Seven charities that are leading initiatives to support women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse individuals working towards a future grounded in equity, inclusion and justice will receive $200,000 in funding from the Oakville Community Foundation.
The funding is through the Fund for Gender Equality (the Fund). This initiative is part of a partnership with Community Foundations of Canada, funded through the Government of Canada.
The Oakville Community Foundation is one of 21 local community foundations that are participating. In total, the community foundations are granting over $3.4M towards the gender equality movement.
Local charities receiving funding for their continuing work in the gender equity space:
- Big Brothers, Big Sisters, $30,000.00 - Girls Linking Our World (GLOW) and Healthy Education and Relationship Teaching (HEART)
- Black Mentorship Inc., $20,000.00 - Moms Empowered
- Halton Women’s Place, $40,000.00 - Decreasing Barriers
- Home Suite Hope, $31,200.00 - Homeward Bound Halton
- SAVIS (Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Services), $40,000.00 - Broaden Reach to Support Gender-Based Violence
- Shifra Homes, $10,000.00 - Residential Program
- The Women’s Centre of Halton, $28,800.00 - Employ and Empower: 6-Week Employment Skills Series
In determining these grants, The Foundation is grateful for the work of the Gender Equity Review Task Force: Samantha Cheung, Lois Thomas, Hailey Francis and Megan Badenhorst.
The Foundation has funded organizations demonstrating a long-term commitment to empowering women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people through their mission, activities, or partnerships.
This funding spans a variety of purposes, including efforts to pilot new initiatives, address long-standing community needs, or support a just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Foundation previously distributed $50,000 as part of the Pilot Fund for Gender Equality and another $140,000 in the first cohort of the Fund for Gender Equality. These projects and charitable organizations are available here.
"The Oakville Community Foundation is thrilled to support these seven gender-equity-serving charities," said Frances Pace, Director of Fundholder and Community Engagement for the Oakville Community Foundation.
"We know that investing in women and gender equity is not just the right thing to do, it is a strategic choice, and we are committed to creating lasting change in philanthropy by writing gender equality into our investment practices."
"Community organizations led by and dedicated to supporting women, girls, gender-diverse and Two-Spirit individuals are at the centre of the movement towards gender equality and equity," said Andrea Dicks, Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) President.
"While this can feel daunting at times, these organizations demonstrate tenacity, resiliency and hope as they shift power. To create communities of true belonging and to recover from the pandemic, we must advance gender equality across the country."
"We’re grateful for the financial support from the Government of Canada and the leadership of the Oakville Community Foundation, who is taking part in these efforts."