Connecting is the official newsletter of the Alberta Ecotrust Foundation.
UPCOMING EVENTS
November 2004
"Maximizing Effectiveness" Report Recommends Changes to Community Grants Program
Close to 100 people gathered on November 8th at the Kahanoff Conference Centre to hear first hand the important results of our new study Maximizing Effectiveness - An Assessment of Environmental Priorities and Voluntary Sector Capacity Needs in Alberta.
Alberta Ecotrust has been a significant environmental grantmaker in this province for thirteen years and we think it’s important to be more proactive in both funding effective environmental projects and in supporting the voluntary sector in ways that will improve their capacity to undertake those projects that will have the largest impact over time and lead ultimately to environmental sustainability.
The analysis of this information will improve the effectiveness of Alberta Ecotrust as an environmental grantmaker. We are committed to meaningful impacts and want to ensure that we are responsive to the environmental and organizational needs of the community sector.
We have used the information in this assessment to guide us in allocating resources to those issues widely identified as environmental priorities. We will also focus more on supporting the groups who are both capable of undertaking the work and who are willing to be as strategic as possible in working toward protection of critical ecosystems. Look for exciting new program guidelines in January!
Not surprising, water supply and quality was identified as the priority environmental issue in Alberta by a number of experts in industry, government, academia and the environmental community.
“We live in a semi-arid environment, so reduced water availability is a reality; yet our economic systems don’t consider such environmental constraints.”
Click here to download the Summary Report
The Full Report will be available on the website in January.
Grant Program Update
Nine environmental non-profit organizations received a good news call from Alberta Ecotrust grant coordinator Jill Kirker last week congratulating them on being chosen as successful applicants for Alberta Ecotrust's fall funding round.
The project review committee worked diligently through October reviewing grant applications and interviewing applicants and then gathered to culminate the process on November 9th at their bi-annual meeting. In total, $100,000 was distributed among the nine new projects, bringing the total dollars distributed since 1992 to over $3.5 million. Congratulations to our grantees!
The new Road Watch website will help residents of Crowsnest Pass track wildlife movement
Please follow the links below for more information on:
Alberta Ecotrust partners, the board of directors and staff members all offer a warm welcome and huge note of appreciation to two new organizations who have recently joined as partners of Alberta Ecotrust. On the corporate side, CIBC and on the environmental NGO side, Defenders of Wildlife Canada .
Thanks to the efforts of a number of people, particularly Charles Fischer, President & CEO of Nexen and Alberta Ecotrust’s fund development committee members a number of new donors have joined the Ecotrust family in the last few months.
Thank you to all of our new and existing donors . We look forward to working with you to fund community projects that focus on positive solutions to important environmental issues!
For information on how you or your company can help support environmental change in action, please contact Wanda Spooner, Communications and Development Manager at 209-2245 or wspooner@albertaecotrust.com.
Alberta Ecotrust Ecohouse Update Alberta Ecotrust's ambitious project to design, develop and sell an Ecohouse in partnership with Jayman Master Builder and SAIT is building momentum and gaining support throughout the province. We are proud to announce that Alberta Real Estate Foundation has increased their commitment to the project and have contributed $100,000 as Founding Sponsor of this initiative. Petro-Canada has also recently come on board as a Leadership Sponsor with an investment of $25,000 towards the project. For a complete list of project partners as well as project overview and timeline, parameters, ENGO and community participation, the design charrette process and sponsorship opportunities, please visit our website.
Comings and Goings
We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you and goodbye to a few friends of Alberta Ecotrust.
First we would like to thank Greg Belland and Erin Burrell who worked passionately and tirelessly to coordinate Alberta Ecotrust's interests in the Kananaskis Summit Environmental Legacy Fund. Both Greg and Erin have moved on to new challenges as the activities surrounding the G8 Legacy have come to a close. Secondly, we bid a fond farewell to several long-time members of the Project Review Committee. These folks have donated numerous hours to reviewing the grant proposals to the foundation and have provided very welcome knowledge and insight into the selection process. Sonja Mihelcic of the Sierra Club, Prairie Chapter has participated in the grant discussions since 1999 and has been a tremendous help with monitoring supported projects in the Edmonton area. Sonja will now be partnering with Alberta Ecotrust in a different manner: as a grantee. The Sierra Club, Prairie Chapter has recently been awarded a grant for their “Smart Growth: Assessing the Needs of Albertans” project. Glen Semenchuk (Federation of Alberta Naturalists), Rob Gardner (Society of Grasslands Naturalists), and Myrna Pearman (Red Deer River Naturalists) are also stepping down after participating since 2001. We will certainly miss their skills in evaluating proposals from the community.
Jim Pissot, new partner and ENGO Co-Chair of the Project Review Committee joins ENGO Co-Chair, Guy Greenaway and Executive Director Pat Letizia at the launch of "Maximizing Effectiveness" Jim Pissot, Executive Director of Defenders of Wildlife Canada is a welcome addition to the partnership and to the Board of Directors of Alberta Ecotrust in the position of ENGO Co-Chair of the Project Review Committee. Although a relative new comer to Canada, he enjoys dual Canadian-US citizenship. Jim is becoming well known in the Bow Corridor and beyond and has been building relationships with multiple stakeholders across the province. Jim joined the board of the Alberta Ecotrust in September 2004 and brings a wealth of experience about environmental grantmaking and program development to our organization as he previously worked as a senior staffer in conservation organizations and a grassroots program officer for an environmental focused foundation. Through Defenders of Wildlife Canada, he is very active in roads and wildlife issues, in reducing livestock depredation using non-lethal methods, and in carnivore conservation in the province. Welcome to the team Jim!
Alberta Ecotrust is the leader in building partnerships to create sustainable environmental benefits in our community.
