About the Fund
The Zoie Gardner Overseas Fund (ZGOF) is a fund of the Unitarian Universalist Community of Victoria (UUCV), initiated in 2014 and resulting from a generous bequest from Victoria Unitarians, James (Jim) and Bernice (Bunny) Hackler. The fund supports education of girls and young women in low-income countries. The ZGOF Committee reports to the UUCV Board. ZGOF Project Funding Criteria
The Hacklers named the fund after an inspiring Edmonton woman, Zoie Gardner (1918-1998), awarded Order of Canada in 1998. Zoie Gardner dedicated her own life to caring for hundreds of children and youth with physical and mental challenges.
Projects Funded by ZGOF in 2025
| Organization | Country | Approved Project |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Harambee Education Soc | Kenya/Tanzania | Secondary school (15 Kenyan girls, 15 Tanzanian girls) |
| Child Haven International | India/Nepal/Bangladesh | Education of girls and young women |
| Crossroads International | Uganda | Training on sexual violence, child labour, rights (24 primary schools) |
| Education Without Borders | South Africa | Gender-based violence workshops: grades 7/8 in seven schools |
| Her International | Nepal | School fees, supplies, supports (100 girls) |
| Inter Pares | Bangladesh | Workshops, drama on reproductive health, rights; girls’ football |
| Kids International Development Soc | Cambodia | Grade 7 to post-secondary education (18 girls) |
| Multination Missions | Guatemala | Middle school scholarships (7 Mayan girls) |
| Myanmar Burma Schools Foundation | Myanmar | New/ renovated school infrastructure in 4 rural villages (377 girls) |
| Right to Learn Afghanistan | Afghanistan | Online education program for girls |
| Stephen Lewis Foundation | Zambia | Classroom block construction, education support (50 girls) |
| Transform International Canada | India | Sewing school for vocational training for older girls & young women |
| Transform International Canada | Rwanda | Grades 10-12 (16 girls); post-secondary scholarships (4 girls) |
| Victoria Taiama Partnership | Sierra Leone | Secondary school (40 students); college/university (45 students) |
ZGOF Committee: Remi Odense (Chair), Karen Furnes (Secretary), Lynn Beak, Evan Guengerich, Frances Hancock, Laura Porcher, Kristina Stevens and John Worton. We honour the passing of June Fukushima, ZGOF Chair 2014-2024, noting her valuable leadership. We also recognize Christine Johnston and Mariko Matsumoto for years of contributions.
Application and Reporting
Next Application Deadline: April 30, 2026
The next application intake will be Spring 2026, closing April 30, 2026. Please see Project Funding Criteria to ensure in advance that your project fits our objectives. Our Application Form may be downloaded below, and uploaded through the upload portal below.
Canadian charitable organizations new to ZGOF are limited to a maximum contribution of $25,000 for their first application.
It is hoped that funds awarded in the spring round will be paid out by Aug 31, 2026, following the development of a signed Funding Agreement with itemized deliverables, timelines, and reporting dates.
ZGOF generally provides one-year project funding, but will consider multi-year projects in exceptional circumstances (e.g. tuition fees over a few years). We expect the fund to have been fully expended by 2030-32.
Applicants must be a registered Canadian charity. Funds may be for such things as scholarships, tuition fees, skills training, workshops, support groups, and goods and services that support education and empowerment of girls and young women, e.g. medical care, female health and reproductive care, teachers, tutoring, counselling, family support, school transport, bicycles. (See Criteria document above.)
… and Project Reports by March 31, 2026
Project reports must be submitted for all ZGOF-funded projects. Your current Funding Agreement specifies the due date for your final Project Report at the conclusion of your project. If that due date is AFTER March 31, 2026 and your organization wishes to submit an Application April 30, 2026, then you must submit an Interim Report on the current project by March 31, 2026. If you have any questions about this, please contact your ZGOF Project Liaison.
Project Reports (or Interim Project Reports) must be approved by ZGOF prior to our approval of a subsequent application. Please use the Project Reporting Form below, for both the Interim and Final Report.
Documents for download:
Note: Application for Project Funding and Project Reporting Form are Word Documents which must be downloaded, completed, saved to PDF and then uploaded to the portal below. If the Word Documents are opening in your browser when you click the link, they may appear to have been incorrectly formatted. Please right click on the link and click “Save As…” to download them to your computer. When you open them in Word, they should look correct.
Before initiating your Application for Project Funding or Project Reporting Form, please check with your ZGOF liaison to ensure you have the most current version.