to let all the organizations, associations, non-profit organizations and the community know about the grants available to help out the children in our community,” writes Jeyes in communication. “The money raised from the CPC Foundation goes right back out to the communities 100 per cent with the grants that are provided.”

This year alone, $1.5 million in grants went to 109 organizations throughout Canada.

The CPC Foundation is a two-phased undertaking. The first phase is to collect funds each year, and the second is to return the money to community programs.

There are a few ways to contribute to the foundation: through the current fundraising drive, through ongoing donations, and by purchasing select stamps.

Funds are raised by donation at each post office, and this year the fund-raising drive has run from Sept. 30 to Nov. 2. There is still an opportunity to contribute to foundation through the Sooke post office. If you want to donate monthly, or give money outside of this window, visit their website at http://www.canadapost.ca/ and click the Donate Now! button.

Alternatively, the post office is also selling special stamps dedicated to the cause. The post office sells premium Community Foundation stamps (pictured) that include a $0.10 surcharge on each stamp. This money is directly donated to the foundation.

The second phase, the distribution of the funds, is a bit longer. In February, there’s  call for applications, and the deadline for these is in April. The applications are reviewed over the summer and successful recipients announced in September.

And while it seems like too far into the future to be a concern, non-profit and charitable organizations should be setting their sights on applying for the grants. It’s free money for those whose grant applications are selected.

According to their Website (http://www.canadapost.ca/community, under Grants >Areas of Concentration), preferred grant recipients are those with projects that emphasize lasting change, education, health and safety, and special needs for children (up to age 21) and their families. Eligible organizations are register charities, non-profits and schools. Aboriginal communities are also encouraged to apply.