Overview
A bequest of $1,000,000 was received by Bridge Street United Church from the estate of the late Charlotte E. Sills in late 1973, and the Church's congregation decided to establish a charitable foundation to administer those funds.
A Board of Directors is elected annually for one year by the members of Bridge Street Church congregation. The members of the congregation also determine guidelines for the making of grants by the Foundation. Each member of Bridge Street Church is also a member of the Bridge Street United Church Foundation, eligible to vote at the Annual Meeting and to stand for election to the Board of the Foundation.
As directed by the members of the congregation, the Foundation invests the funds and distributes the income from these investments to various Canadian charitable organizations, and to some projects in foreign countries that are generally administered by Canadian charitable organizations.
The current policy of the Foundation is to assign ten percent of annual interest revenue to capital growth and the remainder as follows: one-third to church and local community organizations for community outreach, one-third to national and international projects for world outreach, and one-third to Bridge Street United Church for major building restoration projects. The amount available each year varies with the market.
The capital assets of the Foundation have grown from the original 1973 bequest of $1,000,000 to more than $2,000,000. This increase reflects an additional $350,000 received from the Sills Estate plus other donations, and the assignment of some interest revenue to capital. By the end of 2008, the Foundation had granted over $4.8 million dollars in approved grants. Its capital of over $2 million remains invested.
Guidelines
The following guidelines should be considered before approaching the Foundation:
The average grant ranges from $1,000 to $3,000.
Grants are usually made for one-time projects, special equipment or start-up expenses.
The Foundation prefers to make grants directly to projects or programs which are of a self-help nature, or to small organizations which might not have any other source of funding.
The Foundation does not make grants to cover core administrative/operational expenses or staffing costs, general fundraising campaigns or requests from individuals for personal reasons, nor will it provide for on-going funding needs. Ideally, Foundation grants provide direct benefit to the recipients or participants of a program, rather than administrative support costs. (Only in exceptional circumstances does the Foundation respond to capital campaigns, building funds or general appeals). The Foundation does not grant funds to pay deficits, unless created by a one-time calamity.
Generally, other Foundations or funding bodies are not funded. The Foundation prefers to make direct grants.
With regard to applications from other religious organizations, the Foundation usually responds only to requests which result from a catastrophic disaster, such as a major fire.
In order to comply with regulations governing Foundations, applications require evidence that an organization has been properly constituted and, normally, a Charitable Tax Number must be provided. If your application is awarded grant funding, the cheque will be issued in the name of the declared charitable organization.
Applications must include the most recent (audited) financial statement of the organization, and requests must be made in Canadian dollars.
The Foundation will respond to only one application per organization in any given round. It will not re-consider a declined application unless the organization reapplies, nor will it consider late applications.
If successful in receiving grant funding, and in the event that a Foundation-funded project does not take place, the applicant is responsible (without the request of the Foundation) to refund the grant funds to the Foundation.
How and When to Apply
Grants are made twice during the year: mid-May and mid-November. Applications for Spring grants must be received by May 1st, and for Fall grants by October 1st. Late applications will not be considered.
If your organization wishes to apply for funding, please forward a one-page letter of enquiry briefly outlining the work of your organization and providing a description of the project for which you wish to apply. If it is determined that your organization's request falls within the Foundation's guidelines, an application will be forwarded. This process must be followed for your first, and each subsequent application.
If you require further information, or if you would like to apply, contact the Administrative Assistant of the Foundation at Bridge Street United Church by calling (613-962-9178), fax (613-962-5303), e-mail (info@bridgestchurch.com) or by mail to 60 Bridge Street East, Belleville, Ontario, Canada, K8N 1L7.
(Revised October 27, 2009)
Bridge Street Church • 60 Bridge Street E • Belleville ON K8N 1L7 • T 613 962 9178 • F 613 962 5303
Copyright 2012 Bridge Street Church
