Economic Development Funding Support Programs
Columbia Basin Trust Community Initiatives Funding
The Columbia Basin Trust established a 'geographic' spending program in late 1998 to involve local governments in spending initiatives. A total of $188,008 is allocated annually to the community of Revelstoke and 'affected area', which includes Area B of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD). This allocation will continue for at least 10 years and does not have to be disbursed every fiscal year - it can be held over to future years if appropriate.

The total funds available will be allocated equally to three key goal areas: environmental, social and economic.
  
Project Submission And Approval Process
Step 1. Call for proposals

A proposal information package, which includes the proposal process, details on proposal evaluation criteria and an application form, has been prepared by the City to assist proposal writers. 

Contact Debra Wozniak, Project Coordinator, for the proposal information package or more program information at (250) 837-5345 or dwozniak@revelstoke.net
 
Step 2. Proposal Writing Workshop
A workshop for proposal writers is held on demand to encourage the development of sound proposals. 
 
Step 3. Screening
The objective of this step is to avoid detailed evaluation and community input on projects that are not appropriate or not fully developed for consideration under this program. A City staff member and 2-3 members of the Project Evaluation Team will screen proposals based on defined screening criteria (See Project Evaluation Criteria ). The reasons for the decision to screen out a proposal will be explained to project applicants by telephone, and applicants will have a week to reconcile the issues, if that is possible. 
 
Step 4. Community meeting

A community meeting will be held to encourage sharing of information and ideas between community members and to measure community support for proposals. Meetings will follow these practices:

  • Meeting attendees will sign in and record their affiliation or the project they are interested in.
  • Project applicants are to arrange for the most knowledgeable person to make a brief (3-5 minute) presentation and answer questions about their proposal. Applicants will also be invited to set up a simple display and be available in the meeting room to answer questions before and after the presentations.
  • Those who attend the meeting will indicate their level of support for individual projects. Elected officials will have the right to supplement (temper) the ranking for support from the meeting. 

It must be absolutely clear that projects must rank well in terms of the key community goals and the general project criteria to be approved for funding - a high level of support at the community meeting does not mean a project is assured funding approval. 
 
Step 5. Proposal evaluation

The objective of this step is to recommend projects for approval to City Council and the CSRD Area B Director. Evaluation of each project's fulfillment of key community goals, general project criteria and community support (See Project Evaluation Criteria attached) will be completed by the Project Evaluation Team. The evaluation team consists of five community residents with knowledge and expertise in at least one of the economic, environmental or social goal areas and is appointed by the City of Revelstoke.

Project evaluations and funding recommendations will be presented to City Council and the CSRD Area B Director. Evaluations will be available to project applicants and the public on request.
 
Step 6. Decisions by City Council and CSRD Area B Director 
City Council and the CSRD Area B Director will review the project evaluations and funding recommendations and make final funding approvals.
 
Step 7. Public communication
Project applicants will be informed of funding decisions, and reasons for the decisions, as soon as possible. The general public will be notified of funding decisions via local media. Public response to the process will be considered and addressed in the next proposal intake and review.
 
Step 8. Administration of agreements
The City of Revelstoke will enter into an agreement with the legal entity representing the approved project. Once the agreements have been signed, project funds will be advanced. Projects will be monitored by City staff to ensure that the objectives set out in the project proposal are being met. 
 
Proposal Intake And Review Timeline
Proposals are accepted generally once per year in the early Spring with funding approvals processed in April.
 
Project Evaluation Criteria

The project evaluation criteria include four components:

The screening criteria will be applied early in the proposal review process to avoid unnecessary consideration of projects that do not meet key aspects of this program. The remaining three categories - key community goals, general project criteria and community support - will be assigned a point value for evaluation and ranking of proposals. A maximum of 100 points will be distributed as follows: 50 points to key community goals, 35 points to general project criteria and 15 points to community support.
 

A. SCREENING CRITERIA 

The project submission checklist is to be completed by the applicant (Section D of the application) and reviewed by the program coordinator to ensure that the project is appropriate for funding consideration. The application is also reviewed to ensure that all questions have been answered adequately, and if required the project proponent may be contacted for further clarification.

For projects seeking operational funding, On-going Operational Costs are defined as:

  • Those costs which are intended to support staff positions and regular payments expected to be made by the organization in order to ensure the continuity of its operations. These would include among others; rent payments; utilities; levies; and other contractual obligations. Further there is an expectation that such funding would be required to support these activities until the organization ceases its operations or at least for a long period of time.
     
  • Staff and other costs deemed to be operational costs may be eligible for funding if:
    • They are designated for a project to be undertaken by the organization for a period of time of no more than 3 years.
    • They are designated as start up costs for the organization but there is a clear plan for on-going support of the operations in the future and that the time frame for the longer term operational funding is outlined in the plan.
    • They are identified in the proposal as operational costs for longer than three years, but there is very clear evidence of community support and there is a clear exit strategy outlined in the plan.
       

B. KEY COMMUNITY GOAL CRITERIA

A maximum of 50% of the total points will be assigned to assess the fulfillment of these goals by a project proposal. Distribution of the points:
Environmental Goals

The following goals apply in the context of contributing to environmental quality and health in a way that makes a difference:

1. Improvements to ecological and environmental conditions (maximum 10 points)
Includes factors such as:

  • habitat conservation, reclamation and/or rehabilitation
  • protection / recovery of endangered species
  • maintain healthy wildlife populations
  • reduce human-wildlife conflicts

2. Increase ecological and environmental knowledge / stewardship amongst citizens, businesses, government (maximum 10 points)
Includes factors such as:

  • environmental coordination programs
  • educational programs and knowledge dissemination
  • recognition and incentive programs for environmental awareness / stewardship
  • special events and celebrations

3. Reduction / Improvement of environmental impacts of human activities (maximum 10 points)
Includes factors such as:

  • toxic waste reduction
  • air & water quality improvements
  • noise & light pollution reduction
  • solid waste management
  • increase recycling activities
  • energy efficiency and reduction of green house gases

4. Increase scientific knowledge (maximum 10 points)
Includes factors such as:

  • improve archiving, accessibility and use of ecological / environmental information and expertise
  • biological research and inventories
  • environmental monitoring

5. Land Use Planning Processes (maximum 10 points)
Includes factors such as:

  • sustainable resource management
  • urban forest, parks and green space
  • reservoir operations
  • forest management
  • wetlands management
     
Social Goals

The social goals are intended to include all age groups, ethnic/cultural diversity, gender and economic groups in the community. 

  1. Social Support Network and Leadership (max 15 points)
    • Strengthen existing programs and services to meet current needs
    • Create new programs and services to meet emerging needs
    • Develop leadership and organizational capacity
    • Support community participation, sense of belonging and volunteerism
       
  2. Wellness and Health / Safety and Security (max 10 points)
    • Access to and provision of adequate services (physical, mental & social well being)
    • Promotion / education of healthy lifestyles
    • Provision of affordable housing
    • Address conditions leading to substance abuse
    • Address conditions leading to violence and crime
    • Address poverty
       
  3. Education (max 10 points)
    • Create first-class, integrated, lifelong community learning opportunities
    • Provision of adult education to meet individual skill development requirements
    • Build community support for the school (K-12) system
    • Address literacy and learning disabilities
       
  4. Recreation, Arts, Culture and Spiritual Values (max 15 points)
    • Develop diverse recreational opportunities
    • Increase participation in arts and cultural activities
    • Expand recreation, arts, culture and heritage infrastructure 
Economic Goals
  1. Support long-term economic stability and growth in the area (maximum 10 points)

    Includes factors such as:

    • increases net economic activities including spin-offs and ripple effects
    • provision of infrastructure or support to achieve economic goals
    • creates a positive economic environment
    • is sustainable and stable over the long term
    • brings income into the local economy (contributes to economic base activities)
    • adds value to an existing product or service
    • consistent with the Community Economic Development Strategy
       
  2. Increase economic diversity in the area (maximum 10 points)
    Includes factors such as:
    • diversifies existing economic sector dependencies
    • provides a new product or service to the local economy
    • increases local participation in information and technology sectors
    • fosters entrepreneurship and small business development
    • supports business training and skill development
       
  3. Increase local employment opportunities (maximum 10 points)

    Includes factors such as:

    • number of jobs created (direct and indirect)
    • access to employment for local citizens especially unemployed, underemployed and youth
    • proposed employee training component
    • wage rates (living wage most desirable)
    • stability of employment (full-time employment preferred)
       
  4. Encourage financial investment in the area (maximum 10 points)
    Includes investments in people and organizations or capital investments in land, buildings, infrastructure, etc.
     
  5. Promote local control and benefits (maximum 10 points)

    Includes factors such as:

    •   residency of proponent
    • opportunities for participation
    • distribution of benefits

C. GENERAL PROJECT CRITERIA

These criteria assess a number of practical factors. A maximum of 35% of the total points will be allocated to these criteria. 
  1. Project planning (maximum 10 points)
    • project proponent has the demonstrated organizational capacity and appropriate expertise 
    • adequate and logical background and planning leading to a technically sound proposal
    • project encourages innovation and shows a creative approach
    • a sustainability plan has been prepared for multi-year or long term projects
       
  2. Funding (maximum 10 points)
    • leverages funds from other sources
    • best funding option (i.e. there is not an alternative funding source)
    • cost effective
    • preference will be given to local purchase and employment
       
  3. Urgency (maximum 8 points)
    • seriousness of the issue addressed
    • ongoing work requiring continuity
    • time sensitive
       
  4. Builds community capacity (maximum 7 points)
    • builds capacity (knowledge, expertise, organizational ability, etc.) within community organizations
    • provides opportunities to develop local skills and knowledge
    • builds collaborative community and broader partnerships 

D. COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Community support will be measured through a community meeting as described in the Proposal Review and Approval Process link - Step 4. A maximum of 15% of the total points will be allocated to community support.
 
 2007 Projects Funded
2007 PROJECT FUNDED APPLICANT  AMOUNT
Food Bank Community Connections 10,000
Revelstoke Awareness & Outreach Canadian Mental Health Association

6,020
Family Literacy Programs Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy 8,250
RSS Subsidies to attend CMI Conferences Columbia Mountains Institute 1,000
Bear Aware Program Revelstoke Bear Aware Society 11,760
Hospice Volunteer Training Revelstoke Hospice Society 6,330
Transitions Together Mentorship Revelstoke Womens Shelter Society 5,000
Youth Program Community Connections 15,000
Kootenay Zone Theatre Festival Revelstoke Theatre Company 3,000
Early Learning & Care Resource Centre Revelstoke Community Child Care Society 20,000
Accelerated Reader Program Columbia Park Elementary School 2,745
Collective Marketing Program Revelstoke Railway Museum 6,000
Seniors Helping Seniors Revelstoke Senior Citizens Association 10,246
Museum Exhibit Projects Revelstoke Museum & Archives 6,300
Lacrosse Formation Revelstoke Minor Lacrosse Association 3,358
Community Advocate Community Connections 10,000
Operating Funds for Staffing Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre 15,000
Ski Equipment Upgrades Revelstoke Ski Club 7,000
Skating Club Operations Revelstoke Figure Skating Club 5,200
Mountain Beats Festival Revelstoke Mountain Culture Society 4,000
Community Training Support Okanagan College 10,000
Centre of Learning Okanagan College 5,000
Revelstoke Carshare Program Rev. Branch of Nelson Carshare Cooperative 2,000

2007 Project Totals

 $173,209
1998 Project Totals 143,668
1999 Project Totals 132,526
2000 Project Totals 216,569
2001 Project Totals 177,787
2002 Project Totals 173,300
2003 Project Totals 170,000
2004 Project Totals 161,663
2005 Project Totals 147,900
2006 Project Totals 189,960
Total Funding 1998 - 2007 1,686,582
 

The City of Revelstoke
Box 170 - 216 Mackenzie Avenue
Revelstoke BC Canada V0E 2S0
Phone: (250) 837-2161  Fax: (250) 837-4930

 
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