Community Foundation of PEI is announcing funding totalling $160,000 to six local organizations. Blooming House Women’s Shelter, East Prince Women’s Information Centre, Girl Guides of Canada NB-PEI, Native Council of PEI, Peers Alliance, and Voluntary Resource Council are leading initiatives to support women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse individuals working towards a future grounded in equity, inclusion and justice. The funding is through the Fund for Gender Equality (the Fund). This initiative is part of a partnership with Community Foundations of Canada funded through the Government of Canada. Community Foundation of PEI is one of 21 local community foundations from coast to coast to coast that is taking part. In total, these community foundations are granting over $3.4M towards the gender equality movement.
“We are thrilled to support these six organizations who are working on the ground to advance gender equality in our community,” said Emma Bourgeois, Community Foundation of PEI (CFPEI) Marketing & Granting Manager. “Investing in their work and this movement 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 creating lasting systems-change in philanthropy by writing gender equality into our investment practices and organizational policies. As the year progresses, we look forward to sharing more about this journey.”
Community Foundation of PEI 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. This funding spans a variety of purposes, including efforts to pilot new initiatives, address long-standing community needs, or support a just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiatives themselves may touch on a wide range of areas that are affected by gender equality, including food insecurity, income inequality, racial injustice, domestic violence, and many more. In particular, the Fund prioritizes initiatives that are ‘self-led’—those that are led by the same groups that they focus on serving.
“Community organizations led by and dedicated to supporting women, girls, gender-diverse and Two-Spirit individuals are at the center of the movement towards gender equality and equity,” said Andrea Dicks, Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) President. “While this can feel daunting at times, these organizations demonstrate tenacity, resiliency and hope as they shift power. To create communities of true belonging and to recover from the pandemic, we must advance gender equality across the country. We’re grateful for the financial support from the Government of Canada and the leadership of Community Foundation of PEI for taking part in these efforts.”
About the Community Foundation of PEI
The Community Foundation of PEI distributes funds to all corners of the community in arts and culture, education, health, social services and the environment. The Foundation currently manages over 100 individual funds with a combined value in excess of $14.5 Million and works with its donors to realize their philanthropic goals, matching their interests with the needs of the community. In 2022, more than $1,000,000 was awarded to Island students and organizations.