Human Services Advisory Grants &
Social Investment Framework
The City of Chestermere has developed a joint application process for the streamlined administration of Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) and United Way/Chestermere Partnership Funding. This process contributes to effectively allocating resources and achieving desired social outcomes. The application has been developed with prevention, early intervention and community development as foundational program delivery strategies for reaching our overarching goals and priority outcomes.
Apply For Funding
To receive a copy of the 2023 Chestermere Funding Proposal forms for the 2024 funding cycle please
e-mail grants@chestermere.ca. The deadline to submit a completed proposal package is March 31, 2023 by 4:00pm
- It is strongly recommended that you View the 2024 Chestermere Funding Information Package before submitting.
- Funding must go to programs that specifically help meet the needs identified in the Social Investment Framework.
- For 2024, a total of $183,394.00 is available to support local initiatives that contribute to the advancement of social inclusion and equitable practices.
- Eligible service providers include: not-for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations, and registered charities.
- Projects are funded for a one year period, from January to December, with no expectation of continued funding beyond that term.
Family & Community Support Services
Family and Community Support Services is a program of the Government of Alberta, legislated in 1966, which provides funding on an 80% provincial 20% municipal cost-shared basis to municipalities and Metis settlements to develop, support, and/or fund preventative social services within their jurisdictions.
United Way / Chestermere Partnership
The Human Services Advisory and Grant Funding Adjudication Committee oversees the allocation of United Way Partnership funding in Chestermere and are guided by the desired results for communities identified by the United Way of Alberta. These desired results target the most critical needs in communities and will make a significant difference in changing the lives of people experiencing poverty in our community; and the many others at risk.
Community Support Services is responsible for the provision of preventive social services for City residents and has incorporated the Department’s Guiding Principles into a Social Investment Framework. This investment framework will guide the allocation and distribution of resources and funding to fit within the Family and Community Support Services mandate and the United Way/Chestermere Partnership mandate respectively.
These priorities are limited to investments in service delivery through prevention, early intervention and community development programs and services through which our over-arching goals and priority outcomes can be achieved (see the model below).
Past Human Services Advisory Grant Recipients
2023 Recipients
United Way Funding – $43,394.00
Accredited Supports to the Community – $8,000.00
Healthy Families is a Home Visitation program for families with children 0-6 years. Providing in-home support, information and referrals in the areas of child development, positive parenting, family support, and community resources. Following guidelines established for Home Visitation by the Alberta Human Services Ministry and are members of the Alberta Home Visitation Network Association. The program has the unique ability to work with a family until the youngest child reaches school age. This allows that some families are on caseload for a few months, some for a few years.
Camp Chestermere – $9,338.00
CLTD Teen Leadership is open to all Chestermere teenage residents as well as those outside of Chestermere. The program aims to help students develop into effective leaders not only at the camp but in their schools, sports teams and other activities they are involved in. Through sessions, activities, team-building games, applicable resources and more, Camp Chestermere encourages participants to explore their skills and abilities, learn how they best lead and work in a team, learn what healthy life choices look like, and learnt to value the importance of charity and volunteer work in their communities.
Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta – $5,000.00
Financial Literacy, Work Readiness, and Entrepreneurship for Chestermere Youth is comprised of 11 unique, age-appropriate and curriculum aligned programs. The program establishes skills at a young age and builds upon them in a consistent manner as students progress in a school setting from grades 1 to 12.
Synergy – $15,187.00
SHOUT Based on the One Circle Curriculum, the weekly SHOUT Boys/Girls Program has been delivered to the community and local schools for the past few years. Program Coordinators are able to adapt the program content and activities to meet the specific needs of youth ages 10-13 as well as 13+ in each session. Each program has individual lesson plans with goals that target fundamental aspects of youth development which include goals of building healthy relationships.
Trellis Society – $5,819.00
Six Week Circle Time in the Park 0-5 years old is a program held in a centrally located local park during the summer months that ensures all children reach their full potential and receive the best possible start in life through connection, learning and growing.
FCSS Funding – $130,000.00
Camp Chestermere – $24,888.00
Helping All Campers Succeed offers 1:1 program care for children with a wide variety of needs including ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s, Mental Health Concerns, Development Delays and more. Campers are assigned a leader for their week at camp who contact the families before arrival to work with them on designing programming for their child. These leaders would also provide training for all camp staff to ensure everyone is involved in helping all campers succeed.
Camp Chestermere – $9,880.00
TheVolunteer Mentorship Program Coordinatorinterviews potential people who have been recommended through the Gateway program run by the Calgary Police Service. This coordinator provides more one on one assistance to the participants and supervises them while onsite at the camp. The position was expanded in 2018 to be able to welcome more participants who may have been recommended by their parents, other local agencies and the local RCMP detachment. The coordinator will also manage requests from volunteers in the community who wish to fulfil roles at the camp in the work crews, kitchen, water sports and more.
Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association – $34,000.00
Counselling Supports for Immigrant Families supports families living in Chestermere by providing customized culturally sensitive support services in 11 languages that empower immigrant women and their families to develop independence, strengthen coping skills, become more resistant to crisis and promote peaceful and harmonious living.
Chestermere Food Bank – $10,000.00
TheCommunity Kitchen will offer a safe place where small groups can come together in a commercial kitchen to prepare meals to be taken home to feed families or to be donated within the community to “Feed the Need.”
Chestermere Public Library – $5,732.00
Afterschool at CPLis a free and inclusive program with various activities and different focuses set for each day for children and families outside of school setting.
Synergy – $45,500.00
SHOUT Based on the One Circle Curriculum, the weekly SHOUT Boys/Girls Program has been delivered to the community and local schools for the past four years. Program Coordinators are able to adapt the program content and activities to meet the specific needs of youth ages 10-13 as well as 13+ in each session. Each program has individual lesson plans with goals that target fundamental aspects of youth development which include goals of building healthy relationships.
2022 Recipients
United Way/Chestermere Partnership Funding – $50,000
Accredited Supports to the Community – $8,000.00
Healthy Families is a Home Visitation program for families with children 0-6 years. Providing in-home support, information and referrals in the areas of child development, positive parenting, family support, and community resources. Following guidelines established for Home Visitation by the Alberta Human Services Ministry and are members of the Alberta Home Visitation Network Association. The program has the unique ability to work with a family until the youngest child reaches school age. This allows that some families are on caseload for a few months, some for a few years.
Camp Chestermere – $22,000.00
Helping All Campers Succeed offers 1:1 program care for children with a wide variety of needs including ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s, Mental Health Concerns, Development Delays and more. Campers are assigned a leader for their week at camp who contact the families before arrival to work with them on designing programming for their child. These leaders would also provide training for all camp staff to ensure everyone is involved in helping all campers succeed.
Chestermere Food Bank – $15,000.00
Diversity and Inclusion Hampers will focus on the intake process and additional information being gathered from clients related to cultural backgrounds and dietary requests. This additional staff time will assist with creating hampers that include food products that are safe for intolerances and ethnically diverse. The program will also work to educate all clients on foods they are not familiar with my including new food items and simple recipes available to try.
Chestermere Food Bank – $5,000.00
The Good Food Box is a program that promotes access to fresh produce to families at a low cost through three different box options once per month. Fresh fruit and vegetables help in preventive and early intervention in physical and mental health, providing protective factors through nutrition and fostering a healthier lifestyle.
Family and Community Support Services Funding – $129,894.00
Camp Chestermere – $9,000.00
CLTD Teen Leadership is open to all Chestermere teenage residents as well as those outside of Chestermere. The program aims to help students develop into effective leaders not only at the camp but in their schools, sports teams and other activities they are involved in. Through sessions, activities, team-building games, applicable resources and more, Camp Chestermere encourages participants to explore their skills and abilities, learn how they best lead and work in a team, learn what healthy life choices look like, and learnt to value the importance of charity and volunteer work in their communities.
Camp Chestermere – $8,608.00
The Volunteer Mentorship Program Coordinator interviews potential people who have been recommended through the Gateway program run by the Calgary Police Service. This coordinator provides more one on one assistance to the participants and supervises them while onsite at the camp. The position was expanded in 2018 to be able to welcome more participants who may have been recommended by their parents, other local agencies and the local RCMP detachment. The coordinator will also manage requests from volunteers in the community who wish to fulfil roles at the camp in the work crews, kitchen, water sports and more.
Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta – $4,500.00
Financial Literacy, Work Readiness, and Entrepreneurship for Chestermere Youthis comprised of 10 unique, age-appropriate and curriculum aligned programs. The program establishes skills at a young age and builds upon them in a consistent manner as students progress in a school setting from grades 1 to 12.
Lake Ridge Community Church – $4,900.00
The Unpacked Podcast & Live Events Serieswill be a live event recording where the community can attend and enjoy guests that will share on self-care, mental health and lessons learned from their own vulnerable experiences and dive into being human through the lens of storytelling.
Synergy – $31,500.00
Care and Connection is a project to promote and support positive mental health for people of all ages. The project aims to support and educate youth, families, and community members on building coping skills, increasing resiliency, knowing when to seek support, understanding the importance of prevention and early intervention, and connecting community members to resources and services.
Synergy – $7,500.00
Mental Health Coalition is a multi-sectoral group of professionals and community members who have come together with the goal of supporting and encouraging the positive mental health of the community as a whole. The Mental Health Coalition was established in April 2019 and is coordinated by Synergy in partnership with the Calgary Rural Primary Care Network. The idea for the Coalition came from an increasing observation of the need for organizations and agencies to concentrate their efforts in supporting youth, family and community mental health.
Synergy – $54,300.00
SHOUT Based on the One Circle Curriculum, the weekly SHOUT Boys/Girls Program has been delivered to the community and local schools for the past four years. Program Coordinators are able to adapt the program content and activities to meet the specific needs of youth ages 10-13 as well as 13+ in each session. Each program has individual lesson plans with goals that target fundamental aspects of youth development which include goals of building healthy relationships.
Trellis Society – $9,586.00
Youth Space aims to deliver creative art and activity-based programming to support youth in becoming connected and enhance their well-being. The programming will be universal in nature to allow a broad subset of youth to join programming and help facilitators identify those youth and families who may benefit from additional or alternative services. Programming will include drop-in, registered and employment skills workshops.
2021 Recipients
United Way/Chestermere Partnership Funding – $50,000
Accredited Supports to the Community – $8,000.00
Healthy Families is a Home Visitation program for families with children 0-6 years. Providing in-home support, information and referrals in the areas of child development, positive parenting, family support, and community resources. Following guidelines established for Home Visitation by the Alberta Human Services Ministry and are members of the Alberta Home Visitation Network Association. The program has the unique ability to work with a family until the youngest child reaches school age. This allows that some families are on caseload for a few months, some for a few years.
Camp Chestermere – $14,237.20
Helping All Campers Succeed offers 1:1 program care for children with a wide variety of needs including ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s, Mental Health Concerns, Development Delays and more. Campers are assigned a leader for their week at camp who contact the families before arrival to work with them on designing programming for their child. These leaders would also provide training for all camp staff to ensure everyone is involved in helping all campers succeed.
Camp Chestermere – $8,608.00
The Volunteer Mentorship Program Coordinator interviews potential people who have been recommended through the Gateway program run by the Calgary Police Service. This coordinator provides more one on one assistance to the participants and supervises them while onsite at the camp. The position was expanded in 2018 to be able to welcome more participants who may have been recommended by their parents, other local agencies and the local RCMP detachment. The coordinator will also manage requests from volunteers in the community who wish to fulfil roles at the camp in the work crews, kitchen, water sports and more.
Chestermere Food Bank – $3,000.00
The Good Food Box is a program that promotes access to fresh produce to families at a low cost through three different box options once per month. Fresh fruit and vegetables help in preventive and early intervention in physical and mental health, providing protective factors through nutrition and fostering a healthier lifestyle.
Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta – $5,333.80
Financial Literacy Classes for Chestermere Youth is a financial literacy program for grades 5 – 12. Each session is 4 hours of class time and is taught by trained community volunteers. Students learn about budgeting, saving, global currencies, free enterprise, entrepreneurism and safe online shopping. The classes provide an opportunity for students to learn from finance and business leaders in the community. Students learn how to evaluate their financial decisions, preparing them to make smart lifelong economic choices.
Synergy Youth and Community Development Society – $10,821.00
Care and Connectionis a project to promote and support positive mental health for people of all ages. The project aims to support and educate youth, families, and community members on building coping skills, increasing resiliency, knowing when to seek support, understanding the importance of prevention and early intervention, and connecting community members to resources and services.
Family and Community Support Services Funding – $121,961.50
Camp Chestermere – $8,994.50
CLTD Teen Leadershipis open to all Chestermere teenage residents as well as those outside of Chestermere. The program aims to help students develop into effective leaders not only at the camp but in their schools, sports teams and other activities they are involved in. Through sessions, activities, team-building games, applicable resources and more, Camp Chestermere encourages participants to explore their skills and abilities, learn how they best lead and work in a team, learn what healthy life choices look like, and learnt to value the importance of charity and volunteer work in their communities.
Chestermere Library – $6,075.00
Parenting2Gois a service that is utilized as a tool for facilitation and conversation starters between adult and children between the ages of 3 – 10 on difficult life topics. The library will start with topics that are brought to us on a regular basis such as death, divorce, Covid-19 and illness, bullying, first day of school, racism, toilet training/issues, expressing feelings, sexuality, and beyond through materials and books in a backpack.
Synergy Youth and Community Development Society – $10,000.00
Child Safety the goal of this project is to equip children and youth with the skills needed to be safe and feel confident in caring for themselves and others when at home alone. This program encourages the positive development of children and youth through personal empowerment, and the establishment of positive values, social competencies, and positive identity. Youth that have completed these courses have the knowledge and skills to be safe in their home, at school and in their neighbourhood. They are more confident and able to take on more responsibility in their home and others when babysitting.
Synergy Youth and Community Development Society – $9,632.00
Mental Health Coalition is a multi-sectoral group of professionals and community members who have come together with the goal of supporting and encouraging the positive mental health of the community as a whole. The Mental Health Coalition was established in April 2019 and is coordinated by Synergy in partnership with the Calgary Rural Primary Care Network. The idea for the Coalition came from an increasing observation of the need for organizations and agencies to concentrate their efforts in supporting youth, family and community mental health.
Synergy Youth and Community Development Society – $53,160.00
SHOUT Based on the One Circle Curriculum, the weekly SHOUT Boys/Girls Program has been delivered to the community and local schools for the past four years. Program Coordinators are able to adapt the program content and activities to meet the specific needs of youth ages 10-13 as well as 13+ in each session. Each program has individual lesson plans with goals that target fundamental aspects of youth development which include goals of building healthy relationships.
Synergy Youth and Community Development Society – Synergy – $34,100.00
YELL Youth This program for youth ages 13+ became part of Synergy in 2013 and has been formalized into an actual Youth Council since then. YELL Youth Council is a formal leadership program that incorporates the City of Calgary’s credible and well-known LEAD (Leadership, Empowerment, Achieving a Difference) curriculum. Teens can earn a LEAD certificate that is recognized in and around Calgary, as well as post-secondary and scholarship applications. YELL members are regularly credited with inspiring individual adults and groups to become involved in community capacity building.