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Once you've checked over our links, there's a few
other lists of funding sites you may want to check.
Environment
Canada (Ontario Region) publishes The
Green Source, an excellent list of funding sources on its Eco-Action
site. It's about 100 pages, with a page on each separate funding
source, and can be downloaded in PDF format..
Millennium Eco-Communities also has a good list of
Fundraising Links.
Charity
Village's Sources
of Funding page will send you to lists of foundations and
other useful sources of information. (You'll still need to do
some digging!)
FEE FOR SERVICE
If you have a fundraising budget
and are willing to invest time and money in a thorough research of corporate
and foundation sources, there are a couple of databases that you should look
into.
The Canadian Centre for Philanthropy
publishes the Directory to
Foundations and Grants.
Metasoft Systems publishes the Big
Database, a fact-filled, accurate, and current source of Canadian and American fundraising information for non-profits and charities, providing more than 5,000 funding opportunities.
Charity.ca is an online fundraising
service for Canadian charities. It's free to register, but the
service retains a percentage of all money raised through their website.
Best Bets
Here's our list of some of the best
sites and sources of funds for environmental projects in Ontario.
Federal
Eco-Action
is the current environmental project fund managed by Environment
Canada. Priority for funding is given to projects that will achieve results in the following areas: clean air & climate change, clean water and nature.
Funding can range from $500 to a maximum of $100,000; however, the average amount is about $25,000. Remember that for every dollar you receive from the
federal government (including EcoAction 2000), you must have at least the same amount from non-federal government sponsors. This can include cash contributions and in-kind support.
The Climate
Change Action Fund will fund public education and innovative
emission-reduction projects that are designed to help meet Canada's commitment
to the Kyoto Protocol target of a 6% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2012.
Millennium
Eco-Communities: doesn't appear to provide any direct funding, but it
can provide resources for organizing at the community level, and thereby
increase your prospects for funding success.
Ontario
The Great
Lakes Renewal Foundation has
been established with a $5 million grant from the provincial government.
Its purpose is to support rehabilitation activities in the Great Lakes region.
Funding programs are under development, so check the site for the latest
information. May 2001 -- The website is no
longer active. The status of the foundation is unknown.
The province's web site and ministry
web sites do not provide any information on
provincial funding programs.
Employment Programs: The Environmental Youth
Corps (EYC) has been
"consolidated" with other youth employment programs.
The Ministry of Education and Training now runs
Ontario Job Services, made up of all the youth funding
programs. Apparently only a $2.00 subsidy is now available
towards minimum wage jobs. Try calling the Training Hotline at
(416) 326-5656 for automated information or to leave your name
for a call-back.
Corporate Funding
Clean Environment Foundation (Canada
Trust): provides funding support for initiatives that make a
positive impact on the Canadian environment through two sources:
the locally focused Friends of the Environment Community Fund
(established in 1990); and the nationally focused Friends of the
Environment Canada Fund (established June, 1997)
Husky
Injection Moulding and the Schad Foundation has a fund for environmental projects. No
online information is available at present, but you can visit Husky's home page. For
information on the foundation, write to Husky Injection Molding Systems
Ltd., 500 Queen Street S., Bolton, Ontario, Canada L7E 5S5 , Phone (905)
951-5000 ext 3834. Foundation funding is limited to
charities.
Lever Pond's Foundation has three funding priorities: "growing for
green", "caring for community", and "women and
wellness". E-mail the foundation for details at leverponds.foundation@unilever.com
Mountain Equipment Co-op has
set aside 0.4% of its gross revenues each year for an environment
fund that will give from $2,00 to $10,000 to projects such as
land acquisition, and advocacy and education.
Shell Environment
Fund: Shell funds up to $5,000 for projects that propose
innovative, action-oriented ways of improving and protecting the
Canadian environment. Examples of eligible projects are: to clean
up a local stream, beach or park; naturalize a site to enhance
wildlife habitat; set up a community recycling program; or
implement an innovative environmental education program.
Applications for small grants of $500 can be processed outside of
the regular approval process.
Foundations
Joyce Foundation:
The Joyce Foundation supports efforts to strengthen public policies in ways that
improve the quality of the Great Lakes. The environment is a major area
of interest, and a limited number of grants are made in Canada.
Charitable status required.
The Laidlaw Foundation has
an environment program that is focused on children’s health,
environmental contaminants and community capacity building. The
programme is based on environmental values and an ecological
systems perspective.
McArthur Foundation:
The John D. and Catherine T. McArthur Foundation has a program on Global
Security and Sustainability which focuses on ecosystems
conservation work in a small number of tropical biogeographic
zones in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. These zones are chosen
for their richness of species diversity, number of unique
species, and the level of threat within each zone. In addition,
the Foundation supports ecosystem conservation work in tropical
areas of the United States.
The Trillium Foundation
has been selected to allocate funds from the provincial
government's gaming initiative. Essentially, this means $100
million is available through the Community and Province-wide
grants. The environment is only one aspect of the program,
however this is by far the largest single source of funding for
environmental projects. Check their web site for details and an
application form.
Donner
Canadian Foundation: the Donner Canadian Foundation is undergoing a program review
since February 1, 1999 and will not be accepting applications until Fall, 1999. At that time
they will post further information.
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation: The mission of the Mott Foundation's
environmental grantmaking is to support the efforts of an engaged citizenry working to create
accountable and responsive institutions, sound public policies, and appropriate models of development that protect the diversity and integrity of selected ecosystems in North America and around the world.
Local
Community Foundations
Community foundations exist in major
cities and towns across Canada to support community development projects, arts,
culture, and the environment. For more information, visit Community
Foundations of Canada
Only four of the 23 community
foundations in Ontario have web sites. They are: Kingston,
London, Sudbury,
and the Tri-Town area
(New Liskeard, Kirkland Lake and Temiskaming).
The Toronto Community
Foundation's environmental program guidelines can be obtained by fax or mail. Contact May Wong, Director of Grants for the
Toronto Community Foundation, if you are interested in applying (416-204-4082).
Becoming a Charity
Although it is not essential for
fundraising, charitable status opens many new doors for an
organization
-
Charitable foundations are
generally restrict their grants to organizations with charitable status
-
charitable receipts can be
given out for donations. These receipts can be used for a credit of
17% of the first $200 and 29% or the balance (far less than the credits
given for political contributions).
For information on how to obtain
charitable status, check the Revenue Canada Charities
Division web site, the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy's Resource
Centre, and the Office
of the Public Guardian and Trustee (Ontario).
Charitable status is not easy to
get, but there has been a recent development in Ontario which has helped to
streamline the process. The Ontario Office
of the Public Guardian and Trustee has issued a list of pre-approved
purposes and objectives for charitable organizations. If
you use the environmental objectives (section 11) and your
description of activities is consistent with the objectives, then
you may find it easier to obtain charitable status.
Also, there is
currently a consensus development process that has been set up to review the
requirements and role of charities in Canada. The report Working
Together (August 1999) makes 26 recommendations for strengthening the
voluntary sector. You can find the report and the latest updates through the Canadian
Centre for Philanthropy (look for the Federal/Voluntary Joint Round Tables
button).
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