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December 2009
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In this issue
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Welcome
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 While winter's arrival means hibernation for many of Alberta's species, it heralds a burst of commotion in the staff dens of Alberta Ecotrust. November is the month we award our second round of grants to some well deserving and hard working organizations, and preparations include a busy round of reading proposals, conducting interviews, preparing reports, and summoning members of our grant review committee together for their unenviable task of deciding where our funds — never enough! — will go.
We have heard from many of our grantees, ENGO partners and community groups that the tough times of 2009 are becoming tougher yet as they head into 2010. For many, core funding has disappeared and even volunteers are being 'laid off." For the most part, though, this community is resilient and remains committed to the bottom line of sustainability. We at Alberta Ecotrust are encouraged by the continued commitment and generosity of our partners and donors and are fortunate to be able to continue our 2009 grant program with just a slightly tighter budget than usual. The good news is that our partners are committed to our mission and there are encouraging signs of new interest and potential growth of our programs. That means good news for the environmental community too!
On the home front, we have a great new staff team working on exciting new ideas for next year. The expertise, experience and leadership of the new team have resulted in a popcorn-like profusion of brainstorming. It is truly exciting to be a part of Alberta Ecotrust's present evolution, which is opening some extraordinary new opportunities to protect and steward the natural places and resources precious to Albertans.
Pat Letizia,
Executive Director
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EcoTrust News
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Building a stronger environment – one project at a time
 Alberta Ecotrust announces fall grants
Alberta's water, wilderness and air were $152,500 to the good last
week as Alberta Ecotrust's grant review committee gathered to choose
which of 23 proposed projects would receive the foundation's support.
The deliberations of the review committee — a gathering of two dozen
representatives from the foundation's corporate and environmental
nonprofit partners — eventually winnowed the applications down to just ten projects.
More...
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Sophie’s Birthday – Giving Green at Age 11
 At the tender age of 11, Alberta Ecotrust's youngest donor is the walking, talking embodiment of the foundation's "Live Green, Give Green" philosophy. Sophie Barry's recent gift of $300 made her one of a rare breed of Albertans -- the four percent who donate to environmental causes - and her gesture has inspired Alberta Ecotrust's 2009 funding appeal. "Here's a child who really wants to do something important," noted executive director Pat Letizia, "and is going out of her way to make a difference. Sophie's story strengthens my resolve and gives me a lot of hope for the future."
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Rolling on the river – Devon rally “revitalizes passion” for watershed protection
 Let's face it: a cold day deep into September is not the ideal time
to raft down the North Saskatchewan River. And yet, for the 75
watershed-protecting participants of Alberta Ecotrust's River Rally
2009, three hours on the river provided the perfect introduction to
three days of networking, knowledge-sharing, and inspiration. As one of
the river runners noted during a streamside presentation on aquatic
health, "I'm freezing, but this is the absolute best start to any
conference I've ever attended!"
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Penn West Energy Becomes a Corporate Partner
 Penn West Energy
has become the latest company to join Alberta Ecotrust's growing list
of Corporate Partners. Penn West has a corporate mandate to contribute
to the environmental quality of life in Alberta, and the company's
Community Investment Committee believes it has found in Alberta
Ecotrust a great partner to help it pursue that mandate. Ecotrust's
focus on funding community environmental projects, combined with the
way it decides on which of those projects to fund - a process involving
both corporate and environmental non-government organization (ENGO)
representatives -- was key to Penn West's decision to become a Partner.
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New faces bring new look and new perspectives to Alberta Ecotrust
 Three new staff joined Alberta Ecotrust over the
summer, replenishing the employee ranks and bringing the team up to
full capacity. Described as "a welcome new step for us," by executive
director Pat Letizia, the hirings "have added some real strength to our
programs and operations."
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New round of YES grants announced
 Alberta
Ecotrust's Young Environmental Stewards (YES) Program provides grants
of up to $5,000 to youth with innovative ideas that address Alberta's
environmental challenges. A past recipient himself, Kurt Archer, YES
program coordinator, invites any Albertan between 16 and 29 who has a good
idea and the energy to implement it to apply for one of the grants
between now and the application deadline of January 25, 2010. For more
information, visit the Alberta Ecotrust YES website page or call Kurt at 403.209-2245, x. 103. The 2010 YES program is being funded by the generosity of TransAlta.
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TechSoup Canada: Solutions for the Technologically Challenged
 Are
environmental nonprofits technologically-challenged? Probably not if
the term means the staff of environmental organizations can't figure
out how to use the latest electronic gizmos. But if it means that most
nonprofits don't have access to the gizmos and the related software
that would help them do what they do more effectively, it is almost a
universal truism. TechSoup Global and its Canadian partner TechSoup
Canada, the subject of this issue's Capacity Corner, address that
deficit by providing the nonprofit world with assistance in obtaining,
using, and sustaining technology.
More...
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