Update: The recipients of the grants are Kamloops Immigrant Services, Out of the Cold, Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge Society, Merritt Youth Soccer Association, Kamloops Film Society, Camp Grafton, Kamloops Sexual Assault Counselling Centre, Nicola Family Therapy, Kamloops Festival of the Performing Arts and Centre for Seniors Information – CSI Kamloops will each receive funding. Thank you to everyone who applied.

To celebrate Giving Tuesday, the BC Interior Community Foundation is giving $1000 each to ten different local charities.

All registered charities in the Thompson, Nicola or South Cariboo region are invited to apply for these funds and all they have to do is send us a short letter of 250 words or less.

 It’s an extremely simple process, charities are asked to outline what they would do with $1000 and email that to the Foundation. There’s no adjudication process and all qualifying letters received will go into a hat and 10 winners will be drawn on December 19. 

“We know that Giving Tuesday is aimed at getting residents to donate to local charities,” says BCICF Executive Director Wenda Noonan. “This year though, we decided that we would be making donations rather than asking for them.”

This initiative was spearheaded by the BCICF Community Projects Granting committee. They’re aware that nonprofits have limited resources and were looking for a way to give back to the sector that has given so much throughout the pandemic.

Granting chair Franca Petrucci says, “ Being part of a community is so much more than sharing space or living in the same area. It’s about supporting each other through the tough times. As a community-based funder, we are excited to be once again supporting the charities that do amazing work in our region.”

Organizations must have charitable status and send their letters on or before Friday, December 16, 2022. They can be sent by email to grants@bcicf.ca.