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COVID-19 Funding Opportunities
Current COVID-19 funding opportunities are available on our website.
National Funding Opportunities
Funds to Improve Employment Prospects for Immigrants and Refugees
World Education Services: Mariam Assefa Fund
The World Education Services (WES) Mariam Assefa Fund seeks to catalyze economic inclusion, opportunities, and mobility in support of immigrants and refugees in Canada and the United States. In Canada, support is currently available through the Canada Funding Opportunity: Employer Practices. Through this opportunity, the Fund seeks proposals to identify promising solutions that can improve employer practices in Canada and engage employers in the economic integration of immigrants and refugees. Awardees will receive grants that are up to two years in length and range from $150,000 to $200,000. Social impact organizations, including charities, nonprofits, social enterprises, mission-driven for-profit organizations, and fiscally sponsored organizations are eligible to apply. Letters of intent must be submitted by November 15, 2021. Visit the Fund’s website to review the guidelines and FAQs and to submit an idea when the funding portal opens.
Domestic Violence Shelters in Canada Supported
Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation: Shelter Grant Program
Part of the mission of the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation is to help women experiencing domestic violence in Canada. The Foundation's Shelter Grant Program provides funds to shelters and outreach programs that aid children and women impacted by domestic violence. For the current funding cycle, sixteen $9,000 grants will be awarded throughout Canada. Awarded funds may be used for the operating budget of the shelter, with the exception of staff travel. Registered charities are eligible to apply. The application deadline is October 31, 2021. Visit the Foundation’s website to apply for a Shelter Grant.
Funding Available for School Breakfast Programs Across Canada
Breakfast Club of Canada
The mission of the Breakfast Club of Canada is to nurture potential and grow healthy students, giving an equal chance of success to all kids, one breakfast at a time. The Club provides funding to schools, school boards, and community organizations seeking support for breakfast programs offered to school-aged children and youth during the school year. Support is provided to establish a new breakfast program or strengthen an existing one. Applications are accepted year-round. Visit the Club’s website to review the criteria and learn more about the application process for each province.
Support for Ecosystem Protection and Conservation Initiatives
George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation: Carbon Landscapes
The mission of the George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation is to enhance the effectiveness of people and organizations working together to help Canadians imagine and build a just, healthy, and creative society. The Foundation’s Carbon Landscapes initiative supports efforts to protect and conserve three ecosystems rich in biodiversity and carbon: peatlands, grasslands, and old growth forests. Priority is given to Indigenous-led conservation efforts. Funding is provided for 1) research, convening, and outreach; and 2) on-the-ground leadership activities. Registered charities are eligible to apply. Applications must be submitted by October 14, 2021. Visit the Foundation’s website to download the 2021 Carbon Landscapes application guidelines.
Regional Funding Opportunities
Grants to Develop Literacy and Skills in the Northwest Territories
NWT Literacy Council
The NWT Literacy Council is a territorial nonprofit organization that promotes and supports literacy and essential skills in all the official languages of the Northwest Territories. The Council offers funding through the following programs: Family Literacy Funding supports projects that benefit children up to six years old along with parents or other adults in their life. The Skill Builders for Youth program supports projects that benefit youth aged 16 to 29 who are out of school, unemployed, underemployed, or at-risk. For both programs, projects must be planned or delivered by someone that has taken Skill Builders for Youth training from the NWT Literacy Council. The upcoming application deadlines for Family Literacy Funding are October 15 and December 1, 2021. Skill Builders for Youth applications must be submitted by January 15, 2022. Visit the NWT Literacy Council’s website to download the applications for both programs.
Funds for Trails in the Columbia River Basin of British Columbia
Columbia Basin Trust: Trail Enhancement Grants
The Columbia Basin Trust serves the region consisting of all the watersheds that flow into the Columbia River in southeastern British Columbia and operates in the unceded traditional territories of the Ktunaxa, Lheidli T’enneh, Secwepemc, Sinixt, and Syilx Nations. The Trust’s Trail Enhancement Grants support organizations looking to rehabilitate, enhance, or develop new recreational trails. Funding is provided for the development or rehabilitation of trails, the construction of complementary trail infrastructure that will enhance the experience of the user, and capital expenses for equipment to support trail enhancement and maintenance. Eligible applicants include registered nonprofits, First Nations communities, and local governments. The deadline to submit an online application is November 2, 2021. Visit the Trust’s website to download the Program and Application Guide and Worksheet.
Capital and Equipment Grants Foster Children’s Health in Quebec
Opération Enfant Soleil (Operation Sun Child)
Opération Enfant Soleil (Operation Sun Child) supports the development of high-quality pediatrics for all the children in Quebec. Support is provided to nonprofit organizations that help children zero to 18 years of age, schools, childcare services, and health organizations for the acquisition of equipment or material to promote physical and mental health in children through physical activity. Funding is also provided to integrated health and social services centers for equipment and capital costs of pediatric projects. Applications are accepted from September 1 to October 15 of each year. Visit the funder’s website to download the application guidelines by organization type. (Application information is only available in French on the Opération Enfant Soleil website.)
Wildlife Conservation Efforts in New Brunswick Supported
New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund
The New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund aims to further wildlife conservation in the province of New Brunswick. The Trust provides funding for a range of programs for the enhancement of New Brunswick’s wildlife, fish, and their habitats. Program areas include biodiversity conservation, conservation education, fisheries development, trapping, and wildlife development. The upcoming application deadline is December 1, 2021. Visit the New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund website to learn about each program area and download the application guidelines.
Government Funding Opportunities
Funding Available for War Memorials Across Canada
Veterans Affairs Canada
Community War Memorial funding supports the construction, restoration, or expansion of community war memorials that commemorate the achievements and sacrifices of those who served Canada since Confederation (1867). Eligible recipients are nonprofit or for-profit organizations, in Canada or abroad, as well as provincial, territorial, or municipal levels of Canadian government. The application deadline is November 1, 2021.
Support for Efforts to Increase Access to Justice in French and English
Justice Canada
The Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund aims to achieve the following: 1) increase the capacity of the justice system and its stakeholders to offer justice services in both official languages; and 2) increase awareness in the legal community and official language minority and majority communities concerning their rights and issues related to access to justice in both official languages. Applications may be submitted online at any time.
PathFinder: Featured Resource
A library of quality resources designed to help you develop your career path as a grants professional
How to Build and Mobilize a Social Media Community for Your Nonprofit in 90 Days, by Julia Campbell. Bold & Bright Media (2020)
Are you looking to boost your organization’s social media presence, but aren’t quite sure how to go about it? If so, you may want to read How to Build and Mobilize a Social Media Community for Your Nonprofit in 90 Days, by Julia Campbell. This book provides social media managers at nonprofit organizations with a simple, actionable framework to transform their current social media efforts in just 90 days.
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.
Building Sustainability: Looking Beyond the Grant Timeline (NEW)
How do you empower your donors to contribute more AND become advocates for your cause? Grants can be time consuming and unpredictable. What can you do to build solid relations with foundation staff as you navigate the world of proposal writing? In this webinar, Amanda Pearce with Funding for Good will cover how to communicate with foundation prospects the importance of their immediate support, which is the basis for your organization's long-term sustainability and success. Some of these concepts will cross over to individual and business donors as well. So a bonus! Amanda will go over specific conversations to have with foundations depending on your place in the grant process (exploratory, writing, submitted, or approved to submit). The webinar will provide questions to ask, situations to consider, and even some role playing tools to help you understand what conversations/communications may entail. Preparing for a variety of scenarios within the world of foundations will help you evaluate situations as they arise, step back and punt funding streams as necessary, and even diversify funding options for programs, projects, or organizations when the need arises. This webinar will be held on Wednesday, October 6, 2021.
Mastering the Ask (NEW)
This webinar explores how to create concrete strategies to ask for donations. Mindy Muller, President/CEO of Community Development Professionals, LLC, will explain how to effectively close the sale for new donations and how to relate to different personality types when seeking donations from individuals, businesses, and grantors. Participants will learn how to overcome the fear of the "ask" and ready their organizations to increase donations and investments. This training is appropriate for anyone charged with requesting donations, including volunteers, board members, development professionals, and executive directors. This webinar will be held on Thursday, October 7, 2021.
FREE: Tour of the GrantStation Website
Curious to know exactly what resources are at your fingertips when you enter the GrantStation website? Join Jeremy Smith, Director of Communications Technology, and Kerry Glauser, Research Specialist, for a quick tour of the GrantStation website. Jeremy and Kerry will demonstrate all of the GrantStation features including how to best use the searchable databases of private funders, how to navigate government funding sources, and how to set up and use your personal dashboard. This quick overview is a great way for current Members to ensure that they are getting the most out of their Membership, and for potential Members to see GrantStation in action! This webinar will be held on Tuesday, October 12, 2021.
GrantStation Announcements
The latest updates from GrantStation
Funding Alerts
More funding opportunities are featured on the GrantStation homepage. Click here to see the grantmakers spotlighted this week!
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Editor: Diana Holder
Contributing Writer: Ashlyn Simmons