FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 11, 2020 Edmonton, AB:
Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF) has granted a combined total of $1,050,150 to support local charities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Edmontonians’ generosity never ceases to amaze us,” Martin Garber-Conrad, ECF’s CEO says. “Thanks to numerous donors we have had an immediate positive impact on Edmonton’s most vulnerable communities, including children, seniors and people facing barriers to services that many of us take for granted.”
Recently, funding from ECF has helped to support socially vulnerable children in the All in for Youth program—assisting them with their online learning and the whole family with essential information and support. This is also a good example of collaborative funding, shared between ECF, the United Way of Alberta Capital Region and two private foundations.
Funding from ECF has also enabled women and their families to remotely access counselling services from YWCA Edmonton. More than 300 seniors and low-income families will receive dinners from the Arabian Muslim Association. And low-income families will be able to get their kids’ bikes fixed at Sport Central. You can find a list of all COVID-19 related grants from ECF here.
ECF began its strategic COVID-19 granting on March 19. On March 25, the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund (RRF) was established with $500,000 of ECF’s discretionary dollars. The fund has been able to doubled its impact thanks to generous donors and community partners. For example, Capital Power provided a significant boost to the RRF by matching employee donations to the fund.
ECF’s ability to help charities during the pandemic has been aided by the Government of Alberta’s $2 million donation matching program. Donations made to the COVID-19 RRF before May 31 are eligible for matching by the Province. This increases the value of all contributions and expands ECF’s ability to support local charities.
“Edmonton’s charitable sector will continue to face challenges even as the province begins re-opening,” Garber-Conrad says. “ECF will be here for immediate support and for the long-term.”
While ECF is pleased to reach the million-dollar threshold, local charities can still benefit from more support. Though ECF is not actively fundraising for the COVID-19 RRF, individuals who wish to help in this way are invited to contribute here.
-30-
Media contact:
Martin Garber-Conrad, CEO, Edmonton Community Foundation martin@ecfoundation.org
780.426.0015 x103
