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Special Funding Opportunities
Current funding opportunities for COVID-19 and Ukraine are available to the public on our website.
National Funding Opportunities
Wildfire Prevention Events Funded Across Canada
FireSmart Canada: Wildfire Community Preparedness Day
FireSmart™ Canada is a national program that helps Canadians increase neighborhood resilience to wildfire and minimize its negative impacts. It was founded over 20 years ago to address common concerns about wildfire in the wildland urban interface. Wildfire Community Preparedness Day (Prep Day) is a national campaign that encourages citizens to take actions that increase their home, neighborhood, and community's resilience to wildfire. FireSmart Canada provides grants of $500 to fund Prep Day events. In 2023, Prep Day will fall on May 6, but participants are welcome to hold events at any time between May and October 2023. Projects should reduce wildfire risk, increase resilience, and help neighborhoods become FireSmart. Neighborhoods, community associations, fire departments, Indigenous communities, and individuals are eligible to apply. Applications will be accepted online until January 31, 2023. The 2023 toolkit, which includes ideas for neighborhood activities, can be downloaded in English or French from the FireSmart website.
Children's Sports and Recreational Initiatives Supported
Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities
The mission of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (Jumpstart) is to enrich the lives of kids in need through sport and physical activity. Their Community Development Grant program provides support for organizations serving participants aged 4-18 from families in financial need, or 4-25 years old for programs primarily serving children and youth with disabilities. Grants are provided through the following funding streams: Operational Support assists organizations to build capacity or to cover increased expenses to provide inclusive, safe sport participant experiences. Programming Support is provided to assist organizations with the costs of delivering sport and recreational programming. Qualified donees are eligible to apply. Applications will be accepted from February 13 to March 10, 2023, and from June 12 to July 7, 2023, depending on the program start date. Visit the Jumpstart website to review the guidelines and apply online.
Grants Foster Gender Equality in Canada
Canadian Women's Foundation
The Canadian Women's Foundation seeks to promote gender equality in Canada. Funding is currently available through the following programs: Through the Investment Readiness Program, the Foundation will support and encourage the growth and readiness of women, Two Spirit, trans, and non-binary serving organizations to join the social innovation and social finance ecosystem. Support is provided through the Catalyst Stream ($5,000 to $15,000), the Systems-Change Stream ($35,000 to $60,000), and the Impact Stream ($45,000 to $75,000). The deadline to apply is January 18, 2023. Community Needs Grants provide short-term support for organizations doing gender justice work, with a focus on smaller grassroots organizations, to meet a range of immediate needs. Funding of up to $20,000 is provided to cover existing program costs, to pilot new initiatives, to undertake timely policy or advocacy initiatives, to support organizational capacity-building or professional development, to build networks, or to cover operational and administrative expenses. The submission deadline for this program is January 26, 2023. Visit the Foundation's website to review the guidelines for each program, including details on eligibility requirements.
Program Bolsters Literacy in Canadian Schools
Indigo Love of Reading Foundation: Literacy Fund Grant
The Indigo Love of Reading Foundation exists to ensure that all Canadian kids have access to books and the opportunity to fall in love with reading. The Foundation's Literacy Fund Grant program supports high-needs schools across Canada that effectively foster a culture of literacy despite limited resources. Eligible schools must receive at least 80% of their funding from the provincial or federal government and serve students in junior kindergarten through grade eight. Grants are provided to update school and classroom libraries with new books. Selected schools receive funding over a three-year period, with 90% of the funding in the form of a corporate account to buy books from Indigo Books & Music Inc. at a 30% discount, and the remaining 10% of the funding in the form of a check to fund special literacy events or initiatives that help inspire a love of reading. Eligible applicants include public schools as well as school boards, nonprofit organizations, and First Nations education authorities supporting schools. Applications are due January 15, 2023. Visit the Foundation's website to review the application tips and FAQs and complete an organization or school application.
Regional Funding Opportunities
Funding Targets Single Mothers in the BC Lower Mainland
Cause We Care Foundation
The Cause We Care Foundation aims to empower single mothers in the BC Lower Mainland to achieve economic security, build capacity, and create positive futures for themselves and their children. Through the Community Grants Program, the Foundation awards grants of up to $30,000 per year to programs that have proven effective at positively impacting the lives of single mothers and their children by achieving at least one of the following measurable outcomes: 1) Single mothers have improved economic security through improved housing, employment, and financial support. 2) Single mothers have increased personal capacity through improved education, mental health and well-being, and support networks, and reduced isolation. 3) Children in single mother-led families have greater opportunities and improved well-being through improved access to programs and services to support children's needs. Registered charities providing direct services to single mothers or their children within the BC Lower Mainland are eligible to apply. The application deadlines are January 31 and June 15 of each year. Visit the Foundation's website to download the application form.
Capital Support Enhances Community Spaces in Western Canada
Co-op Community Spaces
The Co-op Community Spaces program aims to improve community health and well-being by building places for Western Canadians to come together, build social connections, and enable community development. Grants ranging from $25,000 to $150,000 support capital projects that improve the places Canadians meet, play, learn, and share in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. Funding categories consist of: 1) recreation, supporting enhanced recreation spaces in communities, such as recreation centers and playgrounds; 2) environmental conservation, supporting the preservation of natural spaces in communities, such as green spaces and interpretive centers; and 3) urban agriculture, supporting small-scale community agriculture initiatives in both rural and urban spaces, such as community gardens and food education facilities. Eligible applicants include registered charities, registered nonprofit organizations, nonprofit organizations working with their municipal government (who will accept funding and issue receipts on their behalf), and community service cooperatives. Applications will be accepted from February 1 to March 1, 2023. Visit the Co-op Community Spaces website to review the guidelines, FAQs, and sample application.
Alberta Conservation and Outdoor Awareness Initiatives Funded
Alberta Conservation Association: ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants
The mission of the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) is to conserve, protect, and enhance fish and wildlife populations and their habitat for all Albertans to enjoy, value, and use. The ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants program supports initiatives that contribute to healthy fish and wildlife populations, to a healthy environment for fish and wildlife in Alberta, and to the understanding, appreciation, and use of that environment. Funding is also provided for projects which increase the level of attendance and awareness of outdoor opportunities, while developing knowledge and respect for conservation. Applications will be accepted between January 1 and 25, 2023. The application guidelines and forms may be downloaded from the ACA website.
Grants Promote Healthy Eating and Mental Health in Company Communities
Safeway Canada Corporate Giving Program: Community Action Fund
The Safeway Canada Corporate Giving Program supports nonprofit organizations that are active within company communities in Canada, including locations in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. Through the Community Action Fund, the company aims to support the mental and physical health of children and families. Funding is centered on Healthy Bodies, with a focus on removing barriers for more Canadians to access healthy and affordable food, and Healthy Minds, with a focus on early interventions for child and youth mental health. Registered charities may apply for donations of up to $10,000. Applications may be submitted at any time. Visit the Safeway Canada website to review the guidelines for the Community Action Fund and apply online.
Government Funding Opportunities
Wage Subsidies Facilitate Summer Employment for Youth
Employment and Social Development Canada
The Canada Summer Jobs program aims to provide flexible and holistic services to help all young Canadians develop the skills and gain paid work experience to successfully transition into the labor market. The program provides wage subsidies to employers from nonprofit organizations, the public sector, and private sector organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees to create quality summer work experiences for young people aged 15 to 30 years. Applications are due by January 12, 2023.
Funding Available for Heritage Preservation in Manitoba
Government of Manitoba
The Heritage Grants Program aims to assist Manitobans in identifying, protecting, and interpreting the province's human and natural heritage. The program is open to any nonprofit, incorporated community organization, local government, university, or First Nation that has been in existence for at least one year. Individuals or unincorporated groups may apply under the endorsement of an eligible organization. The annual application deadlines are January 31 and June 1.
PathFinder: Featured Resource
A library of quality resources designed to help you develop your career path as a grants professional
Giving Big: The Impact of Large, Unrestricted Gifts on Nonprofits
In late July 2020, MacKenzie Scott shocked the philanthropic and nonprofit worlds with the announcement that she had given $1.7 billion to 116 nonprofit organizations. The gifts came in the form of massive, unrestricted grants, with a significant proportion targeted to organizations focused on issues of equity. What impact have these grants had on the recipient organizations? A new report by The Center for Effective Philanthropy called Giving Big: The Impact of Large, Unrestricted Gifts on Nonprofits reveals the results from year one of a three-year study of MacKenzie Scott's giving.
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.
How to Include Your Participants in Program Design
Funders often ask how your organization includes program participants in the development, design, or implementation of your programs. There's only one way to actually answer this question: You must actually engage your participants! Discussing how to set up and run your programs with your target population may seem like just an additional step to get funded. But it can actually save you time and resources in the long run because it helps you create meaningful programs that get to the root cause of people’s needs. During this TargetED, Alice Ruhnke will show you h ow to solicit input from those you serve (or plan to serve) so that your programs are more impactful. The webinar will be held on Monday, January 9, 2023.
The Power of 3: How to Build Your Fundraising Capacity
Fundraising can be a giant "rabbit hole" for many organizations. It's difficult to know where to begin and where to focus your efforts. That's why it's important to identify the fundraising activities that provide the highest return for your time. During this Power of 3 series, Mandy Pearce, owner of Funding for Good, will help you grow your organization's fundraising capacities. In the first webinar, Identifying Needs and Building Budgets, you'll see how the budget deconstruction process works so you can identify gaps and craft realistic projections at the program and organization levels. You'll understand that an effective fundraising plan begins with realistic budgets. The second webinar, Creating a Written Fundraising Plan, will show you how to use essential metrics to develop the right strategies to fully fund your organization. You'll walk away ready to replace fundraising fantasies with fact-driven processes. During the final webinar, How to Optimize Your Income Streams, you'll learn how you can evaluate the high-impact and low-input fundraising strategies that are perfect for your organization. The deadline to register for the series is Wednesday, January 18, 2023. The webinars may also be purchased separately.
Growing Your Grants Readiness
What does it take to be a successful grantseeking organization? Success in grantsmanship involves much more than being able to write a good proposal. As an organization, you must also have the right culture, the right values, the right tools, and the right resources in place to support your grantseeking process and manage your grant-funded programs and services well on behalf of your funder and the community you serve. In this lively, interactive session, Maryn Boess will explain how to lay the groundwork for effective grantsmanship in both your organization's culture and its practices. The webinar will be held on Thursday, January 19, 2023.
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Editor: Diana Holder
Contributing Writer: Ashlyn Simmons