After a fruitful summer of wrapping up the experimental phase of Cities for People, reflecting on lessons learned in our collaborative network, and thinking strategically about key areas on which to focus on our efforts in cities, we are excited to announce that we will be working with two new grantees over the next five years: the Tamarack Institute and Centraide of Greater Montreal.
Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement:
Cities Reducing Poverty
Founded in 2001, the Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement is a charity that develops and supports learning communities to help people collaborate and to co-generate knowledge that solves complex community challenges. Tamarack’s mission is to end poverty in Canada. Vibrant Communities Canada (VC) is an initiative of the Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement, the Caledon Institute of Social Policy and the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation. A comprehensive place-based national program, in its first phase (2003-2011) VC aimed to reduce poverty in selected Canadian cities and at least 100,000 individual households by 2011. In its second phase (2012-2014), the VC network grew to 47 communities across Canada. It has successfully fostered local collaborations through a “collective impact” approach: businesses, community organizations and government coming together to create local jobs, deliver innovative social programs, and craft housing and transportation policies that promote social inclusion for vulnerable residents.
Granting Year
2015-2020
Granting Total
$1,000,000
Please visit the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation’s grantee profile for more information.
Centraide of Greater Montreal
Founded in 1966, Centraide of Greater Montreal is an independent organization managed by a board of directors which is representative of the community. It serves the Island of Montreal, Laval and communities on the South Shore. Centraide relies on a network of over 73,000 volunteers, 50,000 of whom work in the network of agencies it supports. More than 160,000 people contribute financially to Centraide’s campaign, which is supported by some 2,100 businesses and corporations, institutions, and public and parapublic organizations as well as large trade unions. Centraide funds 360 community agencies and projects that help over 500,000 vulnerable people.
Granting Year
2015-2020
Granting Total
$2,000,000
Please visit the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation’s grantee profile for more information.