Applications open for Community Vitality Grant Program (Canada)

Deadline: 23-Jan-24

The London Community Foundation is accepting applications for the Community Vitality Grant Program to support innovative projects seeking to improve the quality of life for the region’s citizens.

Proposals are especially encouraged that represent true partnerships, demonstrate commitment to collaboration and leverage existing or new funding resources within the region’s First Nations, the City of London or Middlesex County, ON, Canada.

In 2024, the program will provide funding to local projects contributing to systems-change and long-term solutions and changes that:

• Are substantively new;
• Demonstrate potential for significant change to the current state of affairs;
• Are innovative while still accountable and measurable;
• Improve or leverage resources/investments to increase impact; and
• Involve collaboration or strategic partnership.

Issue Areas

• The proposal must primarily address one of the seven issue areas:
  • Education
  • Gender Equality
  • Racial Equality
  • Food Security
  • Housing
  • Well-Being
  • Environment

Funding Information

• Applicants are welcome to request a grant of any amount between $50,000 minimum and $350,000 maximum.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicants
  • Qualified donees are eligible to apply to the Community Vitality program.
  • Qualified donees are specific kinds of organizations registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (registered charities, municipal governments, Indigenous governing body, etc.).
• Non-Qualified Donees
  • Many community service organizations (CSO), such as non profits, are not qualified donees. These CSO’s may partner with a qualified donee who serves as the applicant.
  • If the non-qualified donee, for its role with the project, will require a portion of the grant that amounts to more than $25,000, an agreement between the qualified donee/non-qualified donee is required.
• As part of the senior administration, a London Community Foundation employee and their immediate family are not eligible to apply.
• Members of the London Community Foundation Grants Committee and Board of Directors are eligible to apply. However, they are recused from reviewing, scoring, and commenting on their own applications. They may not discuss their own application with other committee or board members.

Criteria

• Proposals will be evaluated for eligibility according to these criteria:
  • Applicant organization is a qualified donee;
  • Involves individuals, organizations, or partnerships with the capacity to deliver the project;
  • Responds to an issue area highlighted in the most recent Vital Signs report;
  • Implemented within and impacts the Foundation’s catchment area;
  • Contributes to systems-change and long-term solutions and changes;
  • Involves collaboration or strategic partnership between at least two parties;
  • Involves contributions, monetary or in-kind, from other sources;
  • Is requesting a minimum of $50,000 over a one, two, or three year period.

For more information, visit London Community Foundation.