At the heart of the Community Futures approach is a firm belief that the most effective process for achieving economic renewal comes from within the community.
There are 268 Community Futures organizations in Canada. In Manitoba, 16 Community Futures (CFs) are working to strengthen local economies.
CFs are led by local boards of directors who volunteer their time, energy and expertise. A team of skilled staff provides a wide range of community economic development and business services.
In 2003, more than 5,400 volunteers contributed hundreds of thousands of hours in helping Community Futures create a stronger, more sustainable economy.
In 2003, CFs invested just over $188 million in repayable loans to assist small businesses in thousand of communities across Canada, helping to create/maintain more than 21,699 jobs and leveraging an additional $158.3 million in investment funds from other sources.
22% of small businesses in Western Canada have received some form of assistance and support from their local CF.
The average CF loan client generates revenue of about 1.2 million over a five year period.
