Ontario Trillium Foundation to Provide More COVID-19 Relief Funding

Canada has suffered greatly from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the government of Ontario has acted promptly to allocate funding relief to local communities through a variety of funding programs. One of Ontario’s comprehensive support initiatives for non-profits is called the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). The OTF is adding to their funding efforts with an intake for an initiative called the Resilient Communities Fund (RCF). The RCF is designed to support not-for-profit organizations recovering from the trials and tribulations of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“OTF’s Resilient Communities Fund investments to the non-profit sector will work to complement existing emergency response funding already in place by local, provincial, and federal funders by addressing medium to longer-term impacts to organizations.”

-Ontario Trillium Foundation

The RCF program fulfills the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s mandate, which is designed to provide help to not-for-profit organizations that are working towards including critical community health and safety programs. Project applications for this program are scored on three topical areas: (1) impact on organization, (2) strategy, and (3) process.

Funding Amount

Successful applicants may receive between $5,000 and $150,000 in Ontario government funding support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund (RCF).

Applicant Eligibility

Successful applicants for the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund (RCF) will meet the following criteria:

• Community-based or provincial non-profits delivering services and programs in Ontario;
• Should be in Ontario and responsible for delivering community programs and services to Ontario communities;
• Applicants have experienced issues with operations and service delivery as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
• Applicants should be aligned with an OTF action area (active people, connected people, green people, inspired people, promising young people, and prosperous people).

If you do not qualify for the Resilient Communities Fund, the OTF offers a variety of other programs for Ontario community relief.

Eligible Projects

Projects may be eligible for funding if they meet the following requirements:

• Provide board members and employees support for implementing change and building resiliency, such as organizational training, strategic planning and implementation, and research & development;
• Make access to financial resources readily available and develop new and/or alternative revenue sources, such as developing fundraising strategies, implementing financial technology resources, and seeking public-private partnership opportunities;
• Adapt or re-imagine the delivery of deliverables to meet community needs, such as identifying new health and safety processes and required personal protective equipment;
• Acquire equipment for space renovations that will meet the organizations’ changing needs, as well as its; programs and services; and
• Come up with new approaches for intra-organization collaborations designed to meet the needs of communities, such as professional development, networking, and data sharing.

Municipalities applying for the RCF should be able to provide a clear plan that provides a full-scope outline regarding your communities’ needs, how the project will provide relief for those needs, and whether the project is feasible. To find out if your communities’ proposed project aligns with the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s guidelines, review their application form today.

Program Timelines

Funding applications for the Resilient Communities Fund for this application intake will be accepted starting November 10, 2021. The deadline for the OTF’s Resilient Communities Fund is December 8, 2021 at 5:00pm EST. Projects funded under the RCF may last up to a maximum of 12 months.

Exploring Government Funding Opportunities

Although the Community Resilience Fund offers promising opportunities for Ontario municipalities, there are many more funding programs for available to choose from. If your organization is looking for a broader variety of funding opportunities, visit our general government funding directory.

We also suggest applicants use this free guide to learn the ins and outs of when to apply for government funding. To discover more about opportunities in funding relief, visit our news channel for daily updates, or contact a Mentor Works representative.