Fleshing out funding facts

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If you are an Aboriginal organization or entrepreneur looking for new ways to expand or learn about new funding opportunities, the Alberta Native Friendship Centre Association has a conference for you.

The Sixth Bi-Annual Funding & Information Conference will be held Feb. 16 to19, 2005 in Edmonton. Janet Morin, conference co-ordinator, said that the conference will "be like a sharing of information so everybody can get the information and find funding opportunities that they might not have been aware of.

"Typically, when Aboriginal organizations and entrepreneurs and people in general try to get funding for something they turn to the government and that's it. What we're hoping to do is give them a heads up that there is other funding out there and these organizations are going to be coming there and they're going to let them know what's available to them."

Some of the organizations that are going to be at the conference include the Business Link, Aboriginal Business Canada, Alberta Gaming, Peace Hills Trust and Alberta Learning. Morin said the conference is going to be very broad in the sense that there will be a lot of different organizations from different fields coming together.

"It's just going to be different areas that effect people and they can come get information on it and find out ways that these organizations can help them get funding," said Morin. "Like if they're trying to start up their own business or if they're trying to get funding and they're doing the usual routes that everybody else is taking, this will give them the heads-up on other ideas that are out there that not a lot of people know about."

Tony Shirt, senior manager of corporate operations and special accounts for Peace Hills Trust, said that one of the things he's noticed is that there are a lot of people who don't know about these different programs that these organizations offer.

"The more awareness you can create in individuals who are going out and trying to start their own businesses is all the much better for them and obviously for our economy."