All organizations are feeling the pinch after 15 months of a global pandemic and rural areas are no exception. 

Fortunately, the UFA Rural Communities Foundation is offering $100,000 in community grants again this year.

This is the third year of a five-year commitment by the Foundation to provide grants to qualifying groups and organizations in rural Alberta.

The funding has been offered to help fund projects in rural areas to create or improve various projects.

Cochrane and area have a rich farming and ranching background and the UFA Rural Communities Foundations’ mandate is to improve the sustainability of farmers and ranchers in Alberta by providing access to funding for educational, recreational, and cultural facilities and programs in Alberta.

“We know this has been a tough year for community groups. This is why we are proud to do our part to keep rural communities sustainable. We have seen the difference our grants have made to the communities and their projects. We made the commitment to give away $100,000 a year for five years and Covid-19 has shown us the importance of these grants,” said RCF board chair, Harvey Hagman.

An example of the UFA Community Grant program being put to good use was described by Hazel Bourke with the Onoway and District Historical Guild said they used $50,000 to kickstart the building of their heritage village and preserving the area’s history.

Organizations that qualify for the grant need to be registered charities or non-profit organizations and must be located within 200 kilometres of a UFA location.  

The grant application deadline is August 31, 2021

For more information and to access the online application form, click HERE.