The Ontario Trillium Foundation LESSONS FROM THE FIELD Parks and Recreation Educational Forum & National Exchange April 8, 2010

Transcription

1 The Ontario Trillium Foundation LESSONS FROM THE FIELD 2010 Parks and Recreation Educational Forum & National Exchange April 8, 2010 Doug Gore, Program Manager, Province-Wide Program Marius Picos, SRDA Policy, Research and Evaluation About Us The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario. Our mission - Building healthy and vibrant communities throughout Ontario by strengthening the capacity of the voluntary sector, through investments in communitybased initiatives

2 About Us Annual granting budget of $100M Two granting programs: Community Grants and Province-Wide Granting to four sectors: Arts and Culture, Environment, Sports and Recreation, and Human and Social Services. About Us Funding decisions, including reviewing grant applications and recommending projects for funding, are made by more than 300 volunteers representing communities throughout Ontario. They participate on either one of 16 regional Community Grant Review Teams (GRTs) or the Grant Review Committee (GRC) responsible for Province-Wide application review.

3 Granting to Municipalities Small Municipalities (with populations of 20,000 or less based on the most recent census) may apply for Community Program grants only Arts and Culture and Sports and Recreation sectors only Support specific library services Larger Municipalities are ineligible on their own. They may apply in collaboration with an eligible community org (e.g. local baseball assoc.) Overall Granting Figures On average, OTF grants more than one-fifth (23%) of its funds in support of the Sports and Recreation sector. Over the last six fiscal years OTF s investment in the sector totalled $135.1M Close to $62M supported structured Sports activities. Over $73M supported Recreational activities.

4 Leverage Grantees report that for every $1 granted they leverage $1.46 in financial, in-kind and volunteer contributions over the life of their grant. Over the last six fiscal years 280,000 volunteers contributed over 7.3 million hours (equivalent to 4,000 FTEs) to sports and recreation initiatives funded by OTF. This volunteer activity had a dollar value of approx. $125M. $62M in Granting to Sports $17M for renovations and upgrades to sports arenas and facilities: enhancements to physical accessibility, roof repairs, electrical, plumbing and fire safety upgrades, replacing of aging equipment, energy efficiency upgrades, sound and lighting equipment, resurfacing and repairs to various outdoor courts, etc. $7M for provision of equipment (including adaptive equipment for people with disabilities) in order to improve affordability, availability and the quality of sport programs.

5 $62M in Granting to Sports $9.4M towards coaching, trainers and officials to enhance the quality and competitiveness levels of sports activities and events. OTF funded hiring of coaches, skills training and certification programs, increased access to resources and training tools, availability of officiating at various competitions and tournaments $5.5M for players skill development through clinics, design and implementation of player training and development programs, other support programs and resources. $62M in Granting to Sports $6.1M for safety and injury prevention through delivery of training programs for coaches and participants, safety equipment and supplies, quality assurance programs, studies and safety standards $10M towards capacity building for various sports organizations: volunteer recruitment, training and retention, organizational review, board training, strategic planning (feasibility, business, marketing and outreach plans), funding for staff positions (executive directors, managers, coordinators, administrators, etc.), shared resources, enhanced IT capabilities, etc.

6 $62M in Granting to Sports Other Highlights Over $11M in funding to Provincial (including provincial branches of National organizations) and Regional sports organizations for projects covering one or more of the above funding categories $3.7M in funding for sports events: hosting, administrative support and promotion of various international, national, provincial and regional championships and tournaments taking place across the Province. $73 in Granting to Recreation Over $19M in funding for general recreational programming for people of all ages and abilities. Sample activities included: Arts (dance, music, drama, painting, crafts, etc.), science, afterschool (reading circles, computer labs, leadership, etc.), day/summer camp programs for children and youth Outdoor recreation (wilderness adventure, camping, fishing, canoeing, community gardening, community BBQs, community festivals and events, etc.) Recreational programs for seniors (carpet bowling, shuffleboard, bingo, teas and outings, woodworking, bridge, choirs, etc.)

7 $73 in Granting to Recreation Over $20M to repairs and upgrades to various community facilities used for recreational and social activities by community members. OTF funded enhancements to physical accessibility, roof repairs, electrical, plumbing and fire safety upgrades, energy efficiency upgrades, kitchen renovations, resurfacing and repairs to parking lots, etc. $5.5M of these funds benefitted Royal Canadian Legion, Naval Veterans and Scouts Halls $73 in Granting to Recreation Over $11M towards initiatives promoting wellness, more physically active and healthy lifestyle for people of all ages and abilities (fitness, aerobic, yoga, running, weight training, therapeutic riding, recreational cycling, sailing, nutritional programs, etc.) $2.9M to create new parks, green spaces and revitalization of existing ones. OTF funded landscaping, fencing, enhanced lighting, signage, creation of picnic areas, multipurpose pads, community gardens, installing gazebos, repairs to walkways, washrooms, picnic shelters, etc.

8 $73 in Granting to Recreation $4.6M in funding for playground equipment (including accessible equipment) and splash pads in community parks, providing a safer play area and encouraging physical activity for children. $2.4M towards the creation of new, expansion and enhancements to existing skate parks, providing youth with affordable recreational activities that include skateboarding, rollerblading and BMX biking. $5.5M in funding for trail projects. Development of new trails, upgrades, repairs and enhancements to existing ones (including physical accessibility), trail maintenance equipment, signage, master plans, maps, etc. $73 in Granting to Recreation Over $7M towards capacity building for organizations providing recreational programming: Needs assessment, programming planning and evaluation, partnership creation (including cross-sectoral), best practices sharing, fundraising and marketing plans, board development, volunteer recruitment, training and retention, funding for staff positions (executive director, recreational coordinators, community animators, etc.)

9 $10M to Small Municipalities Over $10M in funding supported Small Municipalities across the Province in delivery of Sports and Recreation activities for their residents. Out if these funds $1.8M were for collaborative projects involving the small municipality and local sports and recreation organizations. Funding was mainly for renovations and upgrades (including physical accessibility) to local sports facilities, provision of sports equipment to increase affordability of structured sports programs, revitalization of local parks (including playgrounds, splash pads and skateboard parks) and trails. Moving Forward, Considerations in Granting Demographics Aging population Appropriate programs/services? Health benefits Fee for service - economic impact Cultural diversity Approx. 25% of Ontarians were born outside of Canada Programs/services to address language/cultural barriers Aboriginal birth rate - 50% higher

10 Moving Forward, Considerations in Granting Rural vs. Urban Rural Declining population Out migration of youth Access - do programs exist, can we get there? Urban Localized programming Diversity - cultural, socio-economic Moving Forward, Considerations in Granting Youth Non-participating demographic Safe places to connect Meaningful engagement Declining Volunteerism Burn out of existing volunteers Lack of new volunteers, particularly youth & young adults

11 Moving Forward, Considerations in Granting New & Unstructured Activity Skate parks Multi-use Trails Emerging sports/activities Active transportation Moving Forward, Considerations in Granting Infrastructure Deficit $5B (at least)

12 Anything Else?