Foreword
Allow me introduce JustChange St.John’s.
Cameron Campbell and the new and inspiring folks in Newfoundland and Labrador have begun a new JustChange chapter on the east coast. They will be piloting the model for the next little while, adopting JustChange into their own context and their own community, while keeping the core values and structure intact. Certainly, this will be an exciting time for both Ottawa and St. John’s, as there will be lots to learn from each other. Therefore, please bear with us as we go forward, for there may be more changes ahead. That being said, the JustChange Ottawa grant, coming out of our own pockets, to accelerate new and great ideas, will always remain the same.
If you are interested in learning more about JustChange, please let us know. (info@justchange.ca),
Congratulations to our new JustChangers,
Read Guernsey
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JustChange St. John’s – The focus is small, the potential is great!
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) is home to amazing people and vibrant communities. Ideas and innovators surround us, but sometimes they just need a little help to change their ideas into realities. At JustChange St. John’s we believe that by sharing our common wealth, experiences, and skills there is little that can’t be achieved. Supporting local innovations is what we want to do, but we need your help to do it.
The model is simple. If you or your organization has a great idea, but lacks the start up funding to get it off the ground then apply for one of our bi-monthly grants. We’ll help successful applicants try to realize their vision with a grant (non-repayable!) and any in-kind support we can provide.
We are committed to contributing to ideas and projects that have the potential to make real change in our province. We want to support projects focused on social justice, environmental sustainability, economic and rural development, and improvements in public health. We believe there are great ideas on both sides of the overpass. We don’t care if you live in a small town in coastal Labrador or row house in downtown St. John’s. What we do care about is the vision and enthusiasm you bring and the potential impact your project might have on the people of our province.
JustChange St. John’s was formed by a group of enthusiastic millennials who are originally from across NL and Atlantic Canada. We all call St. John’s home and have a desire to give back to the province that’s given us so much. We were inspired by the work of JustChange Ottawa and decided to bring the model to Newfoundland and Labrador. We knew there were people in NL that would be willing, able, and eager to contribute to innovative, social and environmentally minded projects with the potential to improve the lives of citizens across our province.
As young professionals with student debt, car payments and mortgages we see JustChange as an opportunity to give back without waiting until we can afford to do more. Pooling our resources allows us to give a deserving person, team, or organization a financial boost to get their project off the ground. Pooling our talents and skills allows us to lend support to successful applicants as they set out to accomplish their goals. Establishing a new giving circle in the province will allow us to turn each individual’s monthly pocket change into a bi-monthly no-strings-attached $1,000 grant. Working collectively, we have the opportunity to make a much larger contribution than any one of us could make on our own.
We want to hear your vision for a more progressive, sustainable, healthy, or economically stable Newfoundland and Labrador. Your idea can be big or small, focused on a small community or open to the entire world. We want to empower social enterprises, non-governmental organizations, community groups, and individuals with great ideas. If you have a project that needs some extra support then we want to hear from you. As long as you can make the case that your project will benefit people in our province we’re willing to help you make it a reality.
We’ve just opened the application process for our first $1000.00 grant – to be given out in July 2014. If you’re willing to take a risk and pursue your idea, we’re willing to take a risk and help you succeed.
St. John’s Call for Proposals closes June 30th, 2014. Successful applicants will be notified during the 2nd week of July.
– The JustChange St. John’s Team
Cameron, Dave, Eddy, Heather, Jonas, Matt, Meghan, Stephanie and Stephen
P.S. We want to thank the JustChange Ottawa board for their support, encouragement, and willingness to embrace a new chapter.