Despite operating with a shoestring budget for much of its existence, Adult Literacy Fredericton (ALF) has been helping adults with reading, writing, financial literacy and more for over 40 years. Thanks to the Fredericton Community Foundation providing ALF with $17,000 from Rosemary’s Legacy Fund last year, the literacy organization was able to double its office hours, avoid its routine summer closure and ultimately support more learners.

“When you’re working in a non-profit, a lot of community grants and funding are for specific projects and not general operating expenses,” says ALF executive director Kate Weaver.

“We need to keep the lights on, pay the rent and employee salaries, so the funding from the Fredericton Community Foundation has been so critical for us to keep the doors open for our clients.”

ALF is actively supporting about 40 learners in summer 2024, up from just 15 a year before. It’s a direct result of the Community Foundation funding, which Kate says enabled ALF to attend summer festivities like farmers’ markets and community events, expanding its reach and connecting with potential tutors and clients.

In time, Kate hopes to secure sustainable funding for ALF so that it can provide full-time tutoring in the Fredericton area. ALF is a registered charity and an affiliated council of Read NB, a non-profit charitable organization.

Literacy For All

“When you’re working in a non-profit, a lot of community grants and funding are for specific projects and not general operating expenses,” says ALF executive director Kate Weaver.