An educational workshop component of the TD Canada’s Friends of the Environment grant included learning about sustainable buildings like this “Earthship House”
When it comes to environmental stewardship, the Winnipeg Folk Festival is a leader in the community. It’s the reason why I applied for a grant to explore environmental initiatives at the Winnipeg Folk Festival that focused on “Inspiring Folk to Leave No Trace at the Festival”.
Discovering TD Canada’s Friends of the Environment grant program was an educational and fruitful experience. The grant fund is made possible by TD Canada customers who donate to the community grant fund. There are many resources for learning how to write a successful grant. Organizations like Volunteer Manitoba offer these courses throughout the year.
Applying a community development framework helped shape the project ideas and goals. The grant was based upon these key principles:
- Empowerment – increasing the ability of individuals and groups to influence issues that affect them and their communities
- Participation – supporting people to take part in decision making
- Inclusion, equality of opportunity and anti-discrimination – recognizing that some people may need additional support to overcome barriers they face
- Self determination – supporting the right of people to make their own choices
- Partnership – recognizing that many agencies can contribute to community development.
(Adapted from the Community Development Alliance Scotland 2012)
Creative engagement and environmental messaging
The grant catalyzed a broader community collaboration with Winnipeg Folk Festival staff, volunteers, local businesses and campers at the festival. The grant funded new equipment for the campground environment crew, environmental promotion materials, green camper gifts, an educational workshop, animation items, and a research project. The research component empowered campers to contribute ideas to solve environmental issues in their community.
The TD Canada grant program connects a greater community of people who all contribute time, energy and resources to build healthy community environments.
Click here to view a Powerpoint on “Inspiring Folk to Leave No Trace”.
If you have a community project idea, a community grant can help make that vision a reality.
