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COVID-19 Funding Opportunities
Grants Foster Economic Resilience Across Canada
Future Skills Centre: Shock-Proofing the Future of Work
The Shock-Proofing the Future of Work call for proposals, issued by the Future Skills Centre, supports labor market innovations to help build resilience in the face of social and economic shock due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the call is to support all industries with challenges to mitigate, and also look for new opportunities that can be further leveraged, accelerating skills training to help many navigate an evolving job market. Grants are provided for activities such as research, network development, and innovation pilots that target sectors, regions, and populations facing pressing needs and recognize emerging opportunities that examine new insights and models across three levels of the skills ecosystem: support for individuals, support for ecosystems, and systems change. Individuals, organizations, or consortiums from across Canada are eligible to apply. Proposals will be accepted and reviewed on a continuous basis through September 1, 2020. Visit the Future Skills Centre website to download the call.
Support for Young Leaders Addressing COVID-19 Challenges
One Young World: COVID-19 Young Leaders Fund
One Young World's COVID-19 Young Leaders Fund supports young leaders around the world who are tackling the COVID-19 pandemic on the front lines. Funding is provided for efforts focused on the sustainable development goals with a clear connection to combating COVID-19. Examples include producing medical supplies to tackle the infection or symptoms of the virus, providing resources to disadvantaged children to support the continuation of education during school closures, protecting victims of domestic violence during lockdown, providing sanitation resources to help prevent the spread of the virus, and creating work for unemployed persons in vital sectors. Supported activities should impact more than 500 people directly and focus on assisting the most vulnerable in society. Projects founded or managed by young leaders (aged approximately 18-35) are eligible. Applications are currently being accepted. Visit the One Young World website to apply online.
Funding Promotes Social Inclusion and Well-Being in Canada
Community Foundations of Canada: Emergency Community Support Fund
The Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) is a $350 million emergency funding program from the Government of Canada. In collaboration with the Canadian Red Cross and United Way Centraide Canada, Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) is allocating funding for efforts to help Canada’s most vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 crisis. Registered charities and qualified donees can apply for support for projects that address a pressing social inclusion or well-being need caused by COVID-19 and serve one or more vulnerable groups, including children, youth, and the elderly; vulnerable workers; populations requiring specific care or supports; and marginalized communities. Local community foundations across Canada will accept and assess applications through a centralized national portal. Interested applicants should reach out to their local community foundation to discuss their project and application. If an organization is located in an area that is not served by a community foundation, applicants may contact CFC at covid19@communityfoundations.ca. Applications must be submitted before July 27, 2020. Visit the CFC website to view the applicant guide and access the online application.
Marketing Support Facilitates Reopening of Canadian Businesses
Postmedia: Reopening Canada – Postmedia Supports Marketing Grant Program
The Postmedia Supports Marketing Grant Program, part of the Reopening Canada initiative, provides advertising support to local businesses in the cities and communities Postmedia serves to support their plans to reopen. The program has two components: 1) a full marketing grant program to select businesses in the hardest hit sectors of the economy, including, but not limited to, the restaurant, tourism, and hospitality sectors; and 2) a match program whereby local businesses can apply for matching media investments from $500 to $15,000 per month to complement their new programs. Grants are available for the months of June, July, and August 2020 to registered Canadian businesses as well as nonprofit and charity organizations that operate within 100 km of the communities served by Postmedia.
National Funding Opportunities
Canadian Documentary Films Funded
Hot Docs: Film Funds
Hot Docs is a national, charitable organization dedicated to advancing and celebrating the art of documentary. Through Film Funds, Hot Docs provides Canadian and international documentary projects with development, production, and completion grants, as well as professional development opportunities. The following programs are currently open to Canadian applicants: The Hot Docs Ted Rogers Fund provides grants of up to $20,000 to Canadian filmmakers with projects in production. The Hot Docs-Slaight Family Fund supports documentary filmmakers telling engaging, high-quality stories that embrace music artists in all their forms and demonstrate Canadian music’s role in the world. The Fund also welcomes international music stories told through the lens of Canadian filmmakers. Funding ranges from $15,000 to $60,000 and is offered in the form of no-interest development loans and production grants for features, and production grants for shorts. Applications for both programs must be submitted by July 29, 2020. Visit the Hot Docs website to review the guidelines for each program.
Funding Promotes Canadian Women’s Health
Shoppers Drug Mart: LOVE YOU
Shoppers Drug Mart's LOVE YOU program supports charitable organizations benefiting women’s health in Canada. The focus is on initiatives that promote good health, prevent diseases, advance women’s health, and empower women to make their health a priority. Support is provided through partnerships. Partnership inquiries may be submitted at any time. Visit the Shoppers Drug Mart website to learn more about their existing partners.
Support for Services and Research in Canada
Million Dollar Round Table Foundation Canada
The Million Dollar Round Table Foundation Canada, funded by financial and insurance professionals, supports a variety of programs and projects in Canada that are regional or local in scope. Funds support organizations providing services designed to help people in need, such as, but not limited to, volunteer emergency services and emergency food or shelter groups; services to shut-ins, people with disabilities, intellectually disadvantaged citizens, and the blind; organizations providing mental health services; programs for youth, seniors, or at-risk groups; and unique and unusual opportunities for uplifting programs. Grants also support business and economic research to strengthen public interest activities, such as studies of government regulation or business ethics and practices; encourage major initiatives in the field of health promotion and illness or injury prevention; foster cooperation between organizations and academic institutions that help to increase the knowledge base upon which the financial industry depends; and demonstrate and promote principles which are important to the life insurance industry. Grants must be sponsored by a current Knight of the Foundation. The deadline to apply is September 1, 2020. Visit the Foundation’s website to read the Grant Guidelines.
Funding Benefits Company Communities Across Canada
McKesson Canada Donations and Sponsorships
McKesson Canada provides support in the communities where McKesson operates in Canada, including locations in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. Donations and sponsorships are provided in the areas of cancer care, diversity and inclusion, mental health and wellness, and the environment. Eligible applicants include registered nonprofit organizations, registered charities, universities, hospitals, and social service agencies. There is no deadline to apply. Visit the McKesson Canada website to download the Guidelines and Eligibility document and access the online application form, which includes a list of company communities.
Regional Funding Opportunities
Grants Cultivate Youth Creativity in Saskatchewan
Creative Kids
Creative Kids connects children and youth in Saskatchewan to unique, life-changing artistic and cultural experiences in their community. Financial support is provided to Saskatchewan families so all kids have an opportunity to participate in creative activities such as drama, art, dance, heritage, and music. Grants of up to $750 per child per year are available for Saskatchewan children ages four to 19, and are based on a family's financial need. The application deadline for fall activities is August 14, 2020. Visit the Creative Kids website to review the common questions and access the online application system.
Program Aids Alberta Organizations Conducting Volunteer Screening
Volunteer Alberta: Volunteer Screening Program
Volunteer Alberta aims to strengthen Alberta’s nonprofit sector organizations through knowledge exchange and strategic connections. The Volunteer Screening Program (VSP) provides funding to organizations facing costs associated with volunteer screening. Two types of support are available. The Vulnerable Sector Check Fee Waver helps to alleviate costs associated with Vulnerable Sector Checks and is available to organizations operating in the following communities: Airdrie, Camrose, Calgary, Edmonton, Lacombe, Lethbridge, Lloydminster, Medicine Hat, St. Albert, and Vegreville. Volunteer Screening Development Grants support Alberta organizations working with vulnerable populations to establish volunteer screening practices and processes. Online applications may be submitted at any time. Learn more about the VSP on the Volunteer Alberta website.
Support for Heritage Sector Training in the Yukon
Yukon Historical and Museums Association: Heritage Training Fund
The Yukon Historical and Museums Association's Heritage Training Fund is designed to give Yukon residents the opportunity to increase their skills and knowledge in the heritage sector. Funding is provided for short-term training that will advance and enhance the capacity of Yukon independent heritage sector workers, groups, and collectives of workers to obtain or create employment. Applications are accepted from individuals and groups, including nonprofit associations, heritage sector organizations, collectives, First Nation governments, and businesses. The upcoming intake deadlines are July 15 and October 15, 2020. Visit the Association’s website to read the funding guidelines, which include a list of eligible heritage sectors.
Grants Target Mental Health and Autism in the Tri-Cities Area of British Columbia
The Laurel Foundation
The Laurel Foundation works to support the betterment of people’s mental health within the Tri-Cities area of the Lower Mainland in British Columbia. The primary focus of the Foundation is on autism spectrum disorder and mental wellness. In the area of mental wellness, the Foundation supports initiatives that promote mental health in the everyday world, in the classroom, at work, and in the community. Autism spectrum funding supports program development and research for persons with autism spectrum disorder, with a focus on improving the quality of life. Funding supports research, pilot programs, and innovative service delivery models. Applications are accepted throughout the year. Visit the Foundation’s website to download the application form or apply online.
Government Funding Opportunities
Program Aids Canadian Forest Sector
Natural Resources Canada
The Forest Innovation Program supports research, development, and technology transfer activities across Canada’s forest sector. Together, these activities are intended to help the forest sector pursue its ongoing transformation through the development and adoption of innovative science-based solutions. Applications must be submitted by July 14, 2020.
Matching Grants Available for Wetlands Conservation in Canada
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The Canada Standard Grants Program is a matching grant program that supports public-private partnerships carrying out wetlands conservation projects in Canada. Project activities involve the long-term conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for the benefit of waterfowl and all wetland-associated migratory birds. The deadline to apply is August 28, 2020.
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PathFinder: Featured Resource
A library of quality resources designed to help you develop your career path as a grants professional.
Philanthropic Foundations in Canada: Landscapes, Indigenous Perspectives and Pathways to Change
Are you looking to learn more about philanthropy in Canada? If so, you may want to start by reading the new book Philanthropic Foundations in Canada: Landscapes, Indigenous Perspectives and Pathways to Change, by Peter E. Elson, Sylvain A, Lefèvre, and Jean-Marc Fontan. This book examines Canada's foundation sector, including established and emerging landscapes, Indigenous perspectives on philanthropy, and creative and innovative pathways to change.
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.
LIVE Workshop: Tracking Volunteers in QuickBooks (DESKTOP Version and ONLINE Version)
Are you tracking your volunteers' contact information somewhere? What about the hours they worked? What they did? Many grantors will allow volunteer hours to count towards meeting the matching requirements for a grant, so it is important to keep track of volunteer activity. All of this information can be easily tracked right in your QuickBooks software. To help you with this process, we are very excited to have Gregg Bossen, a CPA specializing in nonprofits and president of QuickBooks Made Easy for Nonprofits, deliver one of his most popular webinars exclusively for us. In this webinar, you will learn how to set up your volunteers in QuickBooks either manually or by import, query to find a volunteer that possesses a skill that you may need, set up and enter time for volunteers by activity, generate volunteer reports, and get QuickBooks to calculate the exact amount of match created. Don't miss this opportunity! You will be VERY glad you came! The webinar for the DESKTOP version of QuickBooks will be held on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. The webinar for the ONLINE version of QuickBooks will be held on Thursday, July 23, 2020.
How to Know if Your Programs Are Effective (NEW)
Strong programmatic outcomes are vital to the success of any grant program. As a nonprofit professional, you know that measuring these outcomes and understanding your organization's impact is important—not only to achieve your mission, but also to communicate your work effectively. But programmatic monitoring and evaluation can be complicated! This 90-minute webinar, presented by Alana Buckner, CEO of Elevate, is for non-experts who want to understand the fundamentals better. It will make monitoring and evaluation easy to understand and focus on practical tips and case studies. We will cover the answers to questions like these: Why is monitoring and evaluation important for every nonprofit? What does monitoring and evaluation mean exactly? What about concepts like theory of change, logic model, data collection, assessment, and instrument, as well as qualitative and quantitative data? How does a nonprofit get started, or improve, their existing monitoring and evaluation? By the end of the webinar, you will be able to understand the purposes of program evaluation, link it to your organization's goals, and have concrete tips and techniques to begin or improve your evaluation efforts. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, July 29, 2020.
FREE Webinar: Mapping Your Capital Campaign During the COVID-19 Crisis (NEW)
Before COVID-19, you had a brilliant roadmap to guide you to your fundraising destinations. This pandemic presented a major roadblock, but it's time to get behind the wheel again! In this FREE 45-minute webinar with additional time for questions, learn from the capital campaign planning and management experts at CampaignCounsel.org how you can plan and manage your capital campaign during COVID-19. We will discuss the importance of evaluating where you are now in your feasibility study or capital campaign and the ways in which COVID-19 impacts how you'll move forward and at what pace. Fear of the unknown, your board's outlook, re-evaluation of your case for support, and fundraising through virtual meetings will be addressed. The perceived internal relevance of your fundraising effort by staff and board, the external relevance of your campaign to the community, and creative, strategic interaction with donors will be explored. The webinar will be held on Thursday, July 30, 2020.
GrantStation Announcements
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NTEN is leading a research project to illustrate the realities, challenges, and plans for data use in nonprofits. We're eager to provide data for the sector that can serve as benchmarks for future research. The findings in the NTEN Data Empowerment Survey will be used to inform the creation of a number of additional resources to support challenges and needs nonprofits report from their organizations. At the end of the survey, there will also be an optional opt-in for those who may be willing to work with us on case studies or further interviews about your experience.
Funding Alerts
Interested in GrantStation's funder profiles? View the weekly Funding Alerts to see profiles of grantmakers currently accepting applications.
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Editor: Diana Holder
Contributing Writer: Ashlyn Simmons