HIV LEGAL NETWORK RECEIVES $124,000 OTF GRANT
Toronto, ON (September 27, 2021) – Earlier this year, the HIV Legal Network received a six-month, $124,000 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). The Resilient Communities Fund grant program was developed to help the non-profit sector recover and rebuild to effectively meet the needs of communities across Ontario.
“Now more than ever, Ontario needs a strong non-profit sector to ensure a just and fair recovery for everyone in the province. It is encouraging to learn the HIV Legal Network with the support of the Resilient Communities Fund grant continue to find new ways to engage remotely and support people living with and affected by HIV,” said Jessica Bell, MPP for University-Rosedale.
The grant is helping the HIV Legal Network to hire personnel to create new and innovative fundraising plans and help with strategic planning processes to continue building for the future. The Legal Network’s grant has also enabled the purchase of new equipment to connect and engage remotely, including with people living with and affected by HIV.
“We are grateful to the OTF for recognizing that the non-profit sector, like other sectors, has been hard hit by the pandemic,” said Janet Butler-McPhee, Co-Executive Director of the Legal Network. “First, this grant will help rebuild our development capacity to enhance revenue in 2021 and in the years to come. We have already successfully recruited a Development Officer and our new fundraising plan is well underway to regain ground lost during the pandemic, through individual giving, new institutional funders and, within the parameters of our organizational policy, corporate support.”
In addition to hiring a Development Officer, the Legal Network purchased employer-supplied laptops and other computer equipment to facilitate productive working by staff working from home. Physical distancing and travel restrictions also required using video conferencing, including public legal education activities. Thanks to the grant, the HIV Legal Network has invested in some critical technology to continue the delivery of its work with minimal interruptions. At a time when the non-profit sector has been struggling to recover and rebuild as the organization looks to the new working normal, the support of OTF has been extremely important.
About the HIV Legal Network: The HIV Legal Network (formerly the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network), promotes the human rights of people living with, at risk of or affected by HIV or AIDS, through research and analysis, litigation and other advocacy, public education, and community mobilization.
About the Ontario Trillium Foundation: The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112M was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector. In 2020/21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
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