Durham Girls’ Choir wraps-up a milestone 50th anniversary season and celebrates the success of a one-year $27,000 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).  The one-year grant, which was awarded in 2022, enabled the choir to adapt its programming model, increase revenue and meet an increasing demand for services. 

“We are thrilled to see an increasing demand for services and a post-pandemic return to normal activities in our choir. With this grant we were able to welcome new members, help our young singers find their voices, and strengthen our sense of community,” says Choir Manager Wendy Capkun.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation developed the Resilient Communities Fund to help non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. The grant has helped the choir to eliminate its wait-list for services, representing a 20% increase in overall capacity. It’s helped secure a large rehearsal facility, further stabilizing and supporting weekly social interactions. It’s also helped to adapt programming, directly addressing members’ varied educational and skill levels. It’s also helped with staffing for a professional director and collaborative pianist, providing program development, oversight, and musical leadership.

In recognition of its substantial and prolonged impact on the Durham Region music community, Durham Girls’ Choir was presented with the Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame award at the Oshawa Music Awards. Building on this recognition and continuing to positively impact the community, the young singers of Durham Girls’ Choir have come together under the leadership of Kristine Dandavino, Alanna Kurt, and Jacquelyne Beriault to present two public concerts and provide national anthem support for the opening ceremonies of the Ontario Parasport Games.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grant-making in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested over $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. 

Visit otf.ca to learn more.