GrantStation Canadian Insider | December 2025

Application deadline: January 15, 2026
Grant amount: Varies
Target population: Underserved youth and individuals with mental health challenges
Description: The Co-operators Foundation provides funding to initiatives that strengthen financial security for Canadians through cooperative development and expanded employment opportunities. Through the Co-operators Community Funds, the Foundation supports projects that create jobs or enhance career opportunities for underserved youth (ages 16–34) and individuals facing mental health challenges. Funding helps organizations build skill-development programs, reduce barriers to work, and create more inclusive economic pathways.

Application deadline: February 6, 2026
Grant amount: $10,000–$50,000
Target population: Communities in need of affordable housing
Description: The Catherine Donnelly Foundation aims to transform the lives of underserved people in Canada, with its 2026 funding cycle focused exclusively on affordable housing. Support is available for projects that address homelessness and the affordable housing crisis through research, policy development, communications, capacity building, and advocacy. The Foundation is especially interested in collective efforts that examine root causes and strengthen housing outcomes for First Nations, Métis, Inuit, newcomer, refugee, and immigrant communities. Multi-year funding of up to two years is available.

Application deadline: February 15, 2026
Grant amount: Varies
Target population: Youth, seniors, and veterans
Description: The Christina Mary Hendrie Trust provides grants to Canadian organizations supporting youth, veterans, and seniors, with a focus on First Nation communities and remote or rural areas. Funding favors programs using sport, arts, education, or physical activity, as well as initiatives in health, social support, literacy, housing, and community development. Preference is given to smaller, local organizations. Support is also available for organizations in Scotland.

Application deadline: February 15, 2026
Grant amount: Up to $10,000
Target population: Literary and visual arts creators
Description: The Access Copyright Foundation provides funding to Canadian creators and organizations developing publishable works in the literary and visual arts. The Marian Hebb Research Grants support research, exploration, and preparation toward the realization of a publishable work. Grants are available to individual creators (up to $7,500 or $3,000) and to publishers or organizations (up to $10,000).

Application deadline: January 30, 2026
Geographic scope: Alberta
Grant amount: Varies
Target population: General population
Description: The Alberta Law Foundation invests in nonprofit organizations and Indigenous communities that advance access to justice in Alberta through legal research, law reform, and public legal education. Grants support general operations, ongoing programs, one-time projects, and youth-focused initiatives that advance access to justice in Alberta. Funding aims to help Albertans better understand and exercise their legal rights.

Application deadline: January 21, 2026
Geographic scope: Nova Scotia
Grant amount: Up to $25,000
Target population: Individuals facing mental health challenges
Description: The Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia supports charities, community groups, and organizations delivering community-based mental health and addiction services. Funding supports programs that improve the well-being of Nova Scotians through accessible, local initiatives. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate support for diverse or vulnerable communities and to highlight collaborations or partnerships.

Application deadline: January 15, 2026
Geographic scope: Ontario
Grant amount: Minimum of $5,000
Target population: General population
Description: The J.P. Bickell Foundation, administered by Scotia Wealth Management, provides grants to registered charities operating exclusively in Ontario. Funding supports programs in areas such as arts and culture, education, environment, health, medical research, and social services. Grants begin at $5,000, helping organizations strengthen community programs and advance their work within the province.

Application deadline: January 15, 2026
Geographic scope: Manitoba
Grant amount: Varies
Target population: Choral members
Description: The Foundation for Choral Music in Manitoba is committed to the growth and development of choral arts across the province. Grants assist choirs with special projects such as workshops with professional artists, new commissions, special events, and training for choral educators and directors. Emergency Grants are also available for unexpected challenges that could jeopardize a project. Registered charities may apply, and all applicants must be members of the Manitoba Choral Association.

Application deadline: None
Geographic scope: National
Grant amount: Varies
Target population: Communities impacted by mass layoffs
Description: The Canada Retraining and Opportunities Initiative provides funding for community-led projects that help workers and communities recover from mass layoffs. Support is available for workforce planning, skills training, and reskilling initiatives that complement existing local services and strengthen long-term community resilience. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, for-profit organizations, municipal and Indigenous governments, and educational institutions. Expressions of interest are accepted on a continuous basis until all funds are allocated.

Application deadline: None
Geographic scope: National
Grant amount: Up to $100,000
Target population: Artistic communities 
Description: Sector Support, Innovation and Development, part of the Supporting Artistic Practice program, provides funding for projects that strengthen and advance Canada’s arts ecosystem. Eligible projects may develop resources or digital tools, support artist services, expand professional development, encourage collaboration, advance sector research, or test solutions to sector-wide challenges. Support is available for artists, arts workers, groups, collectives, and organizations. 

Nonprofit leaders are facing unprecedented challenges in 2025 including shrinking donor files, canceled federal grants, workforce strain, and the rapid rise of AI. This study provides sector benchmarks and strategies to help leaders adapt and sustain their missions in this shifting landscape.

We have a new feature for profiles of private foundations located in the U.S. Sometimes a funder lists multiple areas in the Geographic Scope. To help you learn more about grants awarded per area, the Map of Giving presents a visual snapshot of a grantmaker’s giving across U.S. geographic regions. To explore it in a funder’s profile, click Grant Stats → Map of Giving to see a map highlighting the number of recipients per state.

Webinar date: January 8, 2026, 2:00 PM Eastern Time
Description: From start to finish, your proposals must tell a strong, consistent story. However, accomplishing this across the unique sections of an application is not always straightforward. Grantmakers make it even more challenging by using different terms that often mean the same thing. When you’re new to proposal writing, it can feel like an overwhelming task, but it’s important to remember that you don’t have to be perfect to begin your proposal writing journey! It is a skill that you will develop and refine over time. During this webinar, Alice Ruhnke will walk you through a systematic process to apply to all your grantseeking efforts in order to reduce the stress related to proposal writing. She’ll introduce a planning tool that can be used again and again by your organization, saving you time and energy in your grantseeking efforts.

Webinar date: Begins January 12, 2026, 2:00 PM Eastern Time
Description: After a challenging 2025, nonprofit organizations are facing more pressure than ever. Reimagine and reinvigorate your efforts through this six-part TargetED series designed to broaden your revenue streams and build stability from the inside out. This series, led by Alice Ruhnke of GrantStation and Sarah Barton of Nonprofit411, will help you build a balanced portfolio that protects your mission, your team, and your community, no matter what the external landscape looks like. You’ll learn how to reset, realign, and build a stronger financial foundation, one grounded in clarity, diversification, and values-aligned strategy. Each session includes practical guidance, tools, templates, and examples you can use to carve your unique path in 2026.

Webinar date: January 13, 2026, 2:00 PM Eastern Time
Description: It can be challenging to know exactly what information a funder wants in different sections of a grant application. Differing terminology and requirements can make the process feel overwhelming. Fortunately, many funders are essentially looking for the same things within their guidelines. So with the right knowledge and tools, you can improve your proposals quickly. During this webinar, Alice Ruhnke will show you how to use the Grants Scorecard as a comprehensive grant review tool you can use (and reuse!) to edit information in your applications so you submit the strongest proposals. The Grants Scorecard includes specific guidelines that will show you what makes different sections of your applications exemplary, adequate, needing improvement, or poor.

Thousands of new grants are added and updated weekly, so you can stay ahead of deadlines and funder shifts. With reliable, real-time data, you’ll never miss a funding match that fits your mission.

Holiday Membership Sale: join for as little as 41¢ USD a day!

Finding funding is tied to something bigger. It’s about expanding programs, supporting your team, and creating change that lasts. The Online Learning Academy is built to help you get there with confidence. Subscribe now to give your mission a boost in 2026, and save $150 USD on your first year.

Year-end savings valid until December 31, 2025. Use promo code: ola2025 to claim your discount.

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GrantStation shares database profiles of local, national, Canadian, and international grantmakers with upcoming deadlines each week. Information on featured funders is available on the GrantStation homepage.