Family and Community Support Services provides funding to projects and agencies that align with our funding priorities. For more information on our current and future funding principles, please see:
2009 - 2018 Social sustainability framework and funding priorities
Through a public consultation process, every three years city council sets FCSS funding priorities to guide the allocation of FCSS funds. This takes place the year following the election of a new city council.
In September 2007, FCSS Calgary began a three phase process to develop a new funding framework and investment priorities. With $29 million invested in community programs and services, FCSS began planning for the future by examining how to increase its impact in an evolving social and demographic environment.
The overall objective of the work was to develop a long-term, multi-year framework for community investment for FCSS Calgary designed to ensure comprehensive, preventive impact in our community and sustainability for the FCSS funding program.
In 2008, city council approved a new social sustainability framework and funding priorities for FCSS Calgary. 2009 was designated a planning year for the implementation of the new framework and funding priorities. FCSS Calgary and its funded agencies began to apply the new funding priorities in 2010.
The Social Sustainability Framework and Funding Priorities now serve as the blueprint for FCSS social planning, investment decisions, and funding practices. The Framework aligns with the Triple Bottom Line policy (economic, social, environment) adopted by The City of Calgary for all aspects of its business, with a focus on social sustainability for FCSS.
Social sustainability framework
Best and promising practices research briefs
FCSS Calgary adopted a social sustainability framework to serve as a blueprint for its social planning, investment decisions, and funding practices. Within this framework, FCSS identified two investment priorities for the next decade: strengthening neighbourhoods and increasing social inclusion.
Review the research briefs to learn more about the research.
Funding priorities
Strengthen Neighbourhoods
Ten year desired outcomes
- A decrease or at least no increase in the spatial concentration of poverty in Calgary.
- Increased community capacity and social and individual capital in focus neighbourhoods.
Increase Social Inclusion
Ten year desired outcomes
- Increased social inclusion among vulnerable Calgarians participating in FCSS-funded programs and initiatives.
- The focus will be on vulnerable populations who meet specified criteria and are at risk of social exclusion.
- Vulnerable immigrants: Have arrived in the last five years, are refugees, face language-cultural barriers, have low income/unable to obtain employment commensurate with credentials, are stay-at-home parents or seniors, belong to ethno-cultural communities with few members in Calgary.
- Vulnerable Aboriginal peoples: Individuals and communities that have been affected by the multigenerational impacts of colonialism, such as the effects of residential schools. These effects may include systemic racism and discrimination, resulting in chronic low income, high mobility, loss of culture, and other negative social indicators. Aboriginal peoples include First Nations (status, non-status and Bill C-31 individuals), Métis, and Inuit people. As directed by the FCSS Act, Aboriginal programming must be located within City of Calgary (CMA) boundaries.
- Vulnerable families: Experience chronic low-income, teen parents, lone parent + low income, few social supports, high household mobility, homelessness, parents with low personal capacity, family dysfunction, experience/have experienced or witness/have witnessed abuse.
- Vulnerable children and youth: Live alone or are homeless, live in families experiencing chronic low-income, live in dysfunctional families, experience or have experienced or witness or have witnessed abuse and/or trauma, lack of interpersonal and social skills, have cognitive deficits and/or mental health issues, are not engaged in or succeeding at school, experience low sense of belonging in school or community.
- Vulnerable seniors: Are 65+ years, live alone (key risk factor for social isolation, along with 75+), have low income, are single and/or bereaved, are in poor health, experience language/cultural barriers, have transportation difficulties.
The new social sustainability framework and funding priorities:
- Provide FCSS with clear and consistent principles to guide funding decisions.
- Help FCSS to better account for and communicate its significant impact in the community by aligning funded programs with clearly identified objectives and outcomes.
- Incorporate recent advances in prevention science to ensure funded programs continue to improve Calgarians' lives.
- Direct investments toward supporting partnerships, coordination, collaboration, and integration.
- Align with related City of Calgary planning and policy initiatives.
As required by council, the funding priorities will be reviewed every three years in an effort to monitor and evaluate the impact of this new funding strategy. Adjustments to the strategy may be implemented based on evaluation results, however, it is anticipated the funding priorities will remain in place until 2018.
2009 - 2018 funding priority development
The City of Calgary has been proactively planning for current and ongoing population growth and changing social, environmental, and economic conditions through initiatives such as imagineCalgary, the Municipal Development Plan, the Calgary Transit Plan and other corporate initiatives.
In September 2007, FCSS Calgary began a three phase process to develop a new funding framework and investment priorities. The overall objective of this work was to develop a long-term, multi-year framework for community investment for FCSS Calgary designed to ensure comprehensive, preventive impact in our community.
The following documents provide a record of the funding priority development process:
Phase I (September to December 2007)
Complete research and environmental scan
Phase II (March to June 2008)
Develop funding framework and consult with stakeholders
Phase III (July to October 2008)
Create implementation plan to move forward from 2009 to 2018
Phase IV (November 2008 to June 2009)
Please contact FCSS for more information
