UFA Rural Communities offer $100K in grant funding

By LAUREN THOMSON Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on June 3, 2021.

For the third year in a row, the UFA Rural Communities Foundation is offering a $100,000 grant to projects submitted from all over rural Alberta.

Harvey Hagman, chair of the United Farmers Community Foundation and member of the board of the UFA, explains the grant.

“Two years ago we announced that we would commit $500,000 over five years to the rural communities so we’re in the third year of that.”

The money in the grant comes from United Farmers equity holders that “we’ve either lost or they’re passed on and they left some equity with the organization and so we decided to do something positive with it,” said Hagman. “We’re trying to do something positive for rural Alberta.”

A UFA RCF press release states, “The mandate of the foundation is to improve the sustainability of farmers and ranchers in Alberta by improving access to funding for educational, recreational and cultural facilities and programs in Alberta.”

Past winners featured on the RCF UFA website show the grant money has been used for everything from rodeo arenas to Heritage Museum renovations to skate parks to community gardens and green spaces.

This year is especially important, as the strain put on rural communities during COVID has been tough.

“A lot of these rural communities have strong volunteer groups,” Hagman said. “But volunteerism has been kind of shut down the last 16 months because of COVID. People can’t get together.”

Hagman said the money was split between three recipients the first year, and between four the second. He expects as it grows and investments do well, the UFA Grant will able to do more for rural Alberta in the coming years.

Find more information about how to apply on the website http://www.rcfufa.com. Applications can be submitted until Aug. 31.