FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oakville, Ont., March 29, 2023 – The Golden Horseshoe Partnership, a consortium of eight community foundations and Sheridan College, has awarded $1,138,822 in funding to social purpose organizations as part of the Government of Canada’s Investment Readiness Program (IRP).
The Oakville Community Foundation is the lead partner of the Golden Horseshoe Partnership and thrilled to support local, impactful organizations through the IRP. Local organizations include Accelerate Her Future, a virtual career accelerator by and for Black, Indigenous and racialized women, as well as Accent Distributors Inc. (Planit! Efficiency Solutions), an organization that helps predominantly Black mothers enter the construction and technology trades as installers of eco-friendly technology.
Other organizations and initiatives familiar to Oakville include the Moccasin Identifier project with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Food For Life, a food rescue charity that distributes good, healthy food to 3,200 households a week.
“We’re happy to be able to support these social purpose organizations that are creating innovative solutions to problems that we see in our communities,” said Frances Pace, Director of Fundholder and Community Engagement at the Oakville Community Foundation. “This funding provides an avenue for positive environmental and social outcomes.”
Together, The Partnership has funded 27 organizations, which include social enterprises, non-profits, charities and co-operatives, across five regions in the Golden Horseshoe area of Southern Ontario.
The following organizations received funds and are listed by their home-office location:
Brant County
- Organized Kaos Life and Trade – $69,142.00
- Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – $75,000.00
Halton Region
- Accelerate Her Future – $74,930.00
- Centre for Diverse Learners – $57,158.00
- Community Living North Halton – $54,321.00
- Food For Life Canada Charitable Corp. – $25,000.00
- Accent Distributors Inc. – $71,400.00
- Youth Troopers for Global Awareness – $75,000.00
Hamilton-Wentworth
- Althea Therapy Ltd. – $20,000.00
- Amity Goodwill Industries – $75,000.00
- Fleeky – $15,000.00
- Board of Trustees, New Vision United Church – $35,000
- Welcome Inn Community Centre – $38,661.00
Niagara Region
- Links for Greener Learning – $30,000.00
- Habitat for Humanity Niagara – $44,000.00
- Heartland Forest Nature Experience – $16,000.00
- Newark Neighbours – $20,000.00
- Niagara Artists Centre – $20,000.00
- Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority – $20,000.00
- Social Robots Inc. – $20,000.00
- Start Me Up Niagara – $20,000.00
- Niagara Workforce Planning Board – $13,500.00
Peel Region
- Afro Caribbean Business Network Foundation Canada – $50,000.00
- Peel Family Education Centre – $25,000.00
- GN Rising Excellence Institute – $75,000.00
- The Riverwood Conservancy – $24,710.00
- Skills For Life – $75,000.00
The Investment Readiness Program was open to a diverse range of organizations and businesses, including charities, non-profits, co-ops and social enterprises. The program provided $10,000 to $75,000 to create, manage, and expand social enterprises in order to get ready to accept investment.
This $50 million renewed investment supports social purpose organizations, such as social enterprises, non-profits, charities and co-operatives, as they strengthen Canada’s social finance market while supporting their communities.
“The Investment Readiness Program has been a catalyst for communities across the country, and we are delighted to be sharing the program’s results today. From coast to coast to coast, social purpose organizations are showcasing bold leadership and rethinking how revenue generation can work alongside increasing community impact. We continue to be inspired by the creativity and solutions that strengthen the resilience of the charitable sector while taking on tough social challenges. We are deeply appreciative of our network of community foundations, the Foundation for Black Communities, and the Government of Canada for their continued collaboration and care,” said Andrea Dicks, President of Community Foundations of Canada, a national partner in the Investment Readiness Program.
To learn more about IRP visit: https://irp-ppi.ca/en/ or https://www.theocf.org/initiative/irp/
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Golden Horseshoe Partnership
The Oakville Community Foundation is the lead partner of the Golden Horseshoe Partnership. We are a consortium of eight community foundations – Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation, Brant Community Foundation, Burlington Foundation, Community Foundation of Halton North, Hamilton Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Mississauga, Niagara Community Foundation – and Sheridan College, a leading post-secondary institution with three campuses in the Halton-Peel region.
Oakville Community Foundation
The Oakville Community Foundation is a local charitable solutions provider, delivering the tools to realize your charitable passions. The Foundation acts as a philanthropic medium, investing donations to generate new money for our community. We conduct local research to provide our diverse donors with knowledge and solutions to make an impact in the local community, both today and in the future. Thanks to the visionaries in our community who started The Foundation more than 25 years ago, The Foundation has granted more than $59 million to support charities locally and beyond.
Media Contact
Taline McPhedran
Communications and Events Manager
taline@theocf.org | 905-844-3562 x. 309
