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COVID-19 Funding Opportunities
Current COVID-19 funding opportunities are available on our website.
National Funding Opportunities
Funding Targets Public Spaces, Mobility, and Digital Connectivity in Canada
Community Foundations of Canada: Healthy Communities Initiative
The Healthy Communities Initiative, administered by Community Foundations of Canada, is a $31 million investment from the Government of Canada to transform public spaces in response to COVID-19. The Initiative will provide funding to a broad range of organizations, including local governments, charities, Indigenous communities, and nonprofits, for projects, programming, and services that help communities create safe and vibrant public spaces, improve mobility options, and provide innovative digital solutions to connect people and improve health. Round 2 applications must be submitted by June 25, 2021. Visit the Community Foundations of Canada website to review the regional map and contacts and watch a community mobilization session.
Support for Early-Stage Canadian Charities
Project Change Foundation
The Project Change Foundation supports positive change in communities across Canada. The Foundation awards investments of $2,000 and provides free advisory support to early-stage charities in Canada with significant potential for creating social or environmental change. The focus is on charities that are community-based and committed to connecting people and empowering them to become leaders and change-makers. Registered charities are eligible to apply. Expressions of interest must be submitted no later than June 30, 2021. Visit the Foundation’s website to complete the online application form.
Grants Fund a Range of Charitable Activities
Olive Tree Foundation
The Olive Tree Foundation’s mission is to promote and perpetuate philanthropy and enhance community life through responsible grantmaking in Canada. The Foundation supports a range of charitable activities in the community, including policy institutes and think tanks and organizations working in the areas of social, community, and health services; education and library services; and arts, culture, and heritage. Priority areas for funding in 2021 are anti-racism and Islamophobia, climate action, Indigenous and interfaith issues, and youth. Grants are awarded to organizations holding charitable registration with Customs and Revenue Canada Agency or those sponsored by an organization with charitable registration. The deadline to submit a Project Introduction Form is June 30, 2021; invited applications are due by August 31, 2021. Additional information on the granting process is available on the Foundation’s website.
Award Honors Digital Artists in Canada
Emerging Digital Artists Award
The Emerging Digital Artists Award (EDAA), presented by EQ Bank and Trinity Square Video, is designed to foster experimentation in the work of emerging artists and create opportunities for those working in digital media in Canada. Submissions must take the form of digital art, defined as a screen-based artwork that demonstrates an engagement with digital technologies in the process of its creation. Artwork must also have a visual component and stand on its own when viewed on a single screen or projection (i.e., if the work is part of a larger installation). Digital submissions may include, but are not limited to, images, videos, animations, and GIFs; websites, games, and applications; and augmented and virtual realities. Five artists will each be awarded a $5,000 prize, one of whom will also earn a spot in Trinity Square Video’s 2022 Themed Commission residency program. Emerging artists who are residents of Canada are eligible to apply. Applications must be submitted by June 15, 2021. Visit the EDAA website to review the guidelines for the 2021 Award and apply online.
Regional Funding Opportunities
Program Benefits Communities in Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan
Federated Co-operatives Limited: Community Investment Fund
Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) supports community programs and organizations in Western Canada. FCL's Community Investment Fund supports charitable projects or events that are making an impact in the communities of Calgary and Edmonton, AB; Regina and Saskatoon, SK; and Winnipeg, MB. The Fund is administered by employee-led committees in these cities. Applications are reviewed quarterly; the remaining deadlines for this year are June 30, September 30, and December 31, 2021. Visit the FCL website to access the online application portal.
Funding Targets At-Risk Children and Youth in Saskatchewan
Access Communications Children's Fund
The Access Communications Children's Fund contributes support to schools as well as youth-based nonprofit organizations and charities in communities served by the company in Saskatchewan. The focus is on programs that are directed at children under the age of 18 who are at risk or in need. Interests include the following: 1) health and wellness, including projects that improve self-esteem, mental health, and healthy lifestyles, and social, intellectual, physical, and creative activities that enhance individual well-being; 2) education and literacy, including projects that improve educational performance and enhance social, emotional, language, and communication skills; and 3) social inclusion, including initiatives that increase understanding and awareness of culture and diversity, promote belonging and acceptance, and address social stigmatization and marginalization. Applications may be submitted throughout the year and are reviewed four to five times annually. Visit the Access Communications website to complete the eligibility quiz prior to submitting an online application.
Support for Sports, Recreation, and Cultural Projects in the Northwest Territories
Aboriginal Sports Circle NWT
The Aboriginal Sports Circle NWT (ASCNWT) promotes accessible and equitable sport and recreation opportunities for Aboriginal peoples across the Northwest Territories. ASCNWT's Community Development Program provides support for sport, recreation, and cultural projects that meet local community priorities and goals. Priority is given to projects that enhance community capacity, connect community members to their culture and traditions, support sport and recreation, get community members active, and certify community coaches. Applications are accepted from recreation leaders, volunteers, community champions, Territorial Sport Organizations (TSOs), and individuals based in the Northwest Territories. There is no deadline to apply. Visit the ASCNWT website to review the guidelines and download the application form.
Grants Aid Public Art Galleries and Museums in Ontario
Ontario Arts Foundation: Elizabeth L. Gordon Art Program
The Ontario Arts Foundation is committed to working towards the increased stability of the arts infrastructure in Ontario. Through the Elizabeth L. Gordon Art Program, the Foundation aims to foster a broader appreciation of Canadian visual art and artists by assisting public art galleries and museums in Ontario to grow their permanent collections, increase the public’s knowledge of collecting and permanent collections, and support community engagement between a gallery or museum and its local community. Acquisition Grants and Development Grants are provided. The application deadline is July 15, 2021. Visit the Foundation’s website to download the guidelines and application form.
Government Funding Opportunities
Funds for Higher Education and STEM Initiatives that Bolster Ties to the U.S.
Department of State
The Higher Education and STEM Virtual Grant Program provides support to individuals, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, government institutions, and academic institutions for virtual programs on higher education and STEM that strengthen the bilateral ties between the United States and Canada. The closing date for applications is August 9, 2021.
Environmental Projects Funded
Environment and Climate Change Canada
The Environmental Damages Fund directs funds received from fines, court orders, and voluntary payments to priority projects that will benefit Canada’s natural environment. Projects must be undertaken within Canadian provinces and territories and focus on restoration, environmental quality improvement, research and development, or education and awareness. Priority is given to projects that restore the natural environment and conserve wildlife. There is no deadline to apply.
PathFinder: Featured Resource
A library of quality resources designed to help you develop your career path as a grants professional
Collecting Courage: Joy, Pain, Freedom, Love, by Nneka Allen, Camila Vital Nunes Periera, and Nicole Salmon
Are you interested in learning more about the barriers faced by Black fundraising professionals? If so, you may want to read Collecting Courage: Joy, Pain, Freedom, Love, by Nneka Allen, Camila Vital Nunes Pereira, and Nicole Salmon. This book is a collection of stories documenting racism and survival by 14 accomplished Black fundraisers working in charities across North America.
Upcoming Online Education Trainings
Live Webinars
Unless otherwise noted, all Online Education Trainings are webinars,
are 90 minutes in duration, and are scheduled to begin at 2 PM Eastern Time.
The Power of Social Enterprise
How to Generate Unrestricted Revenue for Your Organization (NEW)
Are you looking to diversify your revenue stream? Would you like to increase organizational sustainability by creating recurring, predictable revenue streams for general operating? In this 90-minute training Stephanie Sample, Founder and CEO of Sample Consulting Studio, will introduce Social Enterprise for nonprofits. She will walk participants through the process of identifying organizational assets, strategically selecting an asset to monetize, and developing a business plan around your core competencies. Topics covered will include: how to identify and monetize your organizational assets; examples of successful nonprofits with social enterprises; components of a social enterprise business plan; how your social enterprise impacts your nonprofit mission; and tax repercussions for nonprofit organizations who generate revenue through social enterprise. You will walk away with: a list of your organization's monetizable assets; examples of nonprofits that create their own revenue; examples of nonprofits that launched social enterprises in the pandemic; a format for starting the conversation about social enterprise at your organization; and inspiration and insight into potential revenue streams. The webinar will be held on Thursday, June 3, 2021.
The Change Map and the Bottom-Up Logic Model
This workshop, presented by Maryn Boess, Founder of GrantsMagic U, offers a powerful way of thinking about and assessing the work your organization does—and a simple, step-by-step process for communicating the impact of your work to funders, partners, and the community at large. The Change Map and Bottom-Up Logic Model are two powerful, practical tools that help community agencies organize resources toward change and diagnose misalignments between action and impact. Using these tools together, we can create a visual framework for meaningful, measurable collective impact in a challenging and changing environment—and organize our resources to achieve it. In this engaging, interactive session Maryn will: introduce a very big-picture context called The Change Map—bigger than the Logic Model, even bigger than your mission!—for articulating exactly what your organization does and why it matters; explain why the Logic Model is the indispensable do-it-all power tool for planning, managing, and evaluating all our community work—grant proposal or no grant proposal; and, demonstrate how to use our X-ray vision to expose the essential “bones” of the Logic Model structure and exactly how all the pieces fit together. (PLUS you’ll get hands-on practice constructing a Logic Model right on the spot!) You’ll see how flipping the Logic Model on its side to create “The Bottom-Up Logic Model” turns it into a powerful lens for spotting, diagnosing, and fixing problems in our program plans and change initiatives. BONUS: Collaboration Logic Model—You’ll learn how the Bottom-Up Logic Model can be used to map out the work of your community teams and partnerships to make sure you maximize your collective impact. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.
The Low-Down on Executive Summaries and Letters of Inquiry
Compact Proposals: What They Are, How to Write Them, and Why They Are Vital to Grant Success (NEW)
How do you keep appeals “short and sweet,” while still making sure they are complete? This micro-course focuses on the skills needed to break down a large proposal and effectively communicate key information in the form of an executive summary or letter of inquiry. Join Marie Palacios to learn what donors are looking for in these “compact proposal” narratives and what should be reserved for the full proposal or in-person dialogue. In this session you'll learn: the difference between an executive summary and a letter of inquiry; key components of an executive summary and a letter of inquiry; quick tips to make sure every sentence packs a punch and gets the donor’s attention; and helpful hints on what NOT to include in an executive summary or letter of inquiry. The webinar will be held on Thursday, June 10, 2021.
GrantStation Announcements
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Funding Alerts
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Information contained in the GrantStation Canadian Insider may not be
posted, reprinted, redistributed, or sold without permission.
Editor: Diana Holder
Contributing Writer: Ashlyn Simmons