Community Social Services Technology Fund

Purpose and Intention

BC’s community social services sector experienced significant and unfunded expenses as a result of moving to virtual and remote service-delivery during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Providing safe and accessible supports and services has become more necessary and more challenging than ever before.

The Community Social Services Technology Fund will provide grant funding to community social service organizations to offset the added IT costs of adapting to new ways of working and delivering services. It can also provide grant funding for purchasing laptops, equipment, and covering IT costs related to increasing your clients’ access to virtual supports, learning opportunities, and employment.

Supporting Organizations & Clients

There are two different grant streams an organization may apply for: Support for Organizational Technology and Support for Client Technology. You may apply for both grants streams, and you may be awarded grants for both grant streams. If you decide to apply for both grant streams, you must do so via one combined application.

The Community Social Services Technology Fund will be governed by an advisory committee and administered by The Federation of Community Social Services of BC.

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Applications Are Closed

Applications for the Community Social Services Technology Fund are now closed. Information about fund dispersal and reporting can be found below.

Adapting to Meet Needs

Community social services are continually having to adapt the ways in which they work and deliver services in order to safely support the needs of their staff and their clients. Service demand increases, demographics change, and new approaches become available.

Access to reliable technology not only gives clients better access to services and supports, it also provides community social services organizations with new ways of working with each other and improves coordination and collaboration between organizations, funding bodies, and government partners.

Disbursement

Notifications were sent via email on January 17, 2023. All applicants, whether approved for funding or not approved for funding, have been notified.

Reporting

Budgets & Financials: Applicants must submit a Proposed Budget with their application. No further financial reporting is needed during the application or reporting processes.

Final Reports: Upon being awarded a grant, grantees will be provided a link to complete a brief online Final Survey. Final Surveys are due April 15, 2023.

Contact

Please direct all inquiries to info@fcssbc.ca.

Who got approved?

All applicants have been notified, whether approved or not approved. Please contact info@fcssbc.ca with any questions or if you applied for the Technology fund but didn’t receive a notification.

How did you decide who got approved?

We used the evaluation criteria, established by the Technology Fund Advisory Committee, which was published on this page when applications opened.

Why didn’t our organization get approved?

There were a large number of applications and very limited funds. Please contact info@fcssbc.ca with any questions you may have.

Will there be another Technology Fund?

The Federation and our sector partners are advocating for the renewal of the Community Social Services Technology Fund. We are also working to establish an ongoing, sustainable investment in the technology needs of the sector. We will reach out to applicants if any new funding opportunities become available. Make sure you are subscribed to The Federation’s mailing lists for updates about other funding opportunities.

Do we need to spend the funds before a particular date?

There is no deadline for spending the funds you received on your proposed project. The reporting deadline of April 15th, 2023 is for reporting only; your funds to not need to be spent by that date.

Grant Streams: Organizational & Client

There are two different grant streams an organization may apply for. You may apply for both grants streams, and you may be awarded grants for both grant streams. If you decide to apply for both grant streams, you must do so via one combined application.

Support for Organizational Technology

Maximum grant amounts are determined as follows:
- Large Organization (50+ employees) – Up to $30,000 per organization
- Medium Organization (11-49 employees) – Up to $20,000 per organization
- Small Organization (1-10 employees) – Up to $10,000 per organization.
The specific technology needs must be identified as part of the application.
This grant stream is available once.

Applications are open until October 31, 2022.

Support for Client Technology

The maximum grant amount is $2,000 per organization.
The specific technology needs must be identified as part of the application.
All client-related funding must be directed towards current clients of the organization applying (i.e. currently participating in programming/services).
This is one-time-only funding, and we will accept only one application per organization. Should additional funding remain, an announcement will be made.
This grant stream is available once.

Applications are open until October 31, 2022.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be a community social services organization within British Columbia.
All client-related funding must be directed towards current clients of the organization applying (i.e., those currently participating in programming/services).
Eligible organizations of 50 or more staff (‘large organization’) may apply for a maximum of $30,000 for organizational technology needs.
Eligible organizations of 11-49 staff (‘medium organization’) may apply for a maximum of $20,000 for organizational technology needs.
Eligible organizations of 10 or less staff (‘small organization’) may apply for a maximum of $10,000 for organizational technology needs.
Eligible organizations, regardless of size, may apply for a maximum of $2,000 total, for client technology needs.
Eligible costs include:
- Existing or new technology costs
- Software Licenses: (e.g. Zoom, Microsoft)
- Upgraded Internet
- Hardware: Computers, speakers, webcams, headphones, cell phones
- Training that builds capacity for ongoing technology use for staff or clients served.
- Lending libraries/technology for clients.
Ineligible costs include:
- Staff salaries
- Contractor fees

Review & Approval

Eligibility and funding guidelines were developed and approved by the Community Social Services Technology Fund Advisory Committee, consisting of individuals that have experience with community service providers and current sector issues.

The Community Social Services Technology Fund strives for geographic equity in the allocation of funds and will consider both population size and the unique needs and realities of regions and communities across the province of BC.

The review process will also take into consideration historical under-resourcing outside of major urban centres, historical underfunding of urban Indigenous organizations, unequal access to corporate and private donations, and connectivity challenges for employees and clients in remote communities.

When applying, organizations are encouraged to consider:

Do the proposed technology expenses fit within the granting criteria?
Does the funding support the organization’s ability to adapt its services and/or enhance your virtual capacities?
Does this funding foster collaboration with other organizations?
Does the Budget seem reasonable?
Has the applicant identified a financial need for the funding?
Does the funding provide clients with better access to wellness supports and/or educational and employment opportunities?

Thank you

This funding is provided by The Province of British Columbia as part of an initiative to respond to the needs of those who work with some of BC’s most vulnerable people. Learn more about these other initiatives here.