A recent federal funding cut shouldn’t affect local 4-H clubs, at least for now, says 4-H Canada.
The national organization said its most recent round of funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada totals $1.7 million over three years. In the past, it has received about $1 million per year, said interim CEO Hugh Maynard by email.
Project-related funding, which rose significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, has also returned to pre-pandemic levels, Maynard added.
“This will not have an immediate impact on 4-H Canada programming, much of which was already well into planning when we learned of the funding changes,” he said.
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National programming is also a small portion of overall club activity across Canada. Traditionally, 4-H Canada has passed funds from AAFC to provincial organizations. Since the parent organization was only notified of reduced funding in October, it requested and was granted a one-time contribution of $216,000 for its provincial branches.
4-H Canada also has an application pending with Employment and Social Development Canada to fund various programs, which would include money for provincial groups.
“We are optimistic that the traditional support provided by 4-H Canada to the provinces will continue,” Maynard said.
Meanwhile, 4-H Canada has laid off seven staff members. Maynard said staffing varies yearly, and recent reductions were partly due to projects ending.
In a statement, AAFC said 4-H Canada’s application exceeded the maximum yearly funding amount. That, plus a high volume of other applications, caused it to prioritize “projects that most closely align with program criteria.”
“Support for 4-H Canada continues under the new Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s ACP Program, with details for new support currently being finalized,” the federal government said.
