Third Avenue United Church Community Fund – church development fund

In 2013, and at the Centenary of the construction of Third Avenue United Church, the congregation sold its iconic building on the corner of 3rd Avenue North and 24th Street East. While we were sad to do so, we recognized that the costs of maintenance and required renovations/repairs were beyond our ability to manage any longer.

The good news is that we have stayed in the building as tenants and have a very generous landlord (the Orr Group, led by John Orr) and we expect to be around as a congregation for at least another hundred years!

Even better news, after many years of being diverted with financial issues, the congregation is now able to turn its mind to our place in the Saskatoon community, patricularly in our downtown location. We have always been active in respect to music concerts, but we now wish to share the proceeds from the sale of our church building to assist meeting ongoing community needs that also reflect our commitment to social justice.

To this end we have created a Community Fund with an initial principal of $500.000. While we have paid or have made commitments for much of that initial fund, we intend to replenish as best we can and, in the meantime, we still have a significant amount available to support this community initiative.

Community Fund Committee

Board Members and Minister ex officio Members

Consistent with the Board’s Motion of March 26, 2014 approving these Terms of Reference (attached to and forming part of these Terms of Reference), the Chair of the Board, Chair of Outreach and Minister positions are ex officio in that the occupants of those positions are members of the Community Fund by virtue of their respective offices. These members shall have voice and vote in the Committee’s proceedings.

Term of Office for Non-Board Members

The term of office of non-Board members shall be two years, with provision for renewal of membership permitted. Volunteers for membership shall be approved by the Unified Board and confirmed at the Annual General Meeting of Third Avenue United Church (TAUC) in the normal course of the congregational approval of membership of all Church committees.

Eligibility for Membership on Community Fund Committee

Members of the Community Fund Committee must be members or adherents of Third Avenue United Church.

Eligible Recipients

Eligible recipients include organizations and groups involved in:

Children’s Health and Wellness

Elderly Health and Wellness

Anti-Poverty Programs

Food Programs

Youth Programs

United Church Outreach

Immigrant, Refugee and Other Newcomer Programs

Ineligible Organizations and Programs

Organizations and programs ineligible to receive funds from the TAUC Community Fund include:

Those that do not reflect United Church principles and beliefs.

Those that are individual and not community based or focused.

Political organizations or candidates.

For-profit organizations.

Service clubs, labour or fraternal organizations.

Third-party fundraisers or professional solicitors.

Debt reduction campaigns.

Retroactive requests.

Private institutions or foundations.

General Funding Criteria

The following criteria apply to all funding provided by the Community Fund:

The receiving organization adheres to United Church principles, values and human rights compliant.

The receiving organization is a CRA-registered charity with a Charitable Registration Number.

The funding is conditional on goals, objectives and evaluation process acceptable to TAUC.

There will be equal consideration of funding requests by United Church affiliated groups and community groups.

Appropriate formal acknowledgement must be given to Third Avenue United Church.

Application Procedures

A written application may be submitted by email to tauccommunityfund@sasktel.net with the Subject line stating: Request for Funding.

Alternatively, a written application may be made by prospective recipients by letter to Third Avenue United Church at the following address:

Third Avenue United Church Community Fund

304 3rd Avenue North

Saskatoon SK S7K 2J1

The application must set out how it meets the Community Fund eligibility criteria set out in these Terms of Reference.

Applications for partnerships (Category 1) will be reviewed for acceptance every 6 months.

Applications for project or event support (Category 2) will be reviewed for acceptance every 3 months.

Applications for donations (Category 3) will be reviewed at any time, subject to the availability of the Community Fund Committee and adherence with the Community Fund disbursement approval process.

Application Review Process

The Secretary or Administrative Assistant for the Community Fund Committee shall acknowledge receipt of any application for funding and, if required, return any application that does not comply with the Application procedures.

Any funding request meeting the criteria in these Terms of Reference will be subject to review by a quorum of at least 4 members of the Community Fund Committee

A decision on any application for funding by the Community Fund Committee shall be by consensus if possible, but otherwise at least by majority vote.

A recommendation by the Community Fund Committee to approve funding under these Terms of Reference shall be submitted to the Unified Board for consideration at its next Board meeting.

TAUC Community Fund Donations

Category 3 – Funding will not normally exceed $1,000 at any given time

CHEP Good Food Junction

Crocus Co-op

Dress for Success

Elizabeth Fry Society of SK.

Hope Cancer Centre

Saskatoon Crisis Nursery

Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre

St. Thomas Wesley United Church

Vincent Massey Community School (Feast & Round Dance – Honour the Circle)

St. Martin’s United Church Refugee Committee

The Lighthouse Supported Living

NEST- Saskatoon

Saskatoon Community Mediation Services Inc. (More Serious Cases Program)

Saskatoon Music Educators Association (Saskatoon Children’s Choir)

Family Services Saskatoon Inc.

Category 2 – Funding will not exceed $10,000.

Saskatoon Friendship Inn

Saskatoon Public Schools (Ecole Alvin Buckwold Playground)

United Church of Canada – M & S Fund

Cheshire Homes

Saskatoon Opera Association

Child Find Saskatchewan

Friends of the Broadway Theatre (SCENE)

River Bend Presbytery (Go Project)

Saskatchewan Intercultural Association (LITE Program)

Care and Share Saskatoon Inc.

Incheon

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Saskatoon

Boys and Girls Club of Saskatoon

Ecumenical Chaplaincy – U of S

Family Services Saskatoon Inc.

Prairie Hospice

Saskatoon Council on Aging

Oliver Lodge

International Women of Saskatoon (IWS)

St. Martin’s United Church Refugee Committee

Category 1 – Funding will not exceed $25,000.

Other Funding

River Bend Integrated Communities Ministries

St. Andrew’s College

United Church of Canada – M & S Fund

Northern Saskatchewan Hospital Chaplaincy