January 27, 2021
Grants from Round 2 of Emergency Community Support Fund
We added more to our list of ECSF grants, including support for Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, Christie Lake Kids, and Operation Come Home.
December 16, 2020
Stepping forward, together.
Read the year-end message from OCF President and CEO Marco Pagani
November 18, 2020
“Can I still donate to the COVID -19 Rapid Response Fund?”
In July, we began winding down the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund. Since then, we’ve heard from donors who wish to continue supporting COVID-19 related activities at the Foundation. We want to let you know that you can still make a donation to the Rapid Response Fund. While we are not currently making grants from the fund, donors can be confident that their contribution will go to COVID-19 efforts as we work towards a thoughtful recovery. Please continue to check our website for updates.
July 20, 2020
COVID -19 Rapid Response Fund winding down
As we begin to wind down the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund, please note that we are no longer accepting grant proposals. We want to thank our donors for their commitment to bringing Ottawa together in a time of need and the front line agencies that continue to help vulnerable populations across the city. We recognize there is more work to be done on the path to recovery. Please continue to check our website for updates.
July 8, 2020
List of ECSF and Rapid Response Grants updated
We added more to our list of grants, including support for Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa, Education Foundation of Ottawa and Villa Marconi Long Term Care Centre.
June 18, 2020
Rapid Response Grants updated, ECSF funding has now been fully allocated
More Rapid Response Grants have been added to our list, including support for Ausome Ottawa, Operation Come Home, Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa, and more. We have also now granted the full funding available to our community foundation through the ECSF so are no longer accepting applications.
June 11, 2020
Rapid Response Grants updated
Our list of grants now includes projects supported by the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF). We are proud to be working with Community Foundations of Canada and the Government of Canada to deliver funding in Ottawa.
May 21, 2020
List of Rapid Response Grants updated
We added more to our ongoing list of Rapid Response Grants, including support for Muslim Family Services of Ottawa, Hospice Care Ottawa, Overbrook Community Association, and the CNIB Foundation.
May 19, 2020
Emergency Community Support Fund launches
Launching today, the Government of Canada’s new Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) aims to provide additional and much-needed assistance to charities and non-profit organizations serving those disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 15, 2020
Taking it to another level
A message from President and CEO Marco Pagani
Food. Shelter. Mental Health. Income. These basic human needs in our community are real — and our community’s generosity in meeting them is evident. With more than $1.6 million contributed to our COVID-related support, our ability to match philanthropy with critical needs is solid.
May 1, 2020
Response → Recovery → Rebuild
A message from President and CEO Marco Pagani
The last time we communicated with you we shared that while we are still actively seeking out and responding to immediate and critical needs related to COVID-19, we are also looking ahead to evolve to a coordinated systems-level approach to more deliberately migrate to a Response-Recovery-Rebuild model. In this update, I would like to share two examples of this with you.
April 23, 2020
List of Rapid Response Grants updated
We added more to our ongoing list of Rapid Response Grants, including support for Jewish Family Services, Connected Canadians, and Carty House.
April 14, 2020
The latest on our response
In this update, we would like to bring you up-to-date on the support we have provided to the community since we launched the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund three weeks ago.
April 9, 2020
More grants to community organizations serving vulnerable populations
We continue to make grants for urgent needs in the community. We added more to our ongoing list, including support for EcoEquitable, Parent Resource Centre, and Ottawa Inner City Health.
April 2, 2020
Updates: COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund
The COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund from the Ottawa Community Foundation was a response to an unprecedented situation. We asked you to join a community of donors to support urgent issues in this time of uncertainty.
You responded.
March 20, 2020
We’ve launched the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund. This fund supports urgent issues, particularly those being experienced disproportionately within vulnerable sectors. This includes those sectors without access to other supports, such as government subsidies. Priorities are changing, sometimes hour by hour, and this fund is designed to respond to pressing needs.
March 18, 2020
We know that most of you have been receiving a deluge of information from many sources about COVID-19. We want to let you know where things currently stand at the Ottawa Community Foundation. Despite the pandemic and the economic downturn, the policies and practices we put in place years ago guarantee that we can still meet our grantmaking and operational commitments. We are already thinking about the downstream impacts of the current crisis.
Our Office
On March 15th, we implemented our Business Continuity Plan. Under these extenuating circumstances we’re maintaining key functions. Our staff is working from home with some at the office only when absolutely required for things that cannot be done remotely. All meetings will take place virtually. We are available to you by phone and email during our regular hours, and of course beyond that if required.
Donations
Currently, donations that come in by cheque will be deposited. However, we anticipate that this may not be possible if Ottawa Public Health imposes a strict containment directive. In preparation and as possible we encourage online giving through our website. Transfer of shares are done electronically already. We will continue to issue tax receipts.
Grants
For our colleagues in the community, our Grants Committee will continue to meet (virtually) so we can maintain our customary timelines with respect to the Spring Grants Cycle. If you haven’t yet sent us your Electronic Funds Transfer Direct Deposit information, please make this a priority in the event that we are no longer able to issue cheques.
Our Role
We also recognize that beyond this ability to maintain core business, the OCF has a unique role to play in supporting organizations that serve those who are likely to be even more vulnerable in light of the measures that need to be taken to manage the broad public health implications. We are working to develop a strategy on this in partnership with others.
Bottom line is that, aside from face-to-face meetings, it is business as usual as much as possible. We will continue to keep you informed as required.
January 27, 2021
Grants from Round 2 of Emergency Community Support Fund
We added more to our list of ECSF grants, including support for Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, Christie Lake Kids, and Operation Come Home.
December 16, 2020
Stepping forward, together.
Read the year-end message from OCF President and CEO Marco Pagani
November 18, 2020
“Can I still donate to the COVID -19 Rapid Response Fund?”
In July, we began winding down the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund. Since then, we’ve heard from donors who wish to continue supporting COVID-19 related activities at the Foundation. We want to let you know that you can still make a donation to the Rapid Response Fund. While we are not currently making grants from the fund, donors can be confident that their contribution will go to COVID-19 efforts as we work towards a thoughtful recovery. Please continue to check our website for updates.
July 8, 2020
List of ECSF and Rapid Response Grants updated
We added more to our list of grants, including support for Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa, Education Foundation of Ottawa and Villa Marconi Long Term Care Centre.
June 18, 2020
Rapid Response Grants updated, ECSF funding has now been fully allocated
More Rapid Response Grants have been added to our list, including support for Ausome Ottawa, Operation Come Home, Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa, and more. We have also now granted the full funding available to our community foundation through the ECSF so are no longer accepting applications.
June 11, 2020
Rapid Response Grants updated
Our list of grants now includes projects supported by the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF). We are proud to be working with Community Foundations of Canada and the Government of Canada to deliver funding in Ottawa.
May 21, 2020
List of Rapid Response Grants updated
We added more to our ongoing list of Rapid Response Grants, including support for Muslim Family Services of Ottawa, Hospice Care Ottawa, Overbrook Community Association, and the CNIB Foundation.
May 19, 2020
Emergency Community Support Fund launches
Launching today, the Government of Canada’s new Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) aims to provide additional and much-needed assistance to charities and non-profit organizations serving those disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 15, 2020
Taking it to another level
A message from President and CEO Marco Pagani
Food. Shelter. Mental Health. Income. These basic human needs in our community are real — and our community’s generosity in meeting them is evident. With more than $1.6 million contributed to our COVID-related support, our ability to match philanthropy with critical needs is solid.
May 1, 2020
Response → Recovery → Rebuild
A message from President and CEO Marco Pagani
The last time we communicated with you we shared that while we are still actively seeking out and responding to immediate and critical needs related to COVID-19, we are also looking ahead to evolve to a coordinated systems-level approach to more deliberately migrate to a Response-Recovery-Rebuild model. In this update, I would like to share two examples of this with you.
April 23, 2020
List of Rapid Response Grants updated
We added more to our ongoing list of Rapid Response Grants, including support for Jewish Family Services, Connected Canadians, and Carty House.
April 14, 2020
The latest on our response
In this update, we would like to bring you up-to-date on the support we have provided to the community since we launched the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund three weeks ago.
April 9, 2020
More grants to community organizations serving vulnerable populations
We continue to make grants for urgent needs in the community. We added more to our ongoing list, including support for EcoEquitable, Parent Resource Centre, and Ottawa Inner City Health.
April 2, 2020
Updates: COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund
The COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund from the Ottawa Community Foundation was a response to an unprecedented situation. We asked you to join a community of donors to support urgent issues in this time of uncertainty.
You responded.
March 20, 2020
We’ve launched the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund. This fund supports urgent issues, particularly those being experienced disproportionately within vulnerable sectors. This includes those sectors without access to other supports, such as government subsidies. Priorities are changing, sometimes hour by hour, and this fund is designed to respond to pressing needs.
March 18, 2020
We know that most of you have been receiving a deluge of information from many sources about COVID-19. We want to let you know where things currently stand at the Ottawa Community Foundation. Despite the pandemic and the economic downturn, the policies and practices we put in place years ago guarantee that we can still meet our grantmaking and operational commitments. We are already thinking about the downstream impacts of the current crisis.
Our Office
On March 15th, we implemented our Business Continuity Plan. Under these extenuating circumstances we’re maintaining key functions. Our staff is working from home with some at the office only when absolutely required for things that cannot be done remotely. All meetings will take place virtually. We are available to you by phone and email during our regular hours, and of course beyond that if required.
Donations
Currently, donations that come in by cheque will be deposited. However, we anticipate that this may not be possible if Ottawa Public Health imposes a strict containment directive. In preparation and as possible we encourage online giving through our website. Transfer of shares are done electronically already. We will continue to issue tax receipts.
Grants
For our colleagues in the community, our Grants Committee will continue to meet (virtually) so we can maintain our customary timelines with respect to the Spring Grants Cycle. If you haven’t yet sent us your Electronic Funds Transfer Direct Deposit information, please make this a priority in the event that we are no longer able to issue cheques.
Our Role
We also recognize that beyond this ability to maintain core business, the OCF has a unique role to play in supporting organizations that serve those who are likely to be even more vulnerable in light of the measures that need to be taken to manage the broad public health implications. We are working to develop a strategy on this in partnership with others.
Bottom line is that, aside from face-to-face meetings, it is business as usual as much as possible. We will continue to keep you informed as required.