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OCF ready to give spring grants to charities By Nathan Howes SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER The Oakville Community Foundation (OCF) is considering 11 charities for possible funding through its annual spring grant. The grant is the first of two awarded yearly by the OCF -- with a second allocation in the fall -- to support a broad range of organizations. It occurs through three types of funds in a variety of areas including: arts and culture, health, sports and youth leadership, religion, social services, education and environment, among others. "We're granting to agencies we know are delivering vital programs in the community. The granting (is) one of the things we do well by being involved in the community, knowing where the needs are," said Sarah McPherson, OCF manager of communications and community events. "We're able to work with both charities and our donors and fundholders to try to do more beyond our own needs." Following an introductory letter of intent process, selected applications went to a volunteer review committee who reviewed the request for OCF's criteria and guidelines. Charities also indicated which of three funds they were applying for -- the Community Fund, The Ontario Endowment for Children and Youth in Recreation Fund or the Oakville Environmental Fund. The OCF received nearly $45,000 in funding requests from the 11 groups selected to send a proposal. It received and reviewed 49 letters of intent in total. "We wanted to assess the criteria of the applicant's interests and funding projects before they go through a very detailed process because some projects are not the right fit given our guidelines and key core areas of funding," said McPherson. "Even if it doesn't fit with our current granting scheme, we do see merit in it and we'll send it off to some of our fundholders to see if they might be able to fund it independently." Those that meet the criteria -- being a registered charity, serving Oakville residents and providing required documentation, among others -- were then asked to submit a detailed proposal further outlining the program and need. "Once those (applications) are submitted we make finite decisions on available funds and ensure those are all following criteria," said McPherson. "There are still some stages, (including) the evaluations and the interviews with the charities, still to go." Once applications are evaluated and shortlisted, committee members get involved again and will interview the charities on the submissions they've sent, allowing them to advocate on their behalf, McPherson said. "They give us good insight on pressure points, issues in the community, and kind of keep to the issues of what OCF wants to fund given our knowledge and areas," she said. McPherson said the amount of funding available for grants varies by market performance and total assets. The total allocation for this grant will be released once the selection process is complete. "The really unique thing about the (Oakville) Community Foundation's (other) over and above agencies where they pool their funds is it's a very ongoing and active engagement," said McPherson. She noted that the OCF has two basic types of funding. One is unrestricted, which allows the foundation's board of directors to decide where money can be used most effectively. The second type allows the donor to choose a specific area based on their interests, such as arts and culture. The OCF granted more than $1.7 million in 9 · Thursday, April 19, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com funds in 2011, including close to $109,000 in unrestricted funds. "We have a lot of donors and they know there's a need and step up and do a lot for us. We work really hard at staying involved with our donors and fundholders." Applications from the selected groups are due Friday, while a final decision is expected to be made before the end of May. Since its inception, the OCF has invested over $43 million and supported more than 145 local charities. For more information, visit www.theocf. org. GTAA Annual Public Meeting Notice is hereby given of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority Annual Public Meeting relating to the management, operation, and maintenance of Toronto Pearson International Airport. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 2, 2012, at 1:30 p.m. in Lounge Q within the Departures Level of Terminal 1. Parking will be validated. By order of the Board of Directors. Doug Love Corporate Secretary Burlington STOREWIDE SAVINGS Plus 12 month Equal Payment Financing* INTRODUCING... SPELLBOUND *THOMASVILLE BURLINGTON 2269 Fairview Street, Burlington Ph. 905-631-6000 *See store for details APRIL 2012 INVENTORY BLOWOUT SALE