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Orangeville Highlands Rotary Community Choice Grants Winners Announced!

Rotary Orangeville Highlands Members Revealing Winners of Rotary Community Choice Grants at Rotary’s Easter & Spring-themed outdoor display in front of the Lord Dufferin Retirement Centre.

Five nonprofits and charities serving the people of Orangeville will be receiving $1000 each!

On Wednesday, March 31, 2021, the Rotary Club of Orangeville Highlands announced the Rotary Community Choice Grants winners, a new program designed to help smaller and less known nonprofits and charities obtain funding. The public selected up to three local nonprofits and charities to receive $1,000. The three organizations that brought in the most votes were three out of the five selected. The Rotary Grants Committee selected the two other recipients to guarantee that even those without a large social media following, yet still doing important and ‘urgently-needed work, were able to benefit as well. Michele Fisher, Chair of the Rotary Grants Committee, said the goal of the initiative was to help “‘the little guys,’ where $1,000 can make a real difference in their programming.”

“Local nonprofits got behind it by mobilizing their supporters to vote,” explained Fisher. “The engagement was tremendous.”

The recipients of the Rotary Community Choice Grants were

  • Streams Community Hub
  • Alzheimer Society of Dufferin County
  • Ontario SPCA & Humane Society Orangeville
  • Fiddlehead Care Farm
  • Active Lives After School Dufferin

Streams Community Hub, Alzheimer Society of Dufferin County, and the Ontario SPCA & Humane Society Orangeville were all chosen by the community through voting. They each garnered 407, 367, and 326 votes, respectively. Fiddlehead Care Farm and Active Lives After School Dufferin were the two nonprofits selected by the Rotary Grants Committee. Rotary Club of Orangeville Highlands’ website contains more information on the grant beneficiaries. 

“There is no doubt that Orangeville is a community that cares. We hope that these grants help the five organizations through this especially challenging time of the pandemic,” said Michele Fisher. 

More than 2,500 people voted from March 17-24 for the 28 organizations considered suitable after being reviewed by the Orangeville HighlandsRotary Grants Committee. Orangeville Highlands shared what they said was the qualifying criteria involved, beyond being a registered charity or nonprofit, including serving Orangeville, proving need, consistent with Rotary’s 4-Way Test, and offering programs that fit within at least one of Rotary’s seven focus areas. One can find more details on their website.

“A huge thanks to everyone who got involved. This was truly a community effort,” expressed Fisher.

All in all, the community nominated 36 charities and nonprofits for the grants. Orangeville Highlands Rotary contacted the nominees and invited them to apply. All but two did so, and four others were deemed ineligible after being reviewed against the Rotary Grants Committee’s criteria.

Correction: Highlands corrected to proper spelling.

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Reference Links: Orangeville Highlands Rotary Community Choice Grants Winners Announced!

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