Thousands of dollars will soon be on the table for eligible non-profit groups in Coquitlam to pay for new projects or to replace revenue lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tonight (Feb. 7), city council is expected to relaunch the Spirit of Coquitlam Grant Program, as well as offer a total of $50,000 in grants to groups that didn’t qualify for money last year under the city’s Community Support and Recovery Program (CSRP).
The Revenue Recovery grants — up to $5,000 each — are set to be doled out at the same time as the Spirit of Coquitlam grants; the intake starts next month, with city council reviewing and approving the list of recommended recipients in June or July.
The two initiatives come after a review of the Spirit of Coquitlam Grant Program.
In 2019, council moved $340,000 from the Casino Municipal Capital Fund — of which Coquitlam, in past years, has received 10 per cent of the annual net profits for being the host city to the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver — into the Spirit of Coquitlam account to provide a base.
Groups like the Terry Fox Foundation, the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau, Festival du Bois and ScotFestBC also got committed funding as part of the city review.
In addition, city staff also tweaked the eligibility requirements for the Spirit of Coquitlam Grant Program, which council is due to confirm Monday, to, among other things:
- better reflect the city’s strategic priorities
- add more language for the arts and sports hosting
- encourage applicants to apply for provincial gaming grants
In pre-pandemic years, the City of Coquitlam took in about $7 million a year as host to the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver on United Boulevard; the publicly traded business closed in March 2020 and reopened in July 2021 to meet provincial health protocols.
IS YOUR GROUP ELIGIBLE?
According to the new eligibility criteria, non-profits wanting to apply for Spirit of Coquitlam grants must:
- be not-for-profit organizations operating in a professional manner, incorporated under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, or under the equivalent provincial or territorial legislation
- Parent Advisory Councils may apply for playground equipment in line with the Playground Equipment category guidelines
- demonstrate that their organization has been active in the execution of their mandate for at least the previous calendar year
- be in good financial standing with the city
- follow all applicable city codes of conduct, bylaws and regulations
Email [email protected] for more details or for an application form.
