Are you part of a non-profit group in Ashcroft, Cache Creek, or Clinton looking for help in applying for grants to help with your projects?
The villages of Ashcroft and Cache Creek have both contracted with grant writers who are available to assist community groups with their grant applications. The grant writer programs are supported by funding from the villages and from Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT), and there is absolutely no cost to organizations to use them. The Village of Clinton has applied for NDIT funding for a grant writer, and Clinton CAO Brian Doddridge says they hope to hear soon if the application was successful.
In Ashcroft and Cache Creek, the grant writers are available to assist any non-profit organization. Jessica Clement, executive director for the Ashcroft HUB, is the grant writer for Ashcroft, and she says that she can not only provide help with applications, she can also help organizations find available grants.
“Grants can be for events, or for upgrades to facilities, and we can help you find grants and/or help you apply. You can say ‘We’re looking for funding but don’t know where to go,’ and we can source possibilities and provide you with information, such as what background material you need. We have a pretty extensive knowledge of the grants that are out there and which ones would match your project.”
She notes that the organization needs to do some research and get the necessary materials together. These could include finding their society’s constitution, providing financials, and sourcing contractor quotes.
“We’re not doing that," says Clement. "Groups have to get the material in place and work with the grant writer. Normally there would be a preliminary meeting to go over the grant application, where we would say ‘These are the things you need.’ Then we will fill in the information and do the typing.”
Organizations that are successful with their grant application also need to provide reports about the project after completion. “The grant providers want to know what you spent the money on, did you complete the project, are you happy,” says Clement. “We can help you with that if needed.”
Doddridge says that while the Village of Clinton does not currently have a grant writer, they can still help local organizations.
“If a group is new to writing grants we can do some background work and point them in the right direction; we just can’t write the grants,” he explains. “We’re waiting to hear back from NDIT, and want to be able to leverage this to better serve the community and bring grant dollars into Clinton.”
Clement says there is no limit on the amount of the grant being applied for: “We can help you apply for grants from $500 to $5 million. We can even help businesses in some instances, such as helping them apply for the NDIT Business Façade Improvement grant. If in doubt, ask.”
She adds that while grant applications may seem daunting, there is quite a lot of money out there to help organizations do what they are already doing.
“We’re here to support you in finding project funding and taking the scary burden of grant writing off you.”
For more information about grant writing assistance for non-profit organizations, contact the Village of Ashcroft (250-453-9161), the Village of Cache Creek (250-457-6237), or the Village of Clinton (250-459-2261).
