Local Aboriginal organizations encouraged to apply for funding

A well-established foundation is pushing Aboriginal groups to apply for funding when undertaking environmental projects.

“We do a fair bit of work with First Nations groups,” said Aurora Bonin, western Canada’s regional manager of the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, an initiative created by the TD Bank Financial Group to support community-based projects.

“We’ve done quite a range of things in terms of environmental and wildlife preservation as well as working with educational programs for youth.”

While First Nations in British Columbia, where Bonin’s office is based, have been quick to make use of the funds, Aboriginal communities in Alberta have been slower to respond.

Bonin said it’s a situation she hopes to improve.
“I would encourage all First Nations and Aboriginal people in Alberta to apply for funding for their environmental projects,” she said. “We’re trying to get the word out to them that these dollars are available. It’s a really easy grant applicantion process and whatever worthwhile environmental activities going on in those communities could certainly benefit from the funding.”
The dollars aren’t limited to Aboriginal organizations, Bonin pointed out. Projects are judged based on the strength of the proposal.

“What we look for are partnerships within a community, whether it’s between a school and the government. If the locals are planning on creating a community garden, and the big focus is on environmental awareness and engagement from the community, that’s a big one for us,” said Bonin.

Since the TD FEF was founded 20 years ago, the organization has provided more than $53 million in financial assistance to more than 19,000 Canadian grassroots projects, including roughly $1.7 million donated to 455 Alberta projects to date. In 2009 alone, nearly 900 projects across the country received $4.1 million in support.

“We do a lot of support and land reclamation projects, and many of those projects occur on reserves,” said Bonin. “As a matter of fact, there are a lot of pristine lands on these reserves across Canada, so we see a lot of great projects from those communities.”

TD FEF funds come from thousands of donors across the country, many of whom served on boards of nearly 100 chapters in Canada to review applications. Common projects funded by TD FEF include wildlife rehabilitation, children’s educational programs, environmental cleanups, tree-planting campaigns, conservation and recycling programs, and urban renewal ventures.

To be eligible for TD FEF funding, applicants must be Canadian not-for-profit organizations with plans to use all the money within this country’s borders. Applicants must also have a charitable registration number and be able to provide charitable tax receipts for every dollar spent from the funds.

Of those successful applicants, Bonin is happy to see Aboriginal projects using the funds to save the environment.

“When we speak of those projects, we’re very proud of our efforts that go towards building sustainable communities and preserving land and waters,” said Bonin. “We definitely have some pretty good stuff going on.”