Community Foundation of South Okanagan Similkameen opens funding to advance gender equality at local organizations

Photo: Contributed

South Okanagan Women in Need Society (SOWINS) was a past recipient of the gender equality grant

The Fund for Gender Equality has opened up $80,000 in funding to help advance gender equality at local organizations throughout the South Okanagan Similkameen.

The Community Foundation of South Okanagan Similkameen (CFSO) announced that charities wanting to support equity, inclusion and justice for women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse individuals can apply for funding this month on Friday.

“We’re pleased to be taking part in this funding initiative in partnership with community foundations across the country. This is another example of how we leverage our resources to attract new money to our region as a part of our work to create a just recovery and a more inclusive future,” Aaron McRann, Executive Director of CFSO said in a press release.

“We know the journey will be long, but community foundations always play the long game in our quest for positive social change.”

The fund is part of a five-year initiative to advance gender equality in Canada, led by a collaboration between participating community foundations, Community Foundations of Canada and the Equality Fund, with support from the Government of Canada.

Past recipients include IndigenEYEZ, South Okanagan Women in Need Society (SOWINS) and Foundry Penticton.

"We received $15,000 last year through Phase 1 of the Fund," Danielle Goulden, Executive Director of SOWINS said.

"It really helped jumpstart our pre-employment program, allowing us to better support the women we serve on their journey to economic empowerment and financial security."

Interested organizations have until Oct. 31, 2022, to apply.

The Community Foundation encourages applications from organizations that have demonstrated a long-term commitment to empowering women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people through their mission, activities, or partnerships.

Initiatives can be in any of a wide variety of areas including food insecurity, income inequality, racial injustice, domestic violence, and much more.

Visit the CFSO website here to learn more and to apply.