Community Development

Community Action Funding

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Community Action Grant 2024-2025

The Fall Application round is open October 25th and will close January 8th, 2025.

Healthy communities are about creating and improving the physical and social environments where New Brunswickers feel included. It is about the equitable access to health services, educational opportunities, healthy food options, leisure activities, adequate and safe housing, etc. It is about creating an environment where individuals can live and thrive with dignity.

The 2024-2025 Community Action Grant focuses on community projects supporting healthy communities through these priority actions:

  • Improve access to mental health and addictions services and reduce wait times.
  • Work with partners to provide inclusive opportunities for sport, recreation and leisure activities for low income New Brunswickers.
  • Support children and youth by ensuring there are school food programs in all New Brunswick Schools.

Who Should Apply?
Eligible applicants include non-profits, charities, indigenous groups, schools, and municipalities. It is recommended that applicants are incorporated and that applications demonstrate wide partnership with other organizations, non-profits, business, local gov’t and community volunteers.

Requirements
To be considered for funding, a project must demonstrate its capacity to build a stronger and healthier community by reducing poverty, promoting social and economic inclusion, and connecting existing strengths and assets from the community.

Projects must follow the Funding & Eligibility Guide and target one or more of the priority actions highlighted. Additionally, projects should:

  • Demonstrate capacity building and regional community development.
  • Be inclusive: to include persons on low income.
  • Be asset-based: project ideas are initiated, planned, supported and implemented by the community and supported by the CIN.
  • Demonstrate community contribution (financial, in-kind or volunteer).
  • Demonstrate a project work plan and timelines.
  • Include a detailed and balanced budget (review the Funding & Eligibility Guide for a list of eligible and ineligible expenses).

Please discuss your project with the Community Development Coordinator to ensure it also relates to regional priorities.

Reporting
The applicant agrees to submit written financial and project reports.

Application Process

Step 1) Discuss your project with the Coordinator and submit a One-Pager.

Applicants should contact the Community Development Coordinator to discuss their project and ensure it fits the criteria and aligns with the regional plan. Then complete a 'one-pager' proposal using this One-Pager Template and send it to raymond.funk@snbsc.ca. Your proposal will be reviewed (by the CIN/ESIC) and you will receive a response with feedback and next steps.

Step 2) Complete the Application.

You will be notified your project application can proceed and you can begin filling it out! You will need: the 2024-2025 Application, the 2024-2025 Budget and Budget Guide. The Coordinator can assist you in the process. All questions in your grant application must be completed in order to be considered. Aim to complete your application one week before the deadline to allow time for discussion with the Coordinator. This will help to ensure a more successful application!

Step 3) Application evaluation.

Once submitted, applications will be reviewed by the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation. If the application is accepted, the applicant and the CIN will agree on funding and reporting parameters and then initiate receipt of funds from ESIC.

Step 4) Project implementation and reporting. 

You can begin your project and we hope for great outcomes! All projects are required to submit final project reports and project financials, as per the Funding & Eligibility Guide.

Application Deadlines:

  1. One-pagers will be accepted until November 29th, 2024.
  2. Draft Applications should be ready for review before January 3rd, 2024.
  3. Completed Applications are due no later than 12:00 p.m. January 8th, 2024.

If you have questions or want to discuss a project please email or call Raymond Funk, Community Development Coordinator:

Email: raymond.funk@snbsc.ca  Phone: (506) 466-7369

Funding for Community Action project(s) is available from the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation (ESIC). The Southwest NB Service Commission has taken on the role of the Community Inclusion Network (CIN) from Vibrant Communities Charlotte County, and is the approved body eligible to apply for the funding along with eligible partners that are working on projects with their respective CIN.

Under the three pillars in the Economic and Social Inclusion Plan (OPT3), the project funding will focus on supporting CIN specific projects under the 9 actions that will have a measurable impact on people living in poverty.

Grant requests under ESIC’s Community Action funding (2024-2025) will be accepted under the following priorities and project focus:

Priority Action # 6 - Mental Health: Improve access to mental health and addictions services and reduce wait times.

Example:

  • To support and partner with current regional/provincial addiction and mental health programs and services.

Priority Action # 8 - Sport Recreation and Leisure: Work with partners to provide inclusive opportunities for sport, recreation and leisure activities for low income New Brunswickers.

Examples:

  • Working with regional sport, recreation and leisure partners to develop an asset map of all sport, recreation and leisure programs that are currently focused on low income participants. A standardized data template provided by ESIC would need to be used.

  • Partner with NB Public Libraries Service and municipalities, to develop “sport, recreation and leisure play box” programs.

  • To support the registration costs for low income NBers to participate in sport, recreation or leisure programs in NB.

Priority Action # 9 - School Food: Support children and youth by ensuring there are school food programs in all New Brunswick Schools.

Examples:

  • To support the development of a regional school food coordinator, in collaboration with other stakeholders, to focus on the activities under OPT3’s school food action.

  • To support the development of school food programs in schools that do not presently have a program.

  • To support the development of food sourcing projects to coordinate the donations of healthy food options to school food programs, either new or currently in operation.

  • To support the development of food safety training for volunteers in school food programs, either new or currently in operation.

There are two rounds of applications for 2024-2025 Community Action Funding:

Spring Round - Opens April 2nd, and closes 12 p.m. (noon) May 10th, 2024

Fall Round - Opens October 15th, and closes 12 p.m. (noon) January 8th, 2024.

A total of $50,000 is available to our region for the year, which will be distributed between the three priority actions (approx. $16,600 each). Projects must demonstrate other community contributions (financial, in-kind and volunteer). Every effort will be made to leverage funding in a fair and equal way for all selected applications.

Please note: the availability of funding in the Fall Round is dependent on the success of the Spring applications.

Community Action funding is not available for Social Enterprise, but there is limited funding available through the Social Economy Pilot Project, which is a partnership between CBDC Chaleur and ESIC. If you have or are looking to start a social enterprise, there are other supports available through the Social Enterprise NB hub.

Priority Action # 3 - Social Enterprise: Make investments through a new social finance fund to increase the capacity and sustainability of social enterprises within non-profit organizations in New Brunswick.

  • Any CIN (or group within the network or region) interested in developing a social enterprise is advised to contact the ESIC office to discuss their plans. ESIC staff will help guide and support you as your social enterprise efforts develop and grow.

  • Every situation and business development opportunity is unique. It is important to remember that starting and succeeding with any new business venture is very difficult.

  • There are some options available in NB to support development and launch of your social enterprise, including:

    • If your social enterprise idea is in the very early stage, and you need help to clarify your plans to move forward, ESIC has contracted with the Pond Desphande Centre at UNB to support your early stage SE development work.

    • As your project moves beyond its early development stage, the Saint John Community Loan Fund is available to provide access to business development capital, mentorship, and operational support for your new or growing social enterprise.

    • As your social enterprise develops and grows, the GNB Regional Development Corporation (RDC) has several funding programs available to non-profit organizations looking to operate, grow, and scale up their social enterprises.

  • Beyond the support noted above, investment may also be available from banks, credit unions, local/regional development corporations, ACOA, and the Government of Canada.

  • In addition, there may be other resources within GNB available to you and your social enterprise which ESIC can help you navigate and, perhaps, access. These other resources are dependent upon your project needs at the time, the support you have received from other sources, and where your social enterprise is in its development.

Funding for Community Action projects comes from the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation (ESIC). The Southwest NB Service Commission acts as the region's Community Inclusion Network (CIN) with ESIC to disperse the funding in the Southwest region.