Community Grants
The 2022 Community Grants Program is currently closed and will open in 2023.
The Community Grants Program provides funding to support the valuable work and creative initiatives that local charities and not-for-profits deliver across Stratford, St. Marys, and Perth County.
Annual grants are made possible through the Community Foundation’s caring family of endowed Donor Advised, Field of Interest, Unrestricted Funds and Flow-through Funds. The annual Community Grants Program supports a broad range of projects and initiatives that serve one or more of the following areas:
- Arts & Culture
- Children & Youth
- Education & Literacy
- Environment
- Health & Wellness
- Recreation & Sport
- Seniors
- Social Services
Support/Coaching: During the application intake period, 1:1 coaching sessions will be available. Please contact leah@spccf.ca for more information.
In an effort to support our local organizations as we continue to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, the Community Foundation will consider requests for funding a portion of an applicant’s operating expenses. Applicants will need to clearly demonstrate that the funding will provide an essential bridge that will aid the organization in moving forward.
The three categories of requests for operational expenses that will be considered are:
- Operational: Costs associated with the ongoing day-to-day operations of the charity. Includes: salaries, rent, existing programming, PPE, etc.
- Programming: Costs associated with the development, delivery, or evaluation of existing or new programs. Includes: salaries, program materials, promotion, etc.
- Capacity Building: Costs associated with strengthening a charity’s ability to deliver on its charitable mission. Includes: consultants, professional development, organizational assessments, etc.
Eligibility Guidelines
To be eligible to apply for a grant from the Community Foundation, the applicant must:
- Be a registered charity with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for at least one (1) year AND have filed at least one (1) T3010 with CRA, or be sponsored by same
- Provide services for or within Perth County, Stratford and/or St. Marys
- Provide services without discrimination
Projects not eligible for grants from the Community Foundation include:
- Programs that have direct religious or political activity
- Programs that are mandated by another funder
- Expenses incurred prior to awarding the grant
- Deficit reduction, debt retirement, reserves, mortgage pay-down
- Endowment and fundraising campaigns
- Individuals
All grant applications are reviewed by the Foundation’s Grant Advisory Committee with final approval by the Board of Directors. All decisions are final. The Community Foundation reserves the right to extend the deadline dates at any time.