Up to $150,000 AVAILABLE FOR community Projects!
Apply for a Capital grant to help improve the infrastructure your community needs to thrive through the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Whether it’s purchasing equipment, building a new space, completing renovations, retrofits or repairs, Capital grants offered through the OTF support projects that will positively impact your community.
Projects that are supported will
- Improve access to community spaces, facilities, programs, activities and services, and facilitate community members’ full participation in the life of the community
- Improve and build community spaces
- Make programs and services better and more efficient
- Make better use of technology
Organizations can request funding for multiple capital improvements within one facility, e.g., touchless entry and widening of doorways at local community centre, or they can request funding for the same capital improvements at multiple facilities, e.g., HVAC retrofits at 3 municipal arenas.
Funding Overview
The minimum funding amount is $10,000. The maximum funding amount is $150,000.
There is no cost-sharing for this program.
Eligible Applicants
An applicant for an OTF grant must:
- have a primary purpose, presence and reputation for delivering programs and activities with direct community benefit in Ontario
- demonstrate the financial capacity to manage OTF funds, deliver and complete the proposed project as per OTF’s Financial Health and Need policy
- demonstrate that they provide services in Ontario
- demonstrate their ability to generate additional resources from the community and other sources
- demonstrate that it is an appropriate organization to carry out the proposed project
Any one of the following organizations may be eligible for funding:
- a charitable organization or foundation registered with the Canada Revenue Agency
- an organization incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation without share capital in a Canadian jurisdiction
Organizations that are both an incorporated not‐for‐profit and a registered charity are to apply as a charity.
Any one of the following Indigenous communities may be eligible for funding:
- A First Nation
- A Chartered Community Council, operating under the Métis Nation of Ontario
- Inuit
For First Nation communities seeking funding for their library, they must apply on behalf of the library and cannot submit separate applications for both the community and the library for the same grant deadline.
A Chartered Community Council, operating under the Métis Nation of Ontario is to apply through the Métis Nation of Ontario.
Inuit-led organizations are to apply as either a charitable organization or an incorporated not for profit organization, as applicable.
A municipality with a population of 20,000 or less is eligible to:
- apply for funding in OTF’s Active People Action Area fostering more active lifestyles, or in OTF’s Inspired People Action Area supporting arts, culture and heritage projects; and
- apply for its cultural or recreation agencies, including municipal libraries and museums.
County Library Boards and Local Services Boards serving populations of 20,000 or less are also eligible to apply for funding in the Inspired People or Active People Action Areas.
Eligible Activities
To apply for a Capital grant, your organization needs to select Capital grant outcomes that apply to your project. The outcomes selected need to help your organization address the community need identified in the application.
- Increase use of facility or space by expanding functionality, square footage, participation rates and/or usable hours. (e.g., outdoor lighting, wall partitions, new changing room, added play area, new or expanded kitchen facilities)
- Extend life of facility or space through repairs, retrofits or renovations (e.g., roof, HVAC, seating, windows, doors, electrical upgrades)
- Improve facility or space to make it accessible to all people. (e.g., ramps, washrooms, automated door openers, elevators)
- Enhance program and service delivery through the purchase of fixed and non-fixed equipment (e.g., sports equipment, multi-sensory equipment, workstations, maintenance equipment, sound system, kitchen appliances)
Eligible Costs
- Construction / renovation costs: This includes materials and/or contractors
- Equipment costs: This includes fixed and non-fixed equipment
- Developmental costs: Up to 20% of the total grant request can be for developmental costs associated with construction, such as the development of engineering plans, legal fees, or survey costs.
Please note that 10% of the awarded funding will be held back, to be paid upon satisfactory review of the final report.
