The Anglican Foundation of Canada (AFC) marked the close of the Say Yes! to Kids campaign on July 8th, with a “Celebration of Giving” via ZOOM to announce the final fundraising total of more than $110,000.
“This campaign set a stretch goal for AFC, and no one really knew what to expect,” said Archbishop Linda Nicholls, Primate and Chair of AFC, “In the end, hundreds of donors from coast to coast to coast gave generously to Say Yes! to Kids.”
In Newfoundland, the efforts of all three dioceses contributed nearly $12,000 to the campaign, more than ten percent of the national total: $5,000 from the Diocese of Central Newfoundland, another $5,000 donation from the Anglican Charitable Foundation for Children (ACFC), and nearly $2,000 from the Anglican East NL team effort, captained by the Rev’d Canon Amanda Taylor, AFC’s Diocesan Representative for Eastern Newfoundland.
In a statement for a June funding announcement, the Rt. Rev’d John Watton, Bishop of Central Newfoundland, said, “We like the idea of being a generative diocese and sharing in the ministry of the wider church. Whenever we can help, we want to. We cannot hold our Youth Camp this summer because of COVID-19, so we have decided to forward those funds to Say Yes! to Kids.”
Also in an earlier statement, the Rev’d Canon John Courage, ACFC Chair and Chaplain at Queen’s College Faculty of Theology, said, “At its May meeting the Board of ACFC voted unanimously to support Say Yes! to Kids. Little did Bishop Edward Field ever think that his desire to help the people of his time in the greatest need would contribute to the church’s efforts to promote pandemic recovery in 2021!”
“The tremendous support from all three Newfoundland dioceses gave us so much energy for the final weeks of the campaign,” says the Rev’d Canon Dr. Judy Rois, Executive Director, AFC, “You pushed us from milestone to milestone and encouraged donors elsewhere to support the campaign.”
At the July Celebration of Giving, Canon Rois thanked AFC’s friends and volunteers—Board Directors, Diocesan Representatives, Bishops, and diocesan staff champions—who carried the banner for Say Yes! to Kids in their dioceses. Archbishop Anne Germond, Vice-Chair of the AFC Board, spoke to the impact the Request for Proposals (RFP) arising from this campaign will have in dioceses. “All across the country, there are wonderful ministries serving vulnerable children and youth. Through this campaign they have discovered that there is both a will and a way to provide the additional funding they need.”
Grants from the Say Yes to Kids RFP will be awarded for both ongoing and emerging projects, and proposals will be accepted from September 1 to October 1, 2021. Category A grants, of up to $5,000 will be considered based on impact and how they support young people in a local context. Category B grants of up to $15,000 will be considered based on how they support the overall mission and service to children and youth in a city, diocese, or region. Eligible uses of funding include, but are not limited to, administrative expenses, equipment, technical costs, remuneration, honoraria, and food.
While the campaign is officially closed, late gifts will continue to be counted and will increase funds available for the RFP and maximize funding impact at the local level. For more information about the RFP, visit our website at: www.anglicanfoundation.org/rfp2021. To make a donation to AFC’s ongoing grant funding for youth-focused initiatives visit www.anglicanfoundation.org/kids.
