CURRENT RECIPIENTS

Since 1963, BGC has offered supportive programming to children, youth and families across Prince County, PEI. Their services include daycare, before and after school programs, summer programs, and youth engagement activities. BGC Prince County also leads housing initiatives through their LifeHouse Support Model offering safe, supportive housing and wrap around services for women, trans & non-binary individuals and their children experiencing homelessness. Their programs focus on inclusion, mental wellness, leadership, recreation, supporting newcomers, promoting food security, and enhancing employment skills. Funding from Grey Birch Foundation will support 2 core programs of the LifeHouse Support Model: supporting women in areas such as financial literacy, goal setting, trauma recovery, employment readiness, and mental wellness; and offering women positive parenting strategies.

For over 50 years Big Brothers Big Sisters of Regina and Area have been making a positive difference in the lives of Regina’s youth by offering a broad range of mentoring programs. Participants are paired with a mentor and develop a relationship built on friendship, trust, and empowerment. They learn the importance of giving back, staying in school, and having respect for family, peers, and community. Funding from Grey Birch Foundation will support The C.A.M.P., a mentor-led summer program designed for female or gender non-conforming youth in grades 5 – 8. Engaging and educational activities aim to foster confidence, acceptance, motivation, and personal empowerment in the participants.

Big Sisters of B.C. Lower Mainland enables life-changing mentoring relationships for young people who are facing adversity. The program My Voice, My Power! is a group mentorship initiative for girls and gender diverse youth in grades 4-7. Participants work to develop self-confidence and learn how to advocate for themselves, which in turn can help to prevent gender-based violence down the road. The funding from Grey Birch Foundation will assist with running the program for the 2025-26 school year, including weekly sessions in each school for a total of 8 weeks.

This is an organization powered by volunteers who are trained to inspire and deliver STEM outreach programming to kids in their communities. Since 2014, they have been connecting field engineers and STEM professionals with teachers and students, aiming to bridge the gap between real world and classroom theory. The grant from Grey Birch Foundation supports the Mentorship Program, which brings together an adult mentor with a female university student who work as a team to bring early exposure to careers in STEM to elementary school classrooms.

Since 1932, Macaulay Centres for Children have provided licensed child care and tailored programs designed to serve the needs of the northwest Toronto community, including families facing significant barriers. Macaulay welcomes all children and fosters their healthy development by delivering quality programs and services that are evidence-informed, responsive, inclusive and equitable. At present, Macaulay Centres provides a wide range of services spanning from childcare, parent advocacy, community services and supports more than 12,000 children and parents annually. Funding from Grey Birch Foundation is in aid of Macaulay Centres’ after school program that provides families in marginalized communities with access to free after-school care and STEM education, equipping girls, through the Girls Code program, with the confidence, skills and opportunities to thrive.

SOAR is the only organization in Canada solely dedicated to addressing brain injury resulting from intimate partner violence. SOAR collaborates with academic researchers, healthcare professionals and service providers, and community partners to better understand and investigate the intersection of brain injuries and intimate partner violence. They aim to increase awareness and improve support and services for survivors. Funding from Grey Birch Foundation will help bring researchers, clinicians, community advocates and survivors together to review their work and develop an action plan that will inform future clinical priorities and spark changes in practice.

Terra Centre is an Edmonton based non-profit helping pregnant teens develop the self-reliance and skills to be successful parents. Founded in the 1970’s, Terra has developed a wraparound support system aimed at reducing barriers to education, improving economic stability, and fostering resilience in young parents, while contributing to the well being of the children - aiming to create a solid foundation on which to build family life. Funding from Grey Birch Foundation will support Terra Centre’s Services for Educational Achievement Program, which, through educational support at Braemar School, combined with on-site childcare, allows teen parents to complete high school while knowing their children are receiving nurturing, relationship-focused care.

The United Way of Alberta Capital Region focuses on creating impactful, systemic change in the Edmonton area by empowering financial security, strengthening mental well-being, and removing educational barriers. They work with social agencies, schools, community organizations, and governments to deliver programs and services that empower individuals to improve their lives. Funding from Grey Birch Foundation will help support the Empower U – Building Confident Futures program. This is a well-established, collaborative initiative led by the United Way in partnership with ATB Financial and nine community-based agencies that aid underserved populations across Edmonton. The program combines financial literacy education, matched savings, and personalized financial coaching to reduce financial vulnerability and improve long-term economic security for low-income women.

Women’s College Hospital in Toronto has long been recognized as a global leader in advancing the health of women and health equity for all. It is the only fully ambulatory, academic healthcare institution in Canada with a mandate to lead the way in improving the health system for women. For 40 years, Women’s College Hospital has been a leader in research and care for survivors of gender-based violence across Canada. But for women and girls affected by sex trafficking, there are often many barriers to care. With little to no previously existing academic research to influence healthcare models and government policy, it has been historically difficult to identify, support and counsel those in need. Women’s College Hospital has developed an Anti-Sex Trafficking program to research and provide education that will transform the health and wellbeing for survivors of sex trafficking. Best practices for the identification and care for survivors of sex trafficking will be developed and shared with other hospitals and into the community. Grey Birch Foundation is proud to support this project.

For more than 130 years, YWCA Hamilton has been providing accessible services and inclusive programming to women and gender diverse members of the community, with the goal of helping people to positively transform their lives. The Emergency Reproductive Care program for individuals who are unhoused and pregnant provides critical reproductive health supports and services to those in need. Funding from Grey Birch Foundation will help to sustain the Outreach Workers who play a key role in the success of this program.