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With the goal of medium to long-term recovery efforts, the Ontario Trillium Foundation has created a one-time fund to support the non-profit sector in the province of Ontario. With the focus of providing recovery funding for those hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, the program was built to provide proper funding for these organizations to both recover and rebuild from the catastrophic impact of the global pandemic.

As an agency of the province, the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, awarding $108 million worth of funding in 2019 alone. With an investment strategy that is founded on building stronger and more connected communities, the OTF has been investing in the province for over 30 years.

The Resilient Communities Fund aims to provide flexible financing spread over two separate deadlines, allowing for ample time to address the needs of each applying organization and support them where they need it most.

With goals of increasing physical activity in Ontario, the province created the Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities fund in 2013.  Since the program’s inception, it has supported over 400 projects province-wide, aiding over 425,000 residents in getting involved in physical activity.

The backbone of the program is predicated on embedding physical literacy as a foundation for lifelong physical activity among individuals of all ages.  In addition to strengthening the community sport and recreation sector by providing training in key areas such as coaching, youth development and volunteer development, the program provides residents with additional opportunities to remain physically active.  This also applies to those who experience barriers to participation and those who might be traditionally less active.

Every year the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) awards over $130 million in grants to approximately 1,000 public benefit sector organizations and is one of Canada’s largest granting foundations.  This number alone reflects a $20 million increase in available grant funding than what was available just two years ago.

As the program matures, additional initiatives and program guidelines have been added, removed and simplified.  One such change for 2017 is the streamlining of the grant’s application process.  While the program is still operating under its four main investment streams: Seed, Grow, Capital, and Collective Impact, applicants will now only be required to remember one date when it comes to application deadlines.  Moving to a one-deadline-per-year system mirrors other successful initiatives such as the Ontario Media Development Corporation and the Ontario Arts Council.

Looking forward to 2016-2017, the Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund (OSRCF) is now accepting applications. The OSRCF is a grant program working toward the goal of getting and keeping the people of Ontario active in community sports, recreation and physical activity.

The program proudly supports projects of up to two years in length that deliver high-quality programs and policies, fostering additional activities to keep residents physically active. In addition to the creation of programs and infrastructure, this grant also aims to embed physical literacy as a foundation for lifelong physical activity, hence enabling individuals to make healthier activity choices.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) has been Canada’s largest granting foundation for over thirty years. This foundation has grown by standing behind its mission of strategic investments in community-based initiatives throughout the province of Ontario.

Each year the OTF awards over $110 million dollars to approximately 1300 not for profit and charitable organizations, while they receive around 3000 total applicants per year.

In its quest to bring real changes that truly make a difference to communities in Ontario, the OTF has identified six Action Areas to use to identify and fund its investments. Each and every grant applicant pledges to make a difference and only those who satisfy one of the action areas are considered. The action areas are as follows:

• Inspired People
• Connected People
• Active People
• Prosperous People
• Promising Young People
• Green People