Deadline: 22-Mar-2024
The Greenbelt Foundation is offering grants for promoting and sustaining the Greenbelt as a vital, valuable, and permanent safeguard for the future that enhances the quality of life for all residents of Ontario.
The Greenbelt Foundation vision is a vibrant and healthy Greenbelt with a protected and restored natural environment, a thriving rural economy, a robust agricultural sector, opportunities for outdoor recreation, and patterns of urban settlement that support the integrity of the Greenbelt.
The Foundation has focused on strengthening and protecting the Greenbelt’s natural and agricultural systems through the delivery of strategic grants and programs, research and policy initiatives, as well as education and outreach activities that encourage engagement in the Greenbelt’s natural spaces, tourism and recreation opportunities, and vibrant agri-food system.
Funding Streams
- Funding Stream 1: Resilient Greenbelt
- The Greenbelt’s iconic landscapes—Niagara Escarpment, Oak Ridges Moraine, protected countryside, and urban river valleys—include an abundance of important aquifers, coastal wetlands, old-growth forests, marshlands, grasslands, and savannahs that provide irreplaceable ecosystem services to rural and urban residents in the country’s largest population centre, the Greater Golden Horseshoe.
- Benefits derived from the Greenbelt’s ecosystem services including flood attenuation; storage and filtration of fresh water, clean air, and nutrients; pollination and sources of energy that support local economies; temperature moderation; and carbon sequestration. The region’s ecosystem services offset more than 71 million tonnes of carbon each year. Investments in protection, restoration, and natural infrastructure projects will maintain ecological connectivity and biodiversity across the region and build climate resilience.
- This funding stream invests in projects that leverage the Greenbelt’s natural systems to build cost-effective, climate-resilient infrastructure, bolster community stewardship initiatives to increase natural cover, improve species-at-risk habitat, restore damaged habitats, protect critical water resources, apply Indigenous knowledge systems, and enhance ecological connectivity across the region.
- Resilient Greenbelt Purpose
- Protect, maintain, and improve biodiversity, connectivity, and climate resilience of the Greenbelt’s ecological systems through:
- native plantings
- creation and maintenance of healthy natural cover
- improvements to species-at-risk habitat
- enhancement of protected areas
- ecological restoration
- Promote uptake and scale the use of natural infrastructure as cost-effective and sustainable solutions to climate change with a focus on natural asset management planning in Greenbelt communities
- Protect, steward, and restore critical water resources of the Oak Ridges Moraine and other significant hydrological systems in the Greenbelt
- Support Indigenous knowledge systems and Indigenous-led initiatives to conserve the Greenbelt’s ecological system, including restoring areas, plants, and harvesting rights important to Indigenous Peoples
- Protect, maintain, and improve biodiversity, connectivity, and climate resilience of the Greenbelt’s ecological systems through:
- Examples of Resilient Greenbelt Projects and Outcomes
- Increase natural cover in the Greenbelt with native plantings to restore forests, riparian areas, wetlands, or grassland habitats
- Conserve protected areas and species-at-risk habitat by using policy-based strategies to preserve Greenbelt biodiversity
- Develop natural asset inventories and promote policies to support the use of municipal natural infrastructure
- Funding Stream 2: Sustainable Greenbelt
- Local farm and agri-food businesses benefit from the Greenbelt’s natural features and locational advantages: a temperate climate, fertile soils, and proximity to Ontario’s largest consumer market and food manufacturing industries. Fruits and vegetables have significant growth potential as prime agricultural soils are protected by the Greenbelt. Sustainable agriculture and healthy soil practices help farmers adapt to climate variability, remain resilient in the face of droughts and erosion, ensure the longevity of their businesses, and increase yields.
- This funding stream invests in projects that generate economic activity and promote thriving rural communities that support sustainable agriculture, good soil health practices, and increases knowledge of the benefits that communities derive from the Greenbelt’s reliable local food system, its protection of farmland, and rural resilience. These activities support the long-term prosperity of the region.
- Sustainable Greenbelt Purpose
- Sustain the Greenbelt’s agricultural and rural economic systems through approaches that protect, maintain, and enhance sustainable agricultural and soil health, creating healthy Greenbelt communities
- Support the Greenbelt’s rural economy by creating opportunities to grow the local food sector with a focus on Specialty Crop Areas
- Improve awareness and understanding of the opportunities and challenges in the Greenbelt associated with local agriculture, sustainable growth, and climate-resilient agricultural practices
- Examples of Sustainable Greenbelt Projects and Outcomes
- Engage farmers to promote the use of best management practices for improving and maintaining healthy soils in the Greenbelt and support agricultural productivity
- Restore beneficial natural infrastructure and systems on farmlands to increase climate resilience and stewardship
- Support the regional local food system by promoting increased production of fruits and vegetables grown in the Greenbelt
- Funding Stream 3: Accessible Greenbelt
- The unique character of the Greenbelt’s natural landscapes and water features attract over 76 million people to the Greenbelt each year, contributing $3 billion and supporting 75,000 local jobs in the tourism and recreation sector. With population expected to grow to around 15 million residents by 2051 and a deficit in large parks being planned across the region, the Greenbelt is needed to support the well-being of Ontarians.
- The Greenbelt supports healthy communities and a strong rural economy, while addressing challenges associated with growth management and climate resilience. As the province grows at an unprecedented rate, the Greenbelt will continue to improve quality of life in this region— contributing clean air and water, outdoor spaces, local food, social well-being, and climate resilience.
- This funding stream invests in projects that leverage the Greenbelt’s natural and cultural heritage systems for social benefit through education, public and stakeholder engagement, enhancement of recreational spaces, and promotion of the Greenbelt as a significant recreational and tourism destination. This stream increases understanding of the many benefits communities obtain from the Greenbelt, celebrates those benefits through engagement, and magnifies interest in sustaining those benefits.
- Accessible Greenbelt Purpose
- Increase public awareness and appreciation of the Greenbelt’s natural and cultural heritage systems that support the region’s rural economy, social well-being, and climate resilience
- Create and enhance experiences that encourage public learning about and access to the Greenbelt through recreational and sustainable tourism activities, with a focus on enhancing trails, creating signage, and inspiring park visits
- Engage local governments and community leaders to improve knowledge, understanding, and awareness of the Greenbelt and its contributions to sustainable growth and provincial-federal priorities
- Lower barriers and increase the public’s ability to enjoy the Greenbelt’s benefits by creating and enhancing programs that encourage protection of and access to the Greenbelt
- Examples of Accessible Greenbelt Projects and Outcomes
- Create public awareness tools to communicate the benefits of the Greenbelt, including ecosystem services, community benefits, and sustainable growth
- Develop and promote sustainable tourism experiences through recreational and agritourism experiences, opportunities to learn about Indigenous cultural sites, and visits to the Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine
- Plan and enhance Greenbelt trails and sites used for outdoor recreation and opportunities to learn and discover cultural heritage
Eligibility Criteria
- The Grant Funding Program is open to a broad range of stakeholders and community partners who can be effective agents to advance efforts to enhance Ontario’s Greenbelt. Applicants can include registered charities or other qualified recipients such as incorporated non-profit organizations with audited financial statements, municipalities, First Nations and Indigenous communities, conservation authorities with projects aligned to the funding streams.
- Organizations can apply individually or in collaboration with others. Lead applicants must be a registered charity or non-profit organization.
For more information, visit Greenbelt Foundation.