WRCF reimagines decision-making process for granting program focused on the townships
In 2023, Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF) was developing a new strategic plan focused on social infrastructure (that was rolled out in 2024) and wanted to support work happening in local neighbourhoods. When you talk to people across the region and ask about where they feel they belong, often they talk about the neighbourhood they live in. Neighbourhoods have the power to connect people to one another, and to the community they live in.
At the same time, WRCF’s team was looking for opportunities to use a participatory granting approach to distribute funding. By putting the decision-making directly into the hands of those doing the work, WRCF was hoping to provide an equitable, streamlined and easy way to support community.
So – they decided to test a five-year pilot in neighbourhoods across Waterloo Region. Aside from ensuring the intention of the fund is supported and providing administration on the back end, when it comes to how the money is used, WRCF has otherwise handed those decisions over to the groups directly involved.
Anchoring this pilot project is the Lyle S. Hallman Fund. Held at WRCF since 1989, this Field of Interest fund focuses on distributing dollars to capital projects that provide recreational and character-building facilities for children and youth up to 13 years of age, including those from lower-income households.
Engage Rural event
In 2023, the first year of the pilot program, funds were distributed in Cambridge, working with the 10 Cambridge Neighbourhood Associations. Neighbourhoods in the region’s four townships were the most recent to benefit. WRCF partnered with the Engage Rural collaborative in 2024. Engage Rural includes eight health and social service agencies: Community Care Concepts, Interfaith Counselling Services, North Dumfries Community Health Centre, Porchlight Counselling Services, Wilmot Family Resource Centre, Woolwich Community Health Centre, Woolwich Community Services, and Woolwich Counselling Services.
Kristine Allison, Rural Planner and Project Manager with Engage Rural said this pilot program strengthened the collaborative’s confidence in the potential for more inclusive, community-led funding models that align with Engage Rural's operation.
“The Engage Rural Collaborative is deeply committed to working together across the townships in a participatory way, and the opportunity to be part of the Shared Gifting Approach pilot was a powerful demonstration of this vision in action,” Allison said. “This experience not only reinforced our collaborative approach but also highlighted how shifting decision-making to those directly serving the community leads to more equitable and effective resource distribution.”
Langs has a unique position, in that it is one of the Cambridge Neighbourhood Associations, and is also a member organization of Engage Rural, having a location in North Dumfries.
“Langs, our participants, and communities in both Cambridge and North Dumfries have benefited immensely from the capital grants received from WRCF. With the funds, Langs was able to increase community participation, build capacity and leadership skills in our youth council, and create new spaces for older rural youth to gather in a safe space”
Langs Summer Picnic
“A popcorn machine and a snow-cone maker purchased through the grant in Cambridge were the highlights of the Langs annual summer picnics run by the youth council,” Cooke said, “and new computers and a gaming system were purchased to “amplify the impact of a new tech centre,” which is part of a new youth wellness space at the North Dumfries Community Health Centre.
“Seeing eight organizational leaders come together — not just to advocate for their own agencies or communities, but to actively support one another — was truly inspiring,” Allison added. “The openness and transparency of the discussions, grounded in frontline knowledge, showcased the power of shared leadership in driving meaningful change. As we look ahead, opportunities like this are invaluable in reinforcing social infrastructure and ensuring long-term, community-driven impact.”
It is early days, but for WRCF the pilot appears to be a success. The goal is to continue to make it easy for participants, by working with existing groups, associations or municipal departments that are already in place. That’s part of the intention as WRCF rotates the pilot to Kitchener and Waterloo over the next number of years and then back to the townships.
If you want to learn more about Engage Rural, and/or support programs that are connecting people in the townships, stay tuned! Engage Rural will launch a website in Spring 2025. They can be reached at engagerural@gmail.com or 226-751-4871.
For more information about what’s happening with the neighbourhoods pilot in 2025, read this press release: wrcf.ca/news/cok-press-2025