Canadian foundation to give $1 million to fund community mental health projects

From MarketWire:

OTTAWA, Ontario -- The Canada Post Foundation for Mental Health is pleased to announce its first-ever grants to non-profit community groups across the country. In all, the Foundation is giving out more than $1 million to fund projects of 20 community-based groups in all regions.

The grants, which come from money raised by the Foundation in 2008 through the collective efforts of Canada Post, its employees and the public, were allocated to projects that directly benefit people affected by mental illness.

The grassroots groups include six organizations each in Western Canada and Ontario and eight in Eastern Canada. They will receive grants of up to $75,000 each. A full list of recipients is available at www.canadapost.ca/takingsteps.

"Canada Post is proud to provide this kind of practical, direct support to people who are struggling to cope with mental illness and to the organizations across the country that deliver services to help them," said Canada Post President and CEO Moya Greene. "This money was literally raised a dollar at a time in a tough year when the recession hit charitable organizations hard," she said. "And almost every dollar donated is going right to the front line where it can do the most good. The need is great, particularly in these times, and only a small share of healthcare spending is devoted to mental illness."

"The Grants Advisory Committee of experts did an excellent job assessing the 200 applications we received to make sure the Foundation's money will provide the greatest benefit possible to patients and their families," said James Roche, Chairman of the Canada Post Foundation for Mental Health.

Canada Post employees rallied to raise funds for the fledgling Foundation after it was formed in June 2008 to increase awareness and money for mental health, the corporation's cause of choice. Last fall, employees at retail counters asked customers to donate one dollar to the Foundation after every transaction. The company also issued a highly successful fund-raising Mental Health stamp last October. One dollar from the sale of each booklet of 10 stamps went to the Foundation.

Customers donated a total of $522,000, and combined sales of the popular stamp raised more than $340,000. In addition, Canada Post's employees this year pledged $162,660 to the Foundation through a Dime a Day campaign, which Canada Post matched on a one-time basis. Going forward, the employee pledges will give the Foundation a permanent funding base of more than $325,000 every year through payroll deductions.

Canada Post has also issued a new fundraising Mental Health stamp to build on the success of last year's campaign. The stamp is available in post offices across Canada.