TORONTO, ONTARIO – The Hellenic Initiative (THI) Canada joins nine reputable and well-established foundations in Greece to launch the 6th cycle of the Points of Support Program. Since the launch of the Program in 2015, 119 small grants were provided to start-up, non-profit organizations in Greece delivering initiatives benefiting over 40,000 people across Greece.

The Program provides small grants for big ideas, supporting organizations with innovative small-scale initiatives that have significant social impact for the benefit of society, the environment, and vulnerable groups. To ensure the continued success and sustainability of participating organizations that receive grants of 5,000 euros each, the Program provides training, access to professionals, mentoring, networking opportunities and other capacity-building tools to ensure long-term growth.

The 10 foundations that are collaborating in the 6th cycle of the Points of Support Program are: The Hellenic Initiative Canada, Ioannis S. Latsis Charitable Foundation, TIMA Charitable Foundation, Bodossaki Foundation, Captain Vassilis & Carmen Konstantakopoulos Foundation, A.G. Leventis Foundation, Athanasios K. Laskaridis Foundation, Costas M. Lemos Foundation, KIKPE Social and Cultural Foundation, and the Athena I. Martinou Foundation.

The Bodossaki Foundation acts as the Program coordinator and the provider of capacity-building, through its Social Dynamo Program.

The new cycle of the Points of Support Program will support 39 organizations operating in areas that deliver:  food aid; support and social integration for people with disabilities; support for seniors; healthcare for children and other vulnerable groups; and initiatives in environmental protection. THI Canada will support three organizations to deliver initiatives to combat poverty by providing food aid to those in need in Greece.

Tula Alexopoulos, Chair of THI Canada’s Grants Committee, expressed support for the Points of Support Program, noting that “The Hellenic Initiative Canada is proud to partner with nine foundations in Greece to empower non-profit organizations to benefit Greek society.”

Bodossaki Foundation celebrated the successful launch of the program with an event held at the Benaki Museum in Athens on March 14. The launch event was attended by representatives of the 10 foundations participating in the program and a diverse group of stakeholders. THI Canada’s co-President Alexander Georgiadis, President of Krinos Foods, and THI Canada’s Honorary Director Robert Peck, former Ambassador of Canada to Greece, attended the event as representatives of THI Canada. In addition to announcing the launch of the program, members of the Bodossaki Foundation also presented the progress of the Points of Support Program throughout its five cycles. The event also featured an important discussion on the urgent need for innovative and collaborative approaches to address the financial, societal and environmental challenges that Greece is currently facing.

Following the successful launch event of the program, the Bodossaki Foundation and the nine organizations participating are looking forward to receiving applications from organizations that are passionate about creating positive change with a lasting impact in Greece.

More information about the 6th cycle of the Points of Support Program can be found here: https://bit.ly/3Jps8sc.

THI Canada is a registered Canadian non-profit charitable organization, founded in 2016, with the objective of raising funds in Canada to support vulnerable groups in Greece. With the help and generosity of Greek Canadians and philhellenes, THI Canada partners with reputable and trusted organizations in Greece to fund programs that provide food and other necessities of life to those in need, to provide healthcare and medical services, and to advance education through scholarships and other forms of financial assistance to students to attend vocational schools, colleges and universities in Canada and Greece. Since its establishment, THI Canada has funded programs that provide meals for children and their families, specialized programs that care for children with disabilities, medical support and care for vulnerable seniors, support for pregnant women living in remote islands of Greece, and many other programs. THI Canada also responds to emergencies, such as the recent wildfires in Northern Evia.

THI Canada is a member of THI Worldwide, a global movement of the Greek diaspora founded in 2012 to invest in the future of Greece through crisis relief and economic development.

About Bodossaki Foundation

The Bodossaki Foundation is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1972 with the aim of continuing the philanthropic work of its founder, Prodromos Bodossakis-Athanasiadis, in Greek society. Its vision is for a society of equal opportunities, with possibilities and prospects for all.

To achieve its vision, the Bodossaki Foundation, with transparency, accountability, and reliability, finances, designs, and implements actions and programs related to its four strategic pillars: promoting education, upgrading health, protecting the environment, and empowering civil society. Since its establishment, it has provided more than €450 million to achieve its goals.

At the same time, the Bodossaki Foundation now also acts as a catalyst for the creation of a broader framework of philanthropy in Greek society, managing resources from third parties – donors, international organizations, companies, and other major donors – who wish to fund programs of significant social impact for critical education, health, and protection needs.