KWCF providing $240K in grants to nine local organizations

NEWS RELEASE
KITCHENER WATERLOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
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Today, Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF) is announcing grants totalling $240,000 to 9 organizations in Waterloo Region working to support women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse individuals working towards a future grounded in equity, inclusion and justice. The Fund for Gender Equality is part of a partnership with Community Foundations of Canada, funded through the Government of Canada. KWCF is one of 21 community foundations across Canada that are taking part. In total, these community foundations are granting $3.4M towards the women's movement.

“We are thrilled to support these 9 organizations who are working on the ground to advance gender equality in our community,” said Elizabeth Heald, President & CEO, Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation. “Our investment in their work is key to supporting women who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. We can work towards a just recovery by tackling systemic issues like racism, wage inequality, and gender-based violence. Along with the other 20 participating community foundations, we are committed to lasting systems-change in philanthropy, and will further incorporate gender equality in our investment practices and organizational policies.”

KWCF has funded organizations at the “heart” of the women's movement, with a focus on those that have demonstrated a long-term commitment to empowering women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people through their mission, activities, or partnerships. The grants span a variety of purposes, including efforts to pilot new initiatives, to address long-standing community needs, or to support a just recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. In particular, the Fund for Gender Equality prioritizes initiatives that are 'self-led' — those that are led by the same groups that they focus on serving. 

“From coast to coast to coast, feminist organizations have a long and rich history of mobilization to advance gender equality in our country,” said Andrea Dicks, Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) President. “As budgets get re-allocated to public health and economic programs in the wake of the pandemic, these organizations are most at risk of losing funding. At CFC our purpose is to 'relentlessly pursue a future where everyone belongs'. To create communities of true belonging and recover from this pandemic, we need to advance gender equality across the country. We're grateful for the financial support from the Government of Canada and the leadership of KWCF who is taking part in these efforts.”

To learn more about the Fund for Gender Equality, or to view a full list of charities that received funding through KWCF, visit www.kwcf.ca/gender-equality.

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