Alberta centers plan funding conference

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The Alberta Native Friendship Centre Association will focus on new sources of funding for Aboriginal organizations at a conference this month. Entitled "Working Together," the funding and information conference will be held at Edmonton's Howard Johnson Hotel from Feb. 19 to 21.

"In the present climate of fiscal restraint, it is no longer realistic to rely solely on one government department to meet our financial needs," said association president Berv Martin. "In order to maintain the level of services and commitment our communities have come to depend on, alternate funding resources and partnerships must be accessed."

Representatives of 30 agencies with funding programs specifically targeted to Aboriginal organizations will make presentations throughout the conference. In addition, there will be a separate room in which attendees can meet with presenters for private consultations.

"There's a real need for this format," said provincial coordinator Ray Chambers. "It is hard if you live in rural Alberta to talk to the right people. This conference makes sure that people can find out where funding is available and talk to the right person right away about applying and other details.

"Before the first conference a lot of people were very concerned with the cost," he continued. "But after it was over, many called us to say that they had received funding they never expected to get. So they felt it more than paid back its costs."

The association developed the basic format two years ago at the first funding information conference. Since then, they have made on major change in the selection of presenters.

"This conference will be better still," continued Chambers, "because the first time we included agencies that talked about services they provide as well as funding, and this time we have only funding agencies presenting."

"We've tried to identify new funding agencies," Chambers said, "so that people can get beyond governments and start looking for private sector organizations with funding programs."