Community-based organizations and rural communities across Canada needing to fund a project can apply to Farm Credit Canada’s AgriSpirit Fund.

$1.5-million is available for registered charities, non-profit organizations, and First Nation, Metis, & Inuit communities who apply for the fund. 

FCC’s Manager of Community Investment Carla Warnyca says eligible projects can get between 10 and 25 thousand dollars for capital projects that will enrich the lives of residents in their communities. 

According to a news release from FCC, projects can include “greenhouses, community gardens and other agriculture and food-related initiatives, refrigeration and equipment to support food waste reduction and recovery, projects that improve accessibility and inclusion, or upgrades that reduce a building’s energy footprint.”

She mentioned a few Saskatchewan communities who utilized the AgriSpirit Fund — Fort Qu’Appelle to purchase refrigeration and food preservation equipment for a community kitchen, Melville upgraded LED lighting for a community hall, and the Kinistin Saulteaux Nation used it for a greenhouse and community gardens.

Warnyca says the fund is a handy tool for rural communities given how difficult it can be to obtain money, and it comes at a time when sustainability and climate change is top of mind for many.

“We see organizations across the country working on being more sustainable and this is an opportunity for them to access some funding to meet their sustainability goals,” said Warnyca. 

The deadline to apply is May 15 and information on how to apply can be found at www.fccagrispiritfund.ca. FCC will announce the selected projects in the fall.

Since the AgriSpirit Fund’s inception in 2004, FCC has supported 1,615 capital projects in rural Canada totaling $21 million in donations.