The Community Services Recovery Fund – supporting community organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic

By: Kathy Mueller, Canadian Red Cross
 
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic nearly three years ago, community service organizations across Canada have been at the forefront, providing services and support to those most vulnerable to the health, social and economic impacts of COVID-19.
 
Now, a new program has been launched to help community service organizations in Canada strengthen their internal structures and practices as they recover from the pandemic. This will, in turn, assist them as they continue to support their communities.
 
The Community Services Recovery Fund is a $400 million investment from the Government of Canada to support community service organizations including charities, non-profits and Indigenous governing bodies as they focus on how to adapt their organizations for pandemic recovery.
 
“The Community Services Recovery Fund is a unique opportunity for community service organizations to look inward and identify areas they would like to strengthen and build their capacity,” says Amy Avis, chief of recovery, Canadian Red Cross. “Do they want to invest in more training for their staff or volunteers? Do they want to adopt a new accounting system? Or perhaps they would like to purchase equipment to adapt a program or service. This Fund can help make their projects a reality.”
 
Projects funded under the Community Services Recovery Fund will fall under one of three project focus areas:
 

• Investing in People: Funding will support one-time projects that focus on how organizations recruit, retain, engage and support their personnel, including staff, volunteers and boards of directors.

 

• Investing in Systems and Processes: Funding will support one-time projects that invest in the systems and processes involved in creating the internal workings of an organization’s overall structure.

 

• Investing in Program and Service Innovation and Redesign: Funding will support one-time projects primarily focused on program and service innovation and redesign using information gained during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 
The Community Services Recovery Fund is an extension of the support for communities provided by the Government of Canada’s $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) at the onset of the pandemic. Through the ECSF, the Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada and United Way Centraide Canada combined their national reach and local expertise to flow funds quickly to where they were most needed.
 
Now, through the Community Services Recovery Fund, these organizations have again partnered to support community service organizations on building resilience as they adapt to the long-term impacts of the pandemic.

“The Canadian Red Cross is pleased to be selected by the Government of Canada as a National Funder for this vital program, alongside Community Foundations of Canada and United Way Centraide Canada,” says Emily Pietropaolo, vice-president recovery, Canadian Red Cross “It is a continuation of the support we have been providing communities from coast to coast to coast since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past three years, Red Cross personnel have supported organizations in strengthening mental health programming for those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, provided personal protective equipment, training and rapid antigen tests, and distributed funding to support community organizations as they continued to serve those most vulnerable.”
 
Projects approved under the Community Services Recovery Fund will begin on May 1, 2023 and must be completed by June 30, 2024. Applications will be accepted until February 21, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. PST.
 
For more information on the application process and to view available resources visit www.communityservicesrecoveryfund.ca.