Dozen social agencies get funding from City of Kelowna

KELOWNA – Only half of the groups applying to improve the social well-being of Kelowna residents are getting funding this year.

Twenty-three groups applied for funding from the City of Kelowna’s Community Social Development Grants but only 12 received grants.

The budget was $187,000 and that was fully spent. Community groups applied for $358,000.

All but one grant was for operational purposes.

The biggest grant went to NOW Canada at $36,000, with $30,000 going to Freedom’s Door, $25,000 to Hands in Service, $22,000 to the John Howard Society and $20,000 to Kelowna Pride.

All the other grants were for $15,000 or less.

The Central Okanagan Foundation, under contract to the City, has been determining who gets the grants since 2005. A report on the grants will go to Kelowna City Council on Monday, May 13.

The report doesn't say which groups did not get grants.


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Rob Munro

Rob Munro has a long history in journalism after starting an underground newspaper in Whitehorse called the Yukon Howl in 1980. He spent five years at the 100 Mile Free Press, starting in the darkroom, moving on to sports and news reporting before becoming the advertising manager. He came to Kelowna in 1989 as a reporter for the Kelowna Daily Courier, and spent the 1990s mostly covering city hall. For most of the past 20 years he worked full time for the union representing newspaper workers throughout B.C. He’s returned to his true love of being a reporter with a special focus on civic politics