Foundation Helps Manotick Kiwanis Expand Impact On Local Youth

By Ralph Tweedie, Manotick Kiwanis Club

There is strength in numbers! The many Kiwanis Clubs in Canada have joined forces to support the Kiwanis Foundation of Canada (KFC). In turn, the KFC’s purpose is to help individual clubs expand their impact on youth through a number of financial incentive programs.

The KFC provides more than $180,000 per year in scholarships and grants to eligible clubs to put back into the community. To be eligible, member clubs donate to the KFC. This is combined with donations from corporations, other foundations who support our work, and other groups or individual members. Through these programs, clubs can achieve a return on investment many times their initial donation.

KFC has programs divided into four categories: Youth Programs; Sponsored Leadership; Member Recognition; Kiwanis Growth. Our objectives are the Youth Programs and the Sponsored Leadership Programs.

The Youth programs:

Matching Scholarship Programs: KFC will match up to $1,000 per club to be distributed as scholarships to students in pursuit of education, high personal goals and community responsibility. With this money Manotick Kiwanis donates a $500 scholarship to a deserving member in each of our four Key Clubs. This is in addition to the scholarships Manotick Kiwanis donates to each of five area high schools.

Organized Youth Program Grant: KFC will provide a $500 grant when a Kiwanis Club donates a minimum of $1,000 to a Canadian organization for youth such as YOMA, Scouts and Cadets.

Send a Kid to Camp: KFC will provide a 50% matching grant up to $500 to send a kid(s) to summer camp.

The Sponsored Leadership Program:

KFC provides a Mel Osborne Scholarship of $500 to a member of a Kiwanis Service Leadership Program (e.g. Key Clubs and Circle K Clubs). Any Kiwanis club in Canada may apply for this grant.

KFC provides financial support to a new Service Leadership Program (SLP) club (I.e. K-Kids, Builder’s Clubs, Key Clubs, Circle K Clubs, AKtion Clubs).

The KFC has now announced two new programs: The Street Outreach Grant and the Kiwanis Environmental Grant:

The Street Outreach Grant: Every day, one in five children in Canada are in danger of going to school on an empty stomach. This grant focuses on the basic needs of those less fortunate that need support. The project scope should involve youth with a priority to projects that address basic youth needs (food, clothing, shelter and health care). If the project has a strong financial commitment and significant hands on Kiwanis involvement, a club can apply for a matching grant of up to $5,000.

The Kiwanis Environmental Grant: This grant is available to all Canadian Kiwanis Clubs and their sponsored Leadership programs for funding of environmental oriented projects in Canada. The project must be a Kiwanis Club project, not a donation to another organization. A club can apply for a matching grant of up to $5,000.

The Kiwanis Foundation of Canada helps local clubs to focus on significant projects for our communities. Together, we do more!

(Photo – St. Mark student Avery Brazier accepts her Kiwanis Key Club scholarship award.The Manotick Kiwanis Club also presents scholarships to students at South Carleton and St. Francis Xavier High Schools.)