OTF Board Chair Helen Burstyn, Sandra Morris, Vice-President United Way of Canada, Judith Baril, Executive Director United Way of Leeds and Grenville, and OTF CEO Robin Cardozo celebrate a $594,800 OTF Province-Wide grant awarded to the United Way collaborative.

During its inaugural meeting in Toronto on January 27 and 28, Ontario Trillium Foundation Board Chair Helen Burstyn and CEO Robin Cardozo announced a grant of $594,800 to the ambitious United Way Community Matters project.

The OTF grant supports a province-wide partnership involving 17 of the smallest United Ways in Ontario and has local communities mobilizing to participate.

Community Matters: Engaging Community, Building Community will create a strategic planning framework that will give these 17 United Ways the tools to tap into local resources and build capacity locally. We can expect to see important social and economic benefits.

Judith Baril, Executive Director United Way of Leeds and Grenville, was instrumental in preparing the grant application. “This is a fantastic opportunity for all of the smaller United Ways to share, learn and envision strategically how we can best serve our local communities. We couldn’t be more excited about this support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.”

United Way and Ontario Trillium Foundation representatives celebrate a $594,800 OTF grant.

According to OTF Chair Helen Burstyn, “we’re very pleased to support the United Way movement, which, like our Foundation, has the privilege and responsibility to support a large diversity of needs.”

The 17 United Ways will be mentored by the largest United Ways in Ontario. They will take on a series of activities including community consultation, building issue-based approaches to priority setting, strategizing on volunteer engagement and collaborating with other funders.

The 17 United Ways are:
Huron United Way, Northumberland United Way, Porcupine United Way, United Way of Bruce-Grey, Elgin-St. Thomas United Way Services, United Way of Greater Fort Erie, United Way of Lanark County, United Way of Leeds and Grenville, United Way of Milton, United Way of Oxford County, United Way of Perth County, United Way of Sault Ste. Marie, United Way of South Niagara, United Way of Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry, United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes, United Way of the South Georgian Bay and United Way/Centreaide Upper Ottawa Valley Inc.