The City’s Grant in Aid program is being administered by the Comox valley community foundation. The City is contributing to the foundation's grant program and applications for funding can be made directly to the Comox Valley Community Foundation. 

City of Courtenay Grant-in-Aid 2023/24 Recipients

This year, the Comox Valley Community Foundation (CVCF) distributed $536,116 to 51 organizations through its granting programs. The following list summarizes the ten community service organizations that received a combination of CVCF and Grant-in-Aid Funding. The project description provides a snapshot of the project’s purpose. More detail can be provided upon request.

Q & A: Community Granting Programs

The following information is offered to provide a general understanding of how granting services are achieved through Community Foundation programs. Granting across diverse community needs can be complex and may vary with unique cases. If you have specific questions related to granting, please contact us at office@cvcfoundation.org.

When were applicants invited to apply?
From August 14 – September 21, community service organizations in the Comox Valley were invited to apply directly online through the Community Foundation’s website. Applicant inquiries were supported by our Community Engagement Manager who administers and coordinates all annual granting programs.

Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility for grants is guided by Canada Revenue Agency and detailed on our website at cvcfoundation.org. In addition, the Foundation establishes two-year granting priorities to support a granting decisions framework. These priority areas are informed via community listening initiatives that include but are not limited to community research, focus groups, and surveys. In 2023/24, four priorities guided the distribution of funding for the Community Enrichment Grants program: 1) mental health & connection, 2) food systems & security, 3) arts, culture & heritage, 4) indigenous-led and benefitting initiatives. Three additional priorities were served separately through other granting streams: 1) environment, climate & conservation, 2) adults with diverse abilities, and 3) housing security/homelessness supports.

How are applicants selected?
Community-based granting models support our Granting programs. For example, our Grants Review Task Force, comprised of up to eight community members, serves as an advisory team to review, discuss, and consensus rank applications. Evaluation is based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to impact as it relates to the granting priorities, financial sustainability of the organization, accountability measures, and more.

How were the funding amounts determined?
Upon completion of the ranking, Community Foundation staff work in cooperation with the Task Force to ensure alignment with specific purpose funding and open funds. In the case of Grant-in-Aid, there were several ways to approach assigning funds. The criteria set out in the MOU were broad and inclusive, making allocation to eligible applications very easy. A threshold of $5,000 was set as a solution to meet the requirement that “the project/activity must benefit the entire community (all ages all groups)”. Going forward, opportunity exists for Mayor and Council to refine criteria, if desired, to achieve specific granting outcomes.

What’s next?
Late April, grant recipients are celebrated in the Comox Valley Record. May, program evaluations and community input inform the coming year’s granting priorities. And June is the participation timeline to renew granting services for 2024/25.