Deadline: 21-Mar-25
The District of Muskoka is seeking submissions for the Muskoka Community Grant Program to encourage community collaboration through assisting community-funded programs. Funds are awarded to local grassroots and community non-profits to support projects and events that address the needs of the most vulnerable.
Grant Streams
- Pay it Forward (PIF) Grant
- The Pay it Forward (PIF) Grant has been available to grassroots community groups since 2012.
- Grants are awarded for initiatives that fulfill one or more of PIF’s strategic goals:
- Support a healthy, vibrant community
- Build community capacity and leadership
- Creatively problem solve to fill a community need
- Foster volunteerism and encourage community engagement
- Community Enhancement (CE) Grant
- The Community Enhancement (CE) Grant is available to non-profit/registered charitable organizations.
- Grants will be awarded for initiatives that address one or more of CE’s strategic needs:
- Poverty reduction
- Food security
- Housing and living conditions
- Education and training opportunities
- Volunteer and job development
- Citizen engagement
Funding Information
- Pay it Forward (PIF) Grant offers grants of up to $2,500
- Community Enhancement (CE) offers grants up to $10,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- Pay it Forward grants are available to Grassroots Community Groups. Grassroots groups are made up of individuals within the community who are inspired and driven to make their communities better and encourage community involvement.
- They are most often not registered as an organization, but rather are a group of people looking to make change from the ground up. Community Enhancement grants are available to Non-Profit Organizations and Registered Charities.
- Non-profit organizations are established community groups with a formal structure.
- They often have an associated registration number.
- Registered charities are similar, but they also have a charitable registration number.
Considerations and Ineligibilities
- To ensure grant dollars are maximizing community impact, please consider the following when preparing an application.
- Grant funds cannot be used for capital or permanent infrastructure projects. Projects should be people focused.
- Grant funds cannot be used to fund staff wages or support an organization’s general operating budget. Budgets should reflect project specific spending wherever possible.
- Municipalities, including municipal corporations, are not eligible to receive grant funding.
- Funding priority will be given to projects that are in the startup phase, rather than existing projects. This is to ensure grants are funding innovative, creative ideas, rather than supporting an organization’s operating budget.
For more information, visit EngageMuskoka.