The United Way Eternity Fund

The Eternity Fund is the permanent endowment fund of the United Way. When you make a donation to the Eternity Fund, the money is invested and the principal is preserved. Only the income earned is used to support essential services and programs, ensuring your gift will benefit future generations. Assets of the Eternity Fund are professionally managed by the Community Foundation

United Way Innovation Grant Funding Stream
Interest income received from the Eternity Fund, United Way’s Endowment Fund provides grants for non-member agencies. These grants help identify new needs in the community. Through this process, the United Way has provided grants for a variety of programs and projects. Some agencies have received Innovation Grants and have moved on to become member agencies. Applications are received annually in May and the maximum grant amount is $2,500. An agency can apply for two consecutive years.

Examples of One-Time Innovation Grants Awarded

• Kingston Community Roundtable on Poverty Reduction: Youth Poverty Challenge - a one day experiential learning opportunity for local high school students to teach empathy and compassion, and increase youth awareness and understanding of local poverty.
• Hospice Lennox & Addington: lending library of bereavement and palliative care materials for families and friends who are grieving the diagnosis of a terminal illness or loss of a loved one.
• Kingston Family YMCA: indoor dramatic play equipment for new child care centre at Belmont’s long-term care facility in Kingston west end.
• Lennox & Addington Resources for Children: to address the need for affordable activities for low-income families and children in Napanee.
• MS Society, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Chapter: new computer, monitor and software, and phones to improve data base and communications systems, and improve capacity to serve clients, coordinate volunteers, and deliver programs.
• Salvation Army Napanee: community garden project for local food bank, utilizing many local volunteers, the farming community, and high school students in order to implement, maintain, harvest and sustain the garden project.
• Southern Frontenac Community Services: weekly Rural Women’s Life Group for women often experiencing isolation to talk about common experiences, parenting, social issues, workshops on such things as budgeting and finances. Almost Home: new dishwasher to ensure cleanliness and sanitization for the many families and children who reside at the house while in treatment for serious heath issues
• Extend-A-Family Kingston: respite program 2 Saturdays each month for families with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder focusing on social skills and recreation.
• Frontenac Community Mental Health Services: introductory workshop for organizations and professionals on the issue of hoarding, a manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• Hospice Lennox & Addington: joint training session for new volunteer bereavement facilitators for Hospice L&A and Hospice Kingston.
• Lennox and Addington Family and Children’s Services: Kool Kamp summer day camp program for at-risk children and youth from L&A County.
• Lennox and Addington Foster Parent Association: Literacy and Social Skills Summer Camp for at-risk children and youth from L&A County.
• Partners in Mission Food Bank: for the Grow a Row campaign and events.
• Bereaved Families of Ontario – Kingston Region: 3-day facilitator training for Children’s Grief pilot project.
• The Canadian Diabetes Association: extensive learning series throughout KFL&A adapted for various audiences including children, youth, low-literacy, various language groups, and healthcare professionals, on diabetes and to support, empower and motivate people to adopt healthier lifestyles.
• Frontenac Children’s Aid Society: breast pumps for mothers facing barriers of poverty to ensure baby receives proper nutrients and assist in the bonding process between mother and child.
• Kingston Partners for a Safe Community: Safe Sleep (Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy and Sudden Infant Death) public awareness program to educate and support parents and caregivers. Centre for Addictions and Mental Health:
• TAMI (Talking About Mental Health) program for grade 11 and 12 high school students to discuss mental illness and receive information about youth friendly mental health-related resources.
• Newburgh United Church: commercial grade equipment for Community Kitchen program to bring together residents ranging from teenagers to seniors to learn about, access and prepared healthy food and provide opportunities to break down barriers that cause isolation, social and generational barriers.

For more information on the Eternity Fund or United Way Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, please visit the United Way website