GrantStation Canadian Insider: January 24, 2025

Application deadline: February 28, 2025
Description:  The Indigo Love of Reading Foundation aims to ensure that every child in Canada has the opportunity to become richly literate and achieve their full potential by fostering a love of reading. The Literacy Fund Grant supports schools and educational organizations in high-needs communities that are committed to fostering a love of reading and have a robust plan for how they would utilize new books and resources to enhance their vision. Supported impact areas include improving school literacy infrastructure and inventory, increasing student literacy engagement and achievement, enhancing community engagement around literacy issues, enhancing student engagement with their library or school through expanded access to literature, and enhancing student and educator skills. Schools receive multi-year funding, with 90% of the funding in the form of a corporate account to buy books from Indigo, Chapters, and Coles at a 30% discount, and the remaining 10% in the form of cash to be used towards educational resources and literacy projects. Eligible applicants include schools as well as school boards, First Nations education authorities, and literacy nonprofit organizations applying on behalf of priority schools serving elementary age students in grades K-8 that receive at least 80% of their funding from the provincial or federal government.

Application deadline: February 16, 2025
Grant amount: $1,000 to $10,000
Description: The Groundswell Community Justice Trust Fund seeks to increase the capacity of organizations struggling for social change that challenges the dominant, oppressive structures of political, social, and economic systems. The Fund's annual grants support work taking place within Turtle Island, now called Canada. Grants are directed towards member-driven, grassroots initiatives or organizations that face difficulty raising funds due to the political nature of their work. A minimum of 50% of funding will be awarded to organizations led by Black or Indigenous organizers. This year, priority is also given to groups doing Palestinian solidarity and liberation organizing.

Application deadline: February 14, 2025
Geographic scope: Canada and the United States
Grant amount: For the Sustainable Food Systems Initiative, up to five teams will receive a $50,000 award. For the Sustainable Food Systems Initiative Focus on Food, up to three teams will receive a $50,000 award.
Description: Danone Institute North America (DINA) fosters transdisciplinary, community-based work to promote sustainable food systems in Canada and the United States. DINA currently has two open requests for proposals. The Sustainable Food Systems Initiative will fund transdisciplinary teams to design, implement, and evaluate actionable community-based projects that contribute to the nutritional health of adult populations and support publication and communication about their impact. Priority is given to pilot interventions that promote healthy eating across the adult lifespan and at critical junctures. The Sustainable Food Systems Initiative Focus on Food will fund transdisciplinary teams to support North America-focused food supply initiatives to promote food systems that reflect the interconnectivity of community, health of people, and health of the planet. Projects may focus on designing and pilot testing action-oriented, community-based programs or etiological research aimed at understanding the factors that influence individuals or groups to enhance or adopt sustainable food systems, improve access to the local food supply, build community self-sufficiency for meeting food needs, or support soil health and climate related activities. Teams of individuals, including at least one faculty member from an institution of higher education, are eligible to apply.

Application deadline: Applications will be accepted from February 10 to February 28, 2025.
Grant amount: Community-Based Project Grants range up to $25,000. Grants of $50,000 are awarded through the Signature Grants and Indigenous Truth and Reconciliation Signature Grant programs. 
Description: The Canada Post Community Foundation awards grants to Canadian schools, charities, and community organizations that make a difference in the lives of children and youth in Canada, up to the age of 21. The Foundation’s interests consist of 1) community, including projects that support better futures for children through social services, arts, and culture; 2) education, including therapeutic and rehabilitative programs; and 3) health, including projects that support the health and physical activity of children from vulnerable communities or with disabilities or illnesses. Grants are awarded in the following categories: Community-Based Project Grants support projects that increase the capacity of an organization and create or expand services, rather than maintaining existing services. Signature Grants support the overall work and mission of national organizations that deliver programs or support to Canadian children and youth. The Indigenous Truth and Reconciliation Signature Grant is available to Indigenous regional or local organizations offering programming anchored in the principles of Indigenous truth and reconciliation that support Indigenous children and youth across the country. 

Application deadline: February 28, 2025
Geographic scope: Ontario, with emphasis on company communities
Grant amount: The total grant amount of $150,000 may be awarded to one or several applicants.
Description: The Accerta Health Access Foundation aims to improve the lives of those in need in Ontario, with an emphasis on company communities. The Foundation seeks to amplify the work that charitable organizations across Canada do to drive people toward better health, independence, and productivity. Funding is provided for projects and initiatives that promote healthcare equality for marginalized Canadians to address gaps in access to healthcare programs and services. Registered charities are eligible to apply. 

Application deadline: February 28, 2025, for Flagship Funding; March 14, 2025, for regular grants
Geographic scope: Greater Edmonton, AB
Description: The REALTORS Community Foundation supports charities in the Greater Edmonton Area and municipalities served by the REALTORS Association of Edmonton. The Foundation’s Housing grants support charities in providing safe and accessible shelters for those in various intersections of need. Support is provided for domestic violence and homeless shelters, accommodated recovery programs, accommodations for people traveling for health treatment, accessibility improvements to units or shelter facilities, and construction, operating costs, and repairs of affordable housing units. Community Grants promote inclusive communities by ensuring information, activities, basic needs (including food security), and environments are accessible to all. In addition, Flagship Funding of $60,000 over three years is awarded to up to three charities annually. Registered charities based in the Greater Edmonton area are eligible to apply.

Application deadline: March 6, 2025
Geographic scope: Ontario
Grant amount: Up to $30,000 for first-time applicants
Description: The Laidlaw Foundation’s Indigenous Youth and Community Futures Fund invests in opportunities for Indigenous youth in Ontario to connect with their land, languages, cultures, and each other. The aim is to support Indigenous youth changemakers to engage in acts of decolonization, nation and community building, and cultural resurgence. Funded projects will enable Indigenous youth to learn about and be immersed in their lands, languages, rights, laws, and cultures; participate in acts of resurgence, reclamation, and cultural care; build relationships within and across diverse Indigenous communities and nations; and address environmental racism and promote sustainable relationships with the land and water. Indigenous youth-led groups in remote, rural, and urban territories in Ontario are eligible to apply. A youth-led group is a project that has been developed by and will be led by at least two Indigenous young people 35 years and under.

Application deadline: February 14, 2025, 5 PM PT
Geographic scope: British Columbia
Grant amount: Matching grants of up to $30,000 are provided.
Description: Tire Stewardship BC (TSBC) is responsible for operating British Columbia's scrap tire recycling program. TSBC's Community Grant Program provides financial support to communities that have decided to use recycled tire products for their projects. Funding is provided for projects that use recycled tire products (e.g., rubber tile surfacing, pour-in-place surfacing) made in BC from BC recycled tires and that are fully public and wheelchair accessible. Supported projects include, but are not limited to, playgrounds, water parks or fitness areas, walkways, and running tracks. Eligible applicants include registered nonprofit community groups and organizations, municipalities, schools, higher education institutions, and First Nations and Métis settlements within the province of BC. Grants are provided on a matching funds basis where the applicant must contribute an amount equal to or exceeding the grant requested.

Application deadline: February 14, 2025
Geographic scope: Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island
Grant amount: Creation of a new open textbook: up to $7,000; adaptation of an already existing open textbook: up to $4,000; and creating new ancillary materials: up to $1,000
Description: AtlanticOER is a service that supports the hosting and creation of open educational resources by educators and students in the Atlantic provinces. AtlanticOER’s Development Grants aim to encourage and support educators at higher education institutions in the Atlantic Region in the adaptation, adoption, creation, and curation of open educational resources (OER), and to increase access to course materials for students. OERs are defined as “free to use and openly licensed teaching and learning materials." Eligible applicants include individuals, departments, groups, and institutions in the Atlantic Provinces. At least one applicant must be currently affiliated with a publicly funded post-secondary institution in the Atlantic region and either be engaged in or proposing the adaptation or creation of the OER for a credit-bearing course at their institution. At least one applicant must be able to assign readings for the credit bearing course for which the OER is intended. Single, joint, or team applications are all accepted.

Application deadline: February 26, 2025, for the Capital Project Stream (Indigenous applicants may apply until April 9, 2025.)
Geographic scope: Canada
Grant amount: Up to $50 million per project
Description: The Active Transportation Fund seeks to support the expansion and enhancement of active transportation (i.e. walking, cycling, etc.) infrastructure, making travel by active transportation easier, safer, more convenient, and more enjoyable. Support is currently available for capital projects that involve new construction, enhancement of existing infrastructure, or improvements to design and safety features that encourage active transportation.

Application deadline: February 13, 2025, for the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, and the Wolastoq/Saint John River watershed
Geographic scope: Great Lakes, Lake of the Woods, Lake Simcoe, Lake Winnipeg, the St. Lawrence River ecosystem, and Wolastoq/Saint John River watershed
Description: The Funding for Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives program supports projects that will improve the water quality and ecological health of waterbodies of national significance. Areas targeted for support include the Great Lakes, Lake of the Woods, Lake Simcoe, Lake Winnipeg, the St. Lawrence River ecosystem, and Wolastoq/Saint John River watershed. Applications are currently being accepted for the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, and the Wolastoq/Saint John River watershed.

Are you looking to connect with foundations that can help you further your cause? If so, be sure to approach the process with an informed approach. The article, “5 Common Mistakes in Cultivating and Stewarding Foundations” can help you to foster the foundation relationships that you seek. It outlines a few of the most common errors nonprofits make in the process of stewarding foundations, and how to avoid them. 

New year, new ideas! If you have an idea for a program, try looking for planning support. Some funders offer support that will help you look into and develop your idea so that you are prepared for a successful implementation.

Webinar date: January 27, 2025, 2:00 to 2:45 PM Eastern Time
Description: If your organization is similar to other nonprofits, a lack of time, staff, and resources is one of the greatest challenges you face when grantseeking. Fortunately, you now have access to hundreds of AI tools which can save you time. In fact, these tools can potentially save you hours when writing your next grant proposal. During this TargetED, Alice Ruhnke and David Gates will provide you with a framework for how to use AI tools effectively in order to help you write proposals faster. (This webinar is part of the TargetED Series: AI for Nonprofits.)

Webinar date: February 3, 2025, 2:00 to 2:45 PM Eastern Time
Description: Writing effective proposals requires excellent editing skills. Editing, however, can be a challenging part of the grantseeking process, especially for small organizations who don’t have multiple individuals available to review a proposal prior to submission. Fortunately, AI tools can help provide an additional “set of eyes,” ensuring you’re submitting the best proposal possible. During this TargetED, Alice Ruhnke and David Gates will show you how AI can help you effectively edit and review your proposals. (This webinar is part of the TargetED Series: AI for Nonprofits.)

Webinar date: February 4, 2025, 2:00 to 3:30 PM Eastern Time
Description: A donor-approved case for support is a powerful tool that can drive your messaging and improve fundraising results. By actively involving your donors and supporters in the development process, you can gain valuable perspectives that will enrich your case for support. During this webinar, Melissa Sais and Kevin Wallace from CampaignCounsel.org will show you how to craft a donor-approved case for support which combines both internal insights and external viewpoints. This approach will help you develop a comprehensive document that encapsulates your role in your community and articulates persuasive reasons for donors to contribute to your cause.

GrantStation shares database profiles of local, national, Canadian, and international grantmakers with upcoming deadlines each week. Check out the current Funding Spotlights for more grant opportunities!