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Lists of Funding Sources
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Top Funders in Ontario
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Best Overall Lists

FREE
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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