TORONTO, December 24 (IslamOnline.net) – A Canadian Muslim foundation has offered its first grants to support innovative ideas on more services strengthening the capacity of the community to care for itself.

The Olive Tree Foundation is a philanthropic foundation established earlier this year to promote community development through the collection of endowed funds and charitable contributions, to fund services for the long-term benefit of the community.

The foundation presented its first grants last week, being one of the first granting institutions to be established by the Muslim community - which is one of the fastest growing faith groups in Canada.

It awarded the grants to five innovative projects within the Canadian Muslim community to fund programs that promote education, community outreach and social welfare over the next year.

"The Olive Tree Foundation is pleased to be awarding grants to creative and innovative Canadian non-profit groups," said Muneeb Nasir, President of the Foundation, in announcing the 2005 distribution of grants on the ceremony.

"Bringing these visions and ideas to fruition requires support and Olive Tree Foundation is pleased to contribute in this regard."

Michael Milo, producer of the award-winning documentary, "A New Life in a New Land: the Muslim Experience in Canada", is one of those whose organisations were awarded a grant to train educators in Western Canada to utilize the series in their outreach activities.

"Milo Productions is extremely pleased to have received support from the Olive Tree Foundation,” he said. It is wonderful to be with the Foundation at the outset as they build a unique and very valuable institution. "

The Federation of Muslim Women (FMW) said the grant would increase areas of its services to include youths.

"It is a testament to the work that FMW has been doing since 1998 at the grassroots level, within and outside, the Muslim community.  This grant enables FMW to pursue one of our primary objectives: to incorporate youth initiatives into the organization," said Zehra Haffajee, the Federation Chairperson.

Grants were awarded to the following organizations:

The grants were made possible by contributions collected by the Foundation during its first Annual Ramadan Campaign that encouraged Canadian Muslims to share part of their annual charitable contributions with deserving community initiatives.

Milo thinks that philanthropic foundations are important for community development.

"Olive Tree Foundation will enrich Muslims in Canada through helping socially based organizations deliver quality programs,” he said.

The number of Canadian Muslims has increased dramatically over the last decade, according to a national census last year.