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WRCF launches Racial Equity Grants Program in Canada

Deadline: 31-Mar-25

The Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF) has launched the Racial Equity Grants Program to support meaningful, positive action which advances the work of organizations serving people in Waterloo Region who are Indigenous, Black, and people of colour.

Funds distributed are intended to assist those most impacted by the ongoing and systemic racial disparities that exist in the community.

For 2025, WRCF’s Racial Equity Grants will be focused on supporting applications that are developing, enhancing, or reinforcing activities that bring people together and support meaningful relationships between people in Havens and/or Hubs.

Funding Information
  • Approximately $300,000 in funding is available.
  • Applications will be accepted for two levels of grants:
    • Spark – $10,000 (Note: successful applicants will receive the full $10,000 requested)
    • Scale – $30,000 (Note: successful applicants will receive between $20,000 and $30,000)
  • Funding must be used for eligible expenses occurring between July 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026
Eligible Activities
  • The activity that your organization applies for:
    • Taking place in a Haven:
      • Will provide folks who participate opportunities to bond around shared identity(ies). The activities undertaken will be focused on providing participants, and perhaps by extension their circles of support, with an increased sense of belonging in their community, and within Waterloo Region.
      • Shouldn’t be so exclusive that it prevents those participating in your activities from making connections with others across differences. If possible, a component of the activity includes a bridge to those outside of the Haven with different lived experiences.
    • Taking place in a Hub:
      • Will encourage interactions in a common space among diverse groups that might not otherwise interact, creating opportunities for people to connect from different backgrounds, and fostering broader community ties.
      • Could be for leveraging programming between two or more organizations that introduces people to new opportunities, skills, members of the broader community. These programs wouldn’t need to be new activities, but by working together the organizations are able to share resources that link and support people in new ways.
      • Cannot be for a one-off activity; however, it can be a new idea that you are hoping to build upon. So, think of activities that you have in place already to connect and strengthen people that your organization supports, OR it can be the start of a new way to assist people.
      • Must be able to show the connection between the proposed activity and strengthening social infrastructure locally.
Eligibility Criteria
  • Applying organizations must be based in Waterloo Region, providing services and/or activities for racialized individuals in Waterloo Region (Cambridge, Kitchener, North Dumfries, Waterloo, Wellesley, Wilmot, Woolwich)
  • Your organization’s leadership must self-identify as being Indigenous, Black, or a person of colour
  • Applicant organizations must be:
    • Registered charitable organizations;
    • Qualified donees recognized by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA);
    • Nonprofit organizations working with a Fiscal Partner that is a registered charitable organization or qualified donee; or
    • Grassroots organizations without a Fiscal Partner

For more information, visit WRCF.