Community Development through Sport

Most people have many opportunities to take advantage of the sport programs that are available to them in their community. There are afterschool programs, weekend programs, city leagues, etc. The positive impacts that these sport programs have on children and youth can extend far beyond the playing surface.

Unfortunately, not all communities have the resources to host such programs, or the resources that are available are limited to a select few. The True Sport Community Fund was developed to increase access and inclusion for those who may not otherwise have the opportunity to participate.

The True Sport Community Fund was launched nationally in the spring of 2007 and ran until the summer of 2010. It was developed with the goal of supporting sport and recreation programs that foster healthy lifestyles, community leadership and social networks in Canadian communities. “We were very deliberate from the beginning about how the fund could be used to build social networks and foster social and community development,” says True Sport Foundation Project Manager Christina Parsons. “In particular, the focus was on promoting access and inclusion to Aboriginal, new Canadian and low-income youth, ages four to 17.”

Over the course of four years, $1,690,000 was distributed to community sport and recreation groups. A total of 175 grants were awarded – impacting more than 93,000 children and youth, and 10,000 volunteers. “With the support of our funder, The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, we were encouraged to explore different ways that communities and citizens could use sport intentionally to foster social change. This approach allowed the project to evolve over the course of its life.”

When the fund began, grants were given in the amounts of either $5,000 or $25,000. “At the $25,000 level, the emphasis was on long-term project legacy. We supported projects that mobilized communities to create sustainability beyond the life of the grant,” says Parsons.

In 2009, flexible funding ranges were introduced to accommodate the diverse needs of the applicants. “We found that some groups needed less than $25,000 but more than $5,000,” says Parsons. “If two or three organizations wanted to partner for a really large project, grants of up to $50,000 were considered.”

In its final year, convening sessions were organized and facilitated for grant recipients to share their stories. By discussing their projects and how their communities were affected, they were able to learn from one another, recognize opportunities and form partnerships for the future.

It may be difficult to truly grasp the influence and reach that the True Sport Community Fund has had on its target audiences without visiting the True Sport Foundation website. On the site, there is a map of Canada that is populated with markers that display the locations of recipients along with stories of how the grants have been used and the positive changes they have had in those areas.

Even though the True Sport Community Fund ended in 2010, its impact lives on. Even grants on the lower end of the scale have demonstrated that a little can go a long way. Communities struggling with drug and alcohol abuse, crime, teen suicide and poor integration of new Canadians have witnessed the power that sport can have on its children, youth and society.

To read more about how the True Sport Community Fund projects continue to make a difference in their communities, visit the True Sport Foundation web site.