Funding Opportunities eNewsletter
December 1, 2021
Funding Opportunities Update
for Not-for-Profits and the Charitable Sector
The Funding Opportunities Update is created by the Region of Durham, Social Services Department.

We know that strong, well-funded not-for-profit and charitable sectors can better meet the needs of Durham’s diverse communities. We are committed to sharing information about grants and funding opportunities with our community partners.

Please share this newsletter with your own networks and contacts.

Want to sign-up for the newsletter OR want to be removed from our mailing list? Please let us know: email us at funding@durham.ca.

Visit our Funding Resources page for funding opportunities that open between Updates and for links to resources that may help in the application process.
 
Important Tip! Register your organization online at the Transfer Payment Ontario website. This site provides information about available grants, how to apply for grants and how to check the status of your application.
Granting Opportunities by Deadline
MLSE Foundation: Community Action Grants

Application Deadline: Expressions of interest open now

Our grant funds are dedicated to supporting Ontario-based organizations who are using sport and recreation to build a more equitable tomorrow. Community Action Grants enable us to grant up to $50,000 to organizations that are creating positive outcomes for youth in physical health, mental health, academic achievement, and work readiness.

What We Fund

Project Proposals that align with one of the four (4) areas of impact: Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Ready For School, Ready for Work and serve youth aged 6-29 who face barriers.
MLSE Foundation prioritizes the following demographics:

  • Youth who face socio-economic barriers
  • Black youth
  • First Nations, Inuit and Metis youth
  • Newcomers/Refugee youth
  • Girl-identified youth (in the case of gender-specific programming)
  • LGBTQ2A+ Identified youth
  • Youth who identify as having a disability- intellectual or physical

Ontario Trillium Foundation: Resilient Communities Fund

Application Deadline: December 8, 2021

OTF is investing in projects of eligible non-profit organizations to aid their medium to longer-term recovery efforts, help with their stabilization and build their capacity and resiliency in the aftermath of COVID-19.

This fund is providing a flexible range of activities to address the diverse needs of organizations and to support them where they are at in their recovery and rebuilding.

Why has OTF created the Resilient Communities Fund?

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the non-profit sector and its ability to support and serve communities across Ontario.

We recognize that post COVID-19 recovery support will be essential to ready non-profit organizations to deal with new and emerging needs for both them and their communities by building their organizational capacity and their ability to deliver programs and services.

OTF’s Resilient Communities Fund investments to the non-profit sector will work to complement existing emergency response funding already in place by local, provincial, and federal funders by addressing medium to longer-term impacts to organizations.

This fund aligns with OTF’s mandate to support the capacity of non-profit organizations and build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario.
Government of Canada: New Horizons for Seniors Program

Application Deadline: December 21, 2021

Eligible organizations can apply for up to $25,000 for projects that are led by seniors and volunteer based.

Program Objectives

Projects for regular grants (up to $25,000) must meet at least 1 of the following program objectives:

  • promoting volunteerism among seniors and other generations
  • engaging seniors in the community through the mentoring of others
  • expanding awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse
  • supporting the social participation and inclusion of seniors
  • providing *capital assistance for new and existing community projects and programs for seniors

*If your proposed project is requesting capital assistance, you must choose 2 program objectives.

National priorities

Projects for regular grants (up to $25,000) do not have to meet 1 of the following National Priorities. However, if your project do meet 1 of the National Priorities, it will receive extra points in the assessment process.

Priority 1: Supporting healthy ageing, including:

  • addressing social isolation, including through supporting seniors’ digital literacy
  • addressing ageism
  • mental health and dementia, and
  • by developing and delivering virtual programming for the above

Priority 2: Preventing senior abuse, including:

  • helping seniors navigate access to government benefits and providing support to file their taxes
  • supporting financial empowerment of seniors, and
  • measures to reduce crimes and harm against seniors

Priority 3: Celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion, including:

  • promoting intergenerational mentoring and engagement, and
  • serving members of the following vulnerable groups:
  • Indigenous Peoples
  • persons with disabilities
  • members of racialized and newcomer groups
  • members of LGBTQ2+ communities, and
  • low-income seniors and veterans

Priority 4: Helping seniors to age in place, including:

  • providing practical supports to seniors to help remain in their homes longer. For example, providing access to services, tools and resources to help seniors remain in their homes longer.
Government of Canada: Canadian Heritage - Museums Assistance Program

The Museums Assistance Program (MAP) supports heritage institutions and workers in the preservation and presentation of heritage collections. The program fosters the preservation of Indigenous culture and facilitates access to heritage collections for all Canadians. It also promotes professional knowledge, skills and practices related to key museum functions.

Access to Heritage Component

Application Deadline: Extended to December 22, 2021

The Access to Heritage component promotes access to heritage across different geographic regions of Canada. Eligible projects are related to travelling exhibitions, to assist heritage organizations in reaching new audiences.


Indigenous Heritage Component

Application Deadline: Extended to December 22, 2021

The Indigenous Heritage component supports the preservation, presentation and management of Indigenous cultural heritage in Canada. It also promotes public awareness and understanding of the diverse cultures of Indigenous Peoples.


Collections Management Component

Application Deadline: Extended to December 22, 2021

The Collections Management component aims to improve professional knowledge, skills and practices to strengthen professional standards related to key museum functions for collections management in Canada. It also supports the development and delivery of resources or services that will benefit multiple museums.
Municipality of Clarington: Clarington Community Funding Program

Application Deadline: December 31, 2021 (opens December 1, 2021)

Clarington's Community Funding Program provides opportunities to Clarington's not-for-profit and volunteer-based organizations to grow and make a difference in our community. Our three-streamed approach provides options for start-up funding, growth and in-kind contributions.

Start-Up funding provides one-time start-up funding related to the development of a new group or initiative. Apply for this stream if you are starting a new project or initiative that you haven’t tried before. Pilot projects or initiatives where the outcomes are unknown would qualify for this funding. The potential or expected results should achieve a significant impact in the community.

Growth funding is available on an annual basis to organizations and event organizers committed to sustainable expansion or growth. This stream supports projects or initiatives that take an organization or event to the next level. It can be used to increase your reach in the community, increase attendance, or diversify your participants’ demographics. An effort to increase cultural diversity is also a focus of this stream.

In-Kind contributions include space or services that would typically have a fee associated with it at no cost to you or your organization. For eligible applicants interested in using Municipal services and support, this stream would offset that cost.

Government of Ontario: Ontario Sport Hosting Program 2022 - 2023

Application Deadline: January 10, 2022

The Sport Hosting Program provides project-based funding to help applicants deliver major national and international amateur sport events in Ontario.

The objectives of the program are to:

create legacies that support sport at the provincial, regional and local level
provide economic benefits through increased levels of tourism, expenditures and improved public infrastructure
foster a culture of sport and physical activity in communities by creating role models and enhancing community spirit and involvement in sports
increase opportunities for Ontario athletes to compete and participate in events in Ontario
seek new avenues to further build and develop the sport capacity of the province by providing additional ways to develop and train coaches, officials and volunteers
create a culture of sport that engages all Ontarians

Funding Streams

Stream 1: Provincial or National Sport Organizations

  • Provincial Sport/Multi-Sport Organizations recognized under Ontario’s Provincial Sport Recognition Policy
  • National Sport Organizations funded by Sport Canada

Stream 2: event host organizations

  • non-profit organizations (including universities and colleges)
  • Ontario municipalities
  • Indigenous organizations, First Nation, Metis or Inuit communities

Stream 3: emerging sports

  • eligible applicants are the same as stream 2
  • emerging sport events endorsed by the Global Association of International Sports Federations: ARISFmembers (from Appendix 2 in the guidelines)
TD Friends of the Environment Foundation

Application Deadline: January 15, 2022

Founded by TD Bank Group in 1990, the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) is a national charity that funds environmental projects across Canada. The Foundation supports a wide range of environmental initiatives, with a primary focus on environmental education and green space programs.

Eligible projects include schoolyard greening, park revitalization, community gardens, park programming and citizen science initiatives. For a full list, please see the Common Questions.
Government of Ontario: Skills Development Fund

Application Deadline: Funding proposals will be accepted until March 31, 2022, or until all funds are allocated.

The Skills Development Fund offers funding to organizations for innovative projects that address challenges to hiring, training or retaining workers, including apprentices, during the pandemic.

COVID-19 has created pressing challenges for businesses, workers, job seekers and communities across the province. And while training and retraining are essential for keeping Ontario’s workers and businesses competitive, the pandemic has affected education, training and employment service providers as well.

The Skills Development Fund offers funding to support innovative, market-driven solutions that can help people and businesses make it through the pandemic successfully. These solutions may also lead to lasting improvements to cross-sector employment and training in Ontario.

Projects can also receive funds for designated supports for workers and job seekers with disabilities and mental health supports for participants.
Business Advisory Centre Durham: Starter Company Plus

Application Deadline: Registration now open – no posted deadline

Starter Company Plus Program is for existing business owners operating between 1 to 3 years (market ready/ready to sell), to expand (hiring employees, contractors or getting a location) or buying a business in Durham Region.

Next Cohort is Winter 2021/22 - Training will take place in January 2022

The Program provides:

  • The program has 3 mandatory training days over 2 weeks (9:00am – 3:00pm) covering Business Concept, Organization, Operations and Customer Relations
  • The chance to receive up to $5,000 in seed funding to kick off a new business or expand your current business
  • The experience of running a successful business that may help you obtain more traditional financing such as a bank loan if you so require in the future

This program is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.
Canadian Tire Jumpstart: Sport Relief Fund

Application Deadline: Deadline passed, but still accepting emailed applications. Details below.

Sport has the power to unite communities and the nation – the spark we’ll need more than ever post-pandemic. In its absence, the importance of sport and play has become more apparent than ever. But with ongoing stoppages, the organizations that Canadian kids rely on are more at risk than ever before.

The Jumpstart Sport Relief Fund has two funding streams. Qualified organizations may apply for either stream or both within each period, however, the requests must be clearly justified, and funding will be dependent on overall demand.

Operational Support: Assists organizations with operational and administrative costs, including:

  • Rehiring or training of staff or new employees to meet changing needs;
  • Payment of past due/overdue accounts;
  • Organization Development, including fundraising/revenue generation strategies and operational efficiencies; and
  • Equipment procurement, personal protective equipment, and program delivery adaptations (including start-up expenses related to establishing online programming).
  • A maximum of $15,000 can be requested for Operational Support.

Programming Support: Assists organizations with the costs of delivering sport and recreational programming, including:

  • Program supervisors, instructors, coaches;
  • Facility costs;
  • Equipment costs;
  • Costs incurred to meet return to play guidelines/provincial health protocols/regulations (e.g., PPE, cleaning supplies, individual equipment for participants, etc.); and
  • Transportation costs.

See website for details on eligibility.

Given the evolving nature of restrictions across the country, if your organization has missed the Relief Fund Application deadline and can now proceed with programming, please send an email to jumpstart@cantire.com with your organization's:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Organization Type
  • Brief program description

We will then review the information, and a Jumpstart Regional Manager will respond.
Government of Canada: Canada Community Revitalization Fund

Application Deadline: Accepting applications now – no posted deadline

The Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) aims to help communities across Canada build and improve community infrastructure projects so they can rebound from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With a national investment of $500 million over 2 years, the fund will support not-for-profit organizations, municipalities and other community groups, as well as Indigenous communities to:

  • build new community infrastructure and revitalize existing assets
  • bring people back to public spaces safely as health measures ease
  • create jobs and stimulate local economies.

The fund will provide support to:

  • adapt community spaces and assets so that they may be used safely in accordance with local public-health guidelines
  • build or improve community infrastructure to encourage Canadians to re-engage in and explore their communities and regions.
Government of Canada: Jobs and Growth Fund in Southern Ontario

Application Deadline: Accepting applications now – no posted deadline

The Jobs and Growth Fund provides funding to businesses and organizations to help create jobs and position local economies for long-term growth.

Eligible applicants

Businesses, including co-operatives
Not-for-profit organizations and community economic development partners
Indigenous applicants
Indigenous-led organizations and/or businesses are strongly encouraged to apply
Under the initiative, RDAs may contribute up to 100% of eligible project costs for projects with Indigenous clients

Eligible activities

Activities that support the transition to a green economy, including those that:

  • support the development and adoption of clean technology
  • help communities and businesses plan and drive clean, sustainable economic growth
  • partner with organizations to catalyze the development of green regional clusters
  • work with organizations supporting businesses to transition to a green economy

Activities that foster an inclusive recovery, including those that:

  • support businesses owned or majority-led by underrepresented groups, such as Indigenous peoples, members of racialized communities, women, youth, LGBTQ2, persons with disabilities, newcomers to Canada, and members of official language minority communities
  • increase the participation of underrepresented groups in the economy by supporting not-for-profit organizations that provide funding, business services, training and access to resources to build a more inclusive and equitable workforce

Activities that preserve Canada's competitiveness and future-proof SMEs through digital adoption, including those that:

  • support the development or adoption of digital and technological solutions (i.e., Industry 4.0 solutions) to increase and promote business productivity
  • invest in technologies that help scale businesses, enhance their capabilities and increase resilience

Activities that strengthen capacity in sectors critical to Canada's recovery and growth, including those that:

  • support scale-up and market expansion activities that bolster traditional areas of strength
  • develop emerging areas of global competitive advantage
  • support supply chain adaptation and diversification opportunities to build Canadian capacity in critical sectors such as food production, medical supplies and biomanufacturing

Assistance available

Eligible businesses could receive interest-free repayable contributions for up to 50% of eligible costs.

Eligible not-for profit organizations could receive non-repayable contributions for up to 90% of eligible costs.

Applications will be accepted on a continuous intake basis until such time as the funding is fully allocated.
Government of Ontario: Tourism Relief Fund

Application Deadline: No deadline posted

The Tourism Relief Fund (TRF) supports tourism businesses and organizations to adapt their operations to meet public health requirements while investing in products and services to facilitate their future growth. With a national budget of $500 million over two years, including $50 million dedicated to Indigenous tourism initiatives, this Fund will help to position Canada to be a destination of choice when domestic and international travel is once again safe.

Eligible applicants must be part of the tourism ecosystem and will include tourism entities that cater mainly to visitors. Eligible applicants include:

  • incorporated businesses, primarily small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
  • not-for-profit incorporated organizations (including tourism associations and destination marketing organizations)
  • co-operatives (for-profit and not-for-profit)
  • municipalities, Municipal Development Corporations, and related entities
  • post-secondary institutions
  • Indigenous/First Nations/Métis Settlement owned businesses or organizations, an Indigenous organization such as Indigenous-led not-for-profits and organizations which include but are not limited to First Nations as represented by their Chief and Council, Tribal Councils, Indigenous Representative Organizations, Métis and Inuit organizations and Settlements.  

Eligible projects will fall under one of two themes:

Product development: Development and enhancement of tourism experiences to help tourism businesses adapt to the “new normal”, to modernize tourism offerings and to help the sector adopt more environmentally sustainable practices.

Destination development: Projects that would position communities to take advantage of post-pandemic opportunities through strategic planning for medium- to long-term investments, as well as supporting destination development, in-line with objectives set out in the Federal Tourism Growth Strategy.
Government of Canada: Active Transportation Fund

Coming Soon: The application process for the ATF will open soon. Stay tuned

The Active Transportation Fund (ATF) is a national, merit-based contribution program intended to support projects that improve active transportation infrastructure across Canada. The Fund will make available $400 million over five years to help build new and expanded networks of pathways, bike lanes, trails and pedestrian bridges, as well as support Active Transportation planning and stakeholder engagement activities.

Funding is available for planning and design projects, as well as capital projects.

Planning Projects
Grants of up to $50,000 are available for successful applicants who wish to undertake planning, design or stakeholder engagement activities. Funding can cover up to 100% of eligible costs.

Capital Projects
Contributions are available for capital projects that build new or enhance existing active transportation infrastructure, or which provide ancillary features and facilities that promote active transportation or enhance user safety and security. Timelines

The application process for the ATF will open soon. Stay tuned.

Indigenous applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and will be subject to continuous assessment.
Community Foundations of Canada: Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund

Application Deadline: Ongoing

The Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund (IPRF) is an Indigenous-led effort to respond to urgent community needs while taking a long-term view on building community resilience.  Any Indigenous-led organization or Indigenous-serving organization working to foster resilience in Inuit, Metis and First Nations communities anywhere in Canada can apply for resiliency funds ranging from $5,000 to $30,000.
Town of Whitby - Mayor's Community Development Fund

Application Deadline: Ongoing

The Mayor's Community Development Fund (MCDF) is a community development fund offered by the Town of Whitby to support local community groups, events, and initiatives that will benefit the community, including applications for COVID-19 support. The MCDF offers funding to local initiatives in our community through lead grants up to $25,000 and community grants up to $5,000.

The funding is raised through two events, The Mayor's Gala and the Mayor's Golf Tournament. Up to 50% of the proceeds raised by the Mayor's Golf Tournament and Mayor's Fundraiser will be awarded to a lead cause or charity. The balance will be awarded in smaller community grants.

If you apply, you can also request one of the following silent auction item packages:

  • Whitby/Brooklin Retailer Gift Basket ($150 value)
  • Whitby Recreation Gift Certificate ($250 value)
Funding Portals and Lists
Canada Council for the Arts

All program area grants are accessible through their portal and registration must be complete at least 30 days before you wish to apply.

Canada Council grants are now organized into six programs:

1.   Explore and Create;
2.   Engage and Sustain;
3.   Creating, Knowing and Sharing: The Arts and cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples
4.   Supporting Artistic Practice;
5.   Arts Across Canada;
6.   Arts Abroad.
Government of Canada: Culture, History and Sport Funding

The Government of Canada offers a wide array of granting opportunities around culture, history and sport. See an alphabetical listing of grants available here.
Government of Canada: Employment and Social Development Canada

See a list of funding programs for jobs, training and social development projects.
Government of Canada: Public Health Agency of Canada

Grant and Contribution Funding Opportunities for programs under the Public Health Agency of Canada. See an alphabetical listing of grants available here.
Innovation Canada

Innovation Canada offers an online search tool that allows companies to search for relevant funding. 

Invest Durham

Find links to business loans and financing. 

Ontario Arts Council

The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) provides grants to Ontario-based individual artists and arts professionals, ad hoc groups/collectives and organizations. Grants support a range of arts activities and disciplines.

The OAC offers two types of grant programs:

Project grants – one-time grants for specific projects, available to individual artists, ad hoc groups/collectives and organizations

Operating grants – ongoing support for Ontario-based, not-for-profit arts organizations and for-profit book and magazine publishers
Parks and Recreation Ontario

A list of various funding opportunities, both governmental and non-governmental
The Funding Portal

The Funding Portal is a subscription-based national bilingual e-commerce platform and gateway to improve access to government funding. The Portal aggregates thousands of sources of funding within a searchable database.
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