Seniors care. Youth training. Community connections. Skills development. Homelessness prevention. New immigrant care. 

All of these services are key elements to ensuring a strong social fabric, but no one group can meet all of the social needs present in our community. 

That’s why the Human Service Advisory Board (HSAB) is proud to once again invite all community organizations to submit a grant application for their programs that help meet the social services needs of Chestermere. 

“The call for applications for the 2022 HSAB grant program is now open,” says Board Chair Scot Caithness. “We invite all of Chestermere’s community organizations to apply for funding so that we can together best meet the needs of our city.”

HSAB funds have been allocated to many different organizations in the past and supported important programs like home visitations, volunteer mentorship, food security programs, financial literacy classes, teen leadership, mental health and more. 

And while the HSAB would like to be able to support all the requests presented to them, the total amount of funding is limited, so City Council has set new parameters on how the funding will be allocated going forward. 

The first change (that is in place for 2022 applications) is that funding must go to programs that specifically help meet the needs identified in the Social Investment Framework.

“Our Social Investment Framework (SIF) is a research-based plan that identifies the most urgent and prevalent social needs in Chestermere,” says Danielle Fermin, Manager of Chestermere’s Social Services. “By aligning funding allocations to the desired outcomes of the SIF, Council can be sure that the grants provided are put towards their strategic social priorities.”  

The deadline to apply for 2022 funding is August 27, 2021. 

The second change will come into effect for the 2023 funding allocation and specifies that the HSAB should allocate no more than 35 percent of available funding for each eligible grant stream per agency. This will help ensure that all community organizations have access to portions of the funding. 

“As our community grows, we want to ensure that our social investments are equitably allocated,” says Danielle Fermin, Manager of Chestermere’s Social Services. “With these new changes from City Council, the HSAB grant allocation program will become more streamlined, more equitable, and more effective in supporting programs that meet the specific needs identified in our Social Investment Framework.”

For more information about the HSAB grants, and how to apply for funding, visit Human Services Advisory Board Grants | Chestermere, AB - Official Website.