Make Your Mark: City Launches One-Time Grant for Local Non-Profits

City Council approved the redistribution of unused grant funding to give registered non-profit organizations in Lethbridge the financial support to make a difference in the community.

The grant, Make Your Mark (MYM), offers capital funding previously allocated to the Community Capital Projects Grant (CCPG) which supports non-profit organizations in enhancing their capacity to provide community services. The CCPG focuses on projects that promote inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility in recreational, educational, and wellbeing opportunities. 

“We often hear from non-profits who find it difficult to meet some of the criteria needed to qualify for some grants opportunities such as matching funding,” says Matthew Pitcher, Community Social Development. “The Make Your Mark program provides a funding opportunity for small and mid-sized projects that address challenges in the community.”

During and immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic, the CCPG was undersubscribed due to economic challenges that hindered organizations’ ability to complete projects. This led to a balance of approximately $600,000 of CCPG funds that have gone unspent. 

“We don’t want to see a balance of grant funding go unused as we know there are projects in the community that could really use this support,” says Mayor Blaine Hyggen. “This type of funding was intended to be used for projects of this nature, so rather than see this money go unused, we’re pleased to see the Make Your Mark grant criteria shaped to make the funds available for the community.”

Now approved, the MYM program will be awarded through a competitive grant application process, similar to the CCPG. The main difference is the MYM program will support organizations who have been limited by the two-thirds matching requirement of CCPG by providing 100 per cent of project funding for impactful small and mid-sized projects (max $50,000).

The application deadline for the MYM grant is March 31. To learn more about the Make Your Mark grant program or apply, click here.

For Public Inquiries:
Call 311 | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.