Rambling with… Community Futures

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/07/2022 (317 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Susan Bater is the entrepreneurs with disabilities program manager of the Community Futures Manitoba office here in Winnipeg.

I contacted her after seeing their ads on the TV, wanting to know more about the programs they offer, the requirements for participants and anything else she could tell me about Community Futures.

Rinn: So, what or who, is the actual owner of Community Futures?

Bater: Community Futures offices are independent, non-profit organizations that provide loans, advice, and support to rural business owners and help their communities with community economic development initiatives. They each have a board of directors composed of local representatives that guide the organizations. Rinn: So, I know you have offices scattered throughout Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with 16 in Manitoba; who provides the funding for your offices, and would I be correct if it is the Manitoba government who provides funds, private funding, or are you federally funded?

Bater: There are 267 Community Futures organizations across Canada, and you are correct that there are 16 offices in Manitoba. We provide services to entrepreneurs and communities rural, northern, and remote areas of Manitoba…everywhere but Winnipeg. In Western Canada, Community Futures organizations are funded by the federal government through Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan).

Rinn: How long has CF existed? Can you give us a brief synopsis or overview of the organization?

Community Futures began in 1986 as a grassroots-driven program created to strengthen rural economies by enabling entrepreneurship and assisting in community economic development. Community Futures organizations provide a range of services to small-business owners. Our professional staff meet with entrepreneurs to discuss their business idea and offer advice on starting or growing a business and succession planning.

Community Futures offices also provide business loans. We offer several other supports, including a program specifically for entrepreneurs with disabilities or health conditions. We also support rural communities to help grow their local economies.

To learn more about Community Futures and to locate your local office, visit CF online at www.cfmanitoba.ca

I’ll be rambling on now…