The Guelph Community Foundation (GCF) makes grants that promote and support community iniatives and non-profit charitable organizations. We bring local knowledge, experience and a network of community relationships to our grant making. We are able to see 'the big picture' and build on community strengths.
Building connections...
Our role as a grant maker is to build connections between donors and the charitable sector. We build these connections through the generosity of donors who provide financial support by investing in endowment funds and directing their gift to our Community Fund, Donor Advised Fund or Field of Interest Fund. Our funds help people invest in the causes they care about most.
Through our Grants Program, we seek to...
-honour the diversity of our community
-build a stronger, healthier & safer community for all citizens
-inspire a positive & enduring impact in our community.
Who can apply...
Applications are invited from community organizations, agencies and institutions within Guelph & Wellington County. Grants are dispursed to a wide range of registered charities and applicants must be recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency. Organizations that are NOT a Registered Canadian charity can speak to the staff at the GCF about their project and qualifications.
We fund qualified projects...
Before filling out a Grant Application, you must view our granting schedule located under 'Grant Programs' (located on the left side bar of this web page). This schedule will tell you the types of applications we are accepting and the deadlines for each.
The GCF is committed to seeding, nuturing, supporting and strengthening our community in the following categories:
-Arts & Culture
-Children & Youth
-Education
-Health & Wellness
-Environment
-Animal Welfare
-Social Services
Grant recipients are selected in two ways...
1] Designated or suggested by the donor;
2] Recommended to The Guelph Community Foundation Board of Directors by the Foundation's Grants Committee.
A key principle of the Community Foundation is to establish an effective and imaginative grants program. As a Foundation, we strive to continually improve our skills as grant makers, making a visible and lasting difference in our communities through a granting program that is balanced, flexible, creative and responsive.
Grant evaluation...
As a requirement for receiving funds, all grant recipients must complete a grant evaluation. This enables the GCF to assess the outcomes of the grants and is essential to learning and improving. This information is shared with donors on an annual basis.
Inspiring grant making...
We recognize that there is no magic formula to address the many issues that affect the health and well-being of our community. We are a diverse community with many registered charities and we are faced with the challenge of deciding where best to provide our granting dollars, in order to build upon the assets of our community and achieve lasting impact. As a result, we are not able to support every request we receive.
We believe, however, that being an effective and dynamic grant maker is more than just about making good grants. It is also about strengthening our community by working with other funders, acting as a sounding board, being a convenor for people and a catalyst for change.
