Muskoka Community Foundation (MCF) is initiating an innovative granting approach for 2015. The Foundation is inviting Muskoka’s charities and their community partners to apply for “Spirit of Wasan Island Grants” for highly visible and collaborative projects that have an immediate impact in building a smart & caring Muskoka.

The inspiration for this granting opportunity is an outcome of MCF’s September 2014 symposium at Wasan Island, “Building a Smart & Caring Muskoka”, which was attended by thirty people representing Muskoka Community Foundation, donors, Muskoka charities, not-for-profit organizations and community and municipal leaders. The “Spirit of Wasan Island Grants” grew out of these conversations.

The report that summarizes this symposium is available here:

A total of $22,000 is available to one or more registered charity In Muskoka, for one or more projects. Multiple projects with smaller budgets may be given preference, if greater impact can be achieved.

The project must:

• Be a specific, tangible and doable project.
• Involve a collaboration of more than one organization that is led by a charity.
• Have an outcome with high visibility that benefits all members of the collaborative group and the Muskoka Community Foundation.
• Be completed in 2015.
• Have a well-defined purpose that results in an impact that continues the spirit and energy initiated at Wasan Island.
• Contribute to building a smart and caring Muskoka.

The application deadline is Friday, March 13, 2015 at 4:00 pm Eastern Time.

If you have any questions about grants, please contact Margaret Urquhart, Program Director at 705-646-1220 or margaret@muskokacommunityfoundation.ca

Approval of a grant does not commit MCF to future funding.

All successful applicants will be asked to publicly acknowledge MCF’s support of their initiative and partner with MCF in sharing the good news about their grant and initiative with the community of Muskoka.