Times Colonist (Victoria), Fri 16 Nov 2007
Page: B1 / FRONT, Section: Business
Byline: Andrew A. Duffy
Source: Times Colonist

TELUS used the backdrop of National Philanthropy Day to hand out nearly $200,000 to community groups yesterday.

The TELUS Victoria Community Board, put together by TELUS earlier this year with a mandate to give away $250,000 annually to worthy causes, handed out $192,900 to 23 local organizations, with a promise of another $60,000 before the end of this year.

"We will be meeting Dec. 4 to look at the next round of applications, and having seen some of the applications, $60,000 will not be difficult to give away," said Mel Cooper, chairman of the board.

The board, one of seven TELUS has established in major centres across the country, will go through about 60 applications this year, and the number is expected to rise dramatically as word gets out.

Cooper said the board is interested in grassroots organizations that don't have dedicated fundraising departments. "We're looking for organizations where our $5,000 or $10,000 makes a huge difference."

The Victoria Women's Sexual Assault Centre, one of the 23 groups that picked up cheques yesterday, said the $12,000 it received will help keep one of its youth programs running.

Susana Guardado said the youth leadership program is run out of Project Respect, a $150,000-youth-violence-prevention program the group seeks funding for every year. "It's very difficult to get funding. We don't receive any core funding for our prevention program -- it's solely run based on community support."

According to Guardado, Project Respect reached out to 1,500 young people through workshops and education programs last year.

The centre, which provided services to 2,800 people last year, relies heavily on grants, as only 45 per cent of its $1-million-plus annual budget comes from government contracts.
According to Tracy Lubick, the centre's resource development officer, most grants come as one-time infusions of cash, meaning the organization is constantly looking for funding sources. TELUS's community board concept is a much-needed new option, she said. "It really gives a lot of credence to the work we're doing to have an organization of that calibre supporting us and recognizing that these are programs that are needed."

GREATER VICTORIA GROUP RECIPIENTS
The organizations receiving funding (with the donation amount) are:

• Bridges for Women Society's Online Pilot Project -- $5,000
• John Howard Society's KidStart Mentoring Program -- $6,000
• Victoria Association for Community Living's Everyone Belongs Program -- $5,000
• Canadian Paraplegic Association's Island Peer Program -- $5,000
• We Rage, We Weep Alzheimer Foundation's Project Lifesaver of Greater Victoria -- $14,000
• Help Fill A Dream's Kids Quality of Life - social networking program -- $3,000
• Threshold Housing Society's Enriched Access Program -- $14,000
• Victoria Women's Sexual Assault Centre's Project Respect and the Respect Revolution Campaign -- $12,000
• Victoria Society for Children with Autism's Calling All Characters - A 10-Week Theatre Program for Youth with Autism -- $5,400
• Sail and Life Training Society's Youth Program Expansion -- $20,000
• Badminton Victoria's School Program -- $5,000
• British Columbia Soccer Association's Kick-in program for soccer in school -- $5,000
• Victoria Symphony's Children's Outreach and Education Community Concerts -- $5,000
• Belfry Theatre Society's Belfry 101 -- $5,000
• Power to Be's Wilderness School -- $10,000
• Crystal Meth Society of B.C.'s Communication Training -- $10,000
• Salvation Army of Greater Victoria's Community Cares Breakfast Program -- $20,000
• Art Gallery of Greater Victoria's Transporters: Aboriginal Youth and New Media -- $10,000
• Intrepid Theatre Company Society's FringeKids Fest 2007 -- $2,000
• Kaleidoscope Theatre Productions Society's Young Playwrights Competition -- $7,500
• Story Theatre Production Society's Hey BULLY BULLY! -- $10,000
• Victoria Conservatory of Music's Education Outreach Program -- $10,000
• B.C. SPCA Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre's Kids Summer Camps -- $4,000