Question Period Note: COMMUNITY SERVICES RECOVERY FUND

What is the status of the implementation of the Community Services Recovery Fund?

he Community Services Recovery Fund was announced in Budget 2021 as a one-time, $400 million investment to help community service organizations across Canada adapt, modernize and build internal organizational capacity for post-pandemic recovery.

Working with the Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada and United Way Centraide Canada, nearly 5,500 community service organizations are being funded under the Community Services Recovery Fund.

Projects will run between May 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.

A list of funded projects is available on the National Funders’ Community Services Recovery Fund website.

Community Services Recovery Fund

Community service organizations are at the forefront of addressing community needs. During the pandemic, many of these vital organizations struggled with increased demand for their services, reduced revenues, declines in charitable giving and a greater reliance on digital tools. Their post-pandemic recovery is key to their continued ability to offer services and adapt to the changing needs of communities across Canada

The Community Services Recovery Fund (CSRF) was announced in Budget 2021 as a one-time, $400 million investment to help community service organizations adapt, modernize and build internal organizational capacity. This investment will strengthen the charitable and non-profit sector as it supports post-pandemic recovery in communities across Canada.

Funding from the CSRF has enabled community service organizations to invest in their own organizational capacity under one of the following three project focus areas:

Investing in People - projects that focus on how organizations recruit, retain, engage and support their personnel.

Investing in Systems and Processes - projects that invest in the systems and processes involved in creating the internal workings of an organization’s overall structure.

Investing in Program and Service Innovation and Redesign - projects primarily focused on program and service innovation and redesign using information gained during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Community Services Recovery Fund has two funding streams: one for local or regional community service organizations serving a portion of a province or territory, and one for community service organizations serving the entire country, an entire province or territory, or multiple provinces or territories.

The Government delivered the CSRF through three National Funders (Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada, and United Way Centraide Canada) who were responsible for establishing open application processes to distribute funding to a broad and diverse range of eligible community service organizations providing services in communities across Canada.

On August 17, 2023, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Jenna Sudds, announced that nearly 5,500 projects are being funded under the CSRF. Funded projects began May 1, 2023, and will end by June 30, 2024. A list of funded projects is available on the National Funder’s CSRF website.

The CSRF builds on the successful delivery of the $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund, where the Government of Canada funded over 11,570 projects serving vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If Pressed (Broad Reach)

The National Funders for the CSRF have applied an equity lens in all aspects of program delivery to ensure broad and diverse inclusion of all types of organizations, including those that are led by or serve equity-deserving communities.

If Pressed (Unfunded Projects)

The Community Services Recovery Fund was heavily oversubscribed, with more requests than funding available. This means that although there were many strong applications submitted to the program, National Funders were unable to fund all eligible applications.

“Community service organizations are often the first to identify and respond to emerging needs, and they are often the ones best positioned to create real change at the local level. Through the Community Services Recovery Fund, the Government of Canada recognizes and supports the critical role these organizations play in building strong, resilient and inclusive communities. This funding will help these organizations expand their reach, build their resilience to better adapt to emerging challenges, and make a greater impact on the lives of the people they serve.”

– Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

“Supporting people and communities in Canada in strengthening their resilience is a core part of the Canadian Red Cross mission. The Community Services Recovery Fund is doing just that: investing in community organizations to ensure they can rebuild and recover from the challenges caused by the pandemic so that they, in turn, can continue to support the needs of the communities and people they serve. We’re grateful to the Government of Canada for this investment in the recovery of community organizations, as well as our partner National Funders for their continued collaboration in the delivery of this important fund.”

– Amy Avis, Chief Emergencies, Response, Recovery and Risk Resilience, Canadian Red Cross

“The Community Services Recovery Fund demonstrates that to build resilient communities, we need collective action. When we combine our resources, knowledge and passion for transforming communities, we can create a future where everyone belongs. Community Foundations of Canada, alongside our network of community foundations, trust that charities, non-profits and Indigenous governing bodies know what they need to rebuild, revitalize and recover from the pandemic. We look forward to seeing how these organizations flourish with the support of this fund. This fund is a pivotal step in recovery, and will create a ripple effect of long-term change, fostering resilience and strengthening community.”

– Andrea Dicks, President, Community Foundations of Canada

“Building healthy, equitable and inclusive communities across Canada requires a strong and resilient community services sector. The Community Services Recovery Fund empowers agencies to make strategic investments that strengthen their capacity and ability to deliver their mission. This funding comes at a critical time as community service organizations respond to sustained high levels of demand. United Way Centraide Canada and our nation-wide network of United Way Centraides are pleased to work alongside our partner National Funders to invest these funds equitably to support a strong and resilient network of essential community services.”

– Dan Clement, President and Chief Executive Officer, United Way Centraide Canada

“BGC Ottawa is grateful to be a recipient of the CSRF funding. As we recover from wide-ranging impacts of the pandemic, this funding is helping us train and upskill staff, build resiliency and improve retention, making it possible for us to continue providing free and essential high-quality programs to young people in our post-pandemic world.”

– Adam Joiner, Chief Executive Officer, BGC Ottawa