2007 Grants
Through its grantmaking programs, the Community Foundation of Ottawa is committed to seeding, nurturing, supporting and strengthening our community. Grants are made in support of social services, animal welfare, arts and culture, community economic development, education, environment and health, primarily within the Ottawa region.
to see the full list of grants made in 2007, which resulted from the Community Foundation’s grant application and review process. Grants in bold type were selected for funding by one or more donors.
2007 Disbursements
Donors may choose to fund any charitable organization, even if no application for funding has been made. to see a list of disbursements made in 2007 on the advice of our donors.
2007 Organizational Endowments
The Community Foundation is able to support the work of charitable organizations with our endowment management. The annual income is used at the discretion of the organization in pursuit of its particular mandate. to see a list of the income paid in 2007 by the Community Foundation to the charitable organizations who have permanently endowed funds with us.
Grant Stories
Ottawa Community Loan Fund (OCLF)
A 2006 CFO grant supported an OCLF program to provide micro loans to foreign-trained nurses, doctors and technical professionals to allow them to study and gain their Canadian accreditation.
My name is Mary.
I'm fulfilling my grandmother's dream.
When I was growing up in Sri Lanka, my grandmother made me promise that I would become a nurse and look after others. It was a promise I was destined to keep. I worked as a registered nurse for 15 years.
Then we moved to Canada. For four years, no one could hire me without my Canadian license, and gaining my accreditation would cost more than five thousand dollars.
Then, I heard about the Ottawa Community Loan Fund's program for foreign-trained nurses. They loaned me enough money to go to school and earn my license.
My husband and I are now the proud and busy owners of a group home for former psychiatric patients in Brockville. It makes us happy to share our home and family with them. I'm so thankful to be recognized as the nurse I was destined to be here in Canada.
Operation Go Home
A 2006 CFO grant supported a program to help street-involved youth earn credits toward their high-school diploma.
My name is Lyna.
I'm going to succeed.
I quit school when I was 15. Things had just been too rough in my first year of high school, and they obviously weren't going to get better.
Then I left home. 'Cause nothing was getting better there either. But after working at a dollar store for a while, I realized I wanted something more for myself.
That's when I heard about Operation Go Home's high-school credit program.
I started studying grade ten Math and English at the centre, and I actually started to like it. For the first time, I was getting 85's and 90's on my tests. Now I'm back at a high school, working towards getting my diploma.
I just can't decide whether to become a pastry chef or an accountant when I grow up.
I guess I could always be both.
Ottawa-Carleton Learning Foundation
A 2005 CFO grant supported the OttawaReads program, a unique school/business partnership which brings corporate sector volunteers into Ottawa schools to read to children in early literacy programs.
My name is Amanda.
I'm learning to read.
I go to Centennial Public School. I’m in grade two. I love reading, but my parents don’t know all the English words yet. So, every week my friend Alex comes to school to read with me. I love the big books about bugs and animals. And I like having special time to learn new words with Alex. The better I get at reading, the more I can show my parents when I get home. They’re very proud of me.
Ottawa Innercity Ministries
A 2005 CFO grant supported the development of the Art Collective for Street Artists, which provides a venue for local street artists to develop and sell their work to the greater Ottawa community at fair market value.
My name is Lawrence.
See through my eyes.
I’ve always seen the spirits that dwell among us. Now I have a chance to share these visions with everyone. Most people just don’t know where to look. So I use my art to create something tangible for you to see and hold in your hands. Then it’s something you can’t ignore.
Have you ever sat outside at night and just watched the shadows of the trees playing on a fence? I once noticed a single blade of grass in a field of millions, dancing to a silent song. I was happy to give it an audience. That’s what I can share with people through my art – the eyes to see.
Association pour l'intégration sociale d'Ottawa (AISO)
A 2005 CFO grant supported AISO's mounting of an art exhibit at the Ottawa School of Art, featuring the artwork of francophones with developmental disabilities.
My name is Esther.
I am an artist.
I have always loved to paint. But since I started art therapy with Louise, I feel like the possibilities are endless. Now I know I can do anything. Art is my way of expressing who I am. It lets me show people what I feel inside. And I never worry about being misunderstood through my art. It says it all.
Now that I’ve started to show and sell my work in the world, I feel like a star. Everyone tells me how much they love my art. I’ve never felt so appreciated by so many people for just being myself before. It makes my heart feel so good.
The School of Dance
A 2005 CFO grant funded a series of innovative DanceAbility creative dance programs for adults and children with mixed abilities.
My name is Benjamin.
I am a dancer.
When the music begins, I feel like I’m entering a whole new world. One with no restrictions whatsoever. It’s a world where I can express my own strengths and ability to make choices. It’s total freedom.
When I’m in a show, I love to see the looks on people’s faces. It’s like they’re seeing me for the first time. And I see them recognize the dedication it takes to be a dancer of any kind. I’ve learned so much from being in this program over the last four years – and I’m still only fourteen. This is just the beginning of my dance career.
From here … the sky’s the limit.
