Funding Resources
Community organizations work hard to respond to the needs of the community and funding initiatives to help to support this work are available from many sources, including the federal and provincial governments, business and other funding organizations. This page will post funding opportunities that may be of interest to local organizations and other resources that can help in the application process.
Questions? A series of frequently asked questions and answers is at the bottom of the page.
Find Tips for Writing Grant Applications and helpful Data Sources for Grant Applications.
Funding Opportunities Update e-Newsletter
The Funding Opportunities Update is a bi-monthly e-newsletter that provides information about upcoming grants, funders and funding deadlines. You can find links to the most current issues below.
The updates are not exhaustive lists of funding opportunities and should not preclude you investigating funding opportunities on your own. If you find a grant that you think should be added to the list, please let us know by emailing funding@durham.ca.
Current Issue
Funding Opportunities Update: March 2025: This update includes upcoming funding opportunities with deadlines for applications.
Sign up to receive the Funding Opportunities Update by emailing funding@durham.ca.
Local Funders and Community Organizations
211 Durham
Learn more at durham.211central.ca or call/chat/text/email 2-1-1.
Current Funding Opportunities
The current funding opportunities listed below opened after the most current Funding Opportunities Update was released and so were not included in the e-newsletter.
Prosper Canada: Resilient Futures: Financial Well-Being for All Canadians
This initiative is focused on supporting organizations that are working to enhance financial stability and resilience for community members struggling with low incomes.
Funding is available for various types of organizations:
Hub or Partner Funding: For organizations with experience in Financial Empowerment services (e.g., tax filing, benefits access, financial coaching).
Priority Population Funding: For organizations new to these services but looking to expand their capacity and who are focused on Black communities, First Nations, Métis and Inuit, or people with disabilities.
We welcome proposals from organizations committed to building community resilience, economic stability, and sustainable solutions for those facing financial hardship.
You can find the Resilient Futures call for proposals portal here. The deadline to apply is May 14, 2025 and we encourage early submissions.
Information sessions
Attend a live Information or Q&A session where we’ll walk through the application process, eligibility criteria, and answer your questions. Register now and attend:
- Information session - English presentation - April 15, 2025 - 2:00 pm EDT
- Information session - French presentation - April 16, 2025 - 2:00 pm EDT
- Question and Answer session - English presentation - April 23, 2025 - 2:00 pm EDT
- Questions and Answer session - French presentation - April 24, 2025 - 2:00 pm EDT
Deadline: May 14, 2025
Ontario Trillium Foundation: Youth Opportunities Fund
The Youth Opportunities Fund (YOF) invests in community-led projects that play an essential role in creating safe spaces, empowering youth and families, supporting career pathways and addressing issues faced by our communities.
YOF prioritizes grassroots groups that are looking to address the experiences of Indigenous (First Nation, Metis or Inuit) and/or Black youth who continue to face systemic barriers and oppression.
Supporting grassroots groups and community-based collaboratives led by people who share identities, lived experiences and who face the same systemic barriers as those who will benefit from their projects is integral to YOF’s funding priorities. Projects led by and for communities play a key role in developing solutions that are tailored to the needs of communities and providing appropriate support for those with similar experiences.
Investments made through YOF extend beyond project funding. Grant recipients receive capacity building support to learn and grow through specialized coaching and mentorship.
Whether your group wants to pilot a new project or expand an existing one, YOF offers a range of grants that may be the right fit for your group.
Deadline to submit Expressions of Interest: April 9, 2025
Region of Durham Community Social Investment Program: Sustainable Food Security Fund
Applications now open
Through the Sustainable Food Security Fund, the CSIP aims to address food insecurity in Durham Region and support sustainable solutions. This funding stream is designed to support innovative projects that enhance the sustainability and resilience of our local food security sector. Recognizing the critical role of existing community food programs, funding will focus on initiatives that promote long-term, sustainable solutions to improve food security for residents.
Objectives:
- Contribute to sustainable food security solutions
- Promote dignity for users of food programs
- Increase efficiency within the food distribution systems
- Build capacity of existing food programs
- Increase access to fresh, nutritious food
Example Projects May Include:
- Community Gardens: Establishing community gardens where residents can grow their own fruits and vegetables, increasing access to fresh produce, promoting healthy eating, and fostering community engagement.
- Urban Agriculture: Implementing urban agriculture projects such as rooftop gardens, vertical farming, and hydroponics to maximize the use of urban spaces for food production and increase food security.
- Nutrition Education Programs: Offering educational programs on nutrition, cooking, and sustainable food practices to empower residents with knowledge about healthy eating, reduce food waste, and promote sustainable food practices.
- Food Recovery and Redistribution: Establishing systems to recover surplus food from restaurants, grocery stores, and farms, and redistribute it to those in need to reduce food waste and provide nutritious food to food-insecure populations.
- Mobile Markets: Establishing mobile markets that bring fresh, affordable produce directly to underserved neighborhoods to increase access to healthy food options for residents and promote healthy eating.
- Market Model Food Banks: Transforming traditional food banks into market-style food banks where users can choose their own food, enhancing the dignity and autonomy of food bank users, reducing food waste, and improving the overall efficiency of food distribution.
Deadline: Funding stream will remain open until all funds have been exhausted; applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can an organization apply to more than one of the funding opportunities listed? |
| Yes. You can apply to different opportunities, but typically organizations cannot receive funding for the same activities from different sources. Some applications may include a request for consent to share application/proposal details with other funders to ensure coordinated funding. |
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What if we can't find data to support our funding application? |
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Data will strengthen a grant application. Although specific local population level data on the impacts of COVID-19 may be scarce at this time, we have linked some data sources below that provide information at the Durham community level and may help to support your application for funding. Community Social Investment Program (CSIP) Resources
Other Data Resources
211 Ontario Information Services: A live dashboard showing regional needs of residents inquiring about human and social services Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation: Data and research page, including reports and the Housing Market Information Portal (interactive map) Community Development Council of Durham 2021 Point in Time (PiT) Report: Report measuring the scope and nature of homelessness in Durham. Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Data Dashboard: Find data about the Community Safety and Well-Being priority risk areas:
Durham Child and Youth Planning Network: Data portal with interactive charts for key indicators in child and youth health and well-being Durham Community Foundation - Durham's Vital Data Dashboard: Durham’s Vital Data Dashboard is an interactive platform where users can explore the indicators and data used as part of Durham’s Vital Signs and Durham Community Foundation's 2023 report, Together we Thrive. Durham Workforce Authority Research and Reports: Current labour market information videos and skills and labour market research reports Durham Workforce Authority Census Tool: Interactive map data showing labour and population data Health Neighbourhoods Interactive Map: Interactive map data showing social determinants of health and population data Health Neighbourhoods Reports and Neighbourhood Profiles: A more in-depth look at various Health Neighbourhoods Region of Durham Open Data: Data bank portal with spatial data files to download. Includes community services, housing, planning, business, environment, and recreation spatial files and may be previewed with an online webmap. Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) Knowledge Centre: Find information specific to rural Ontario Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) Resource Centre: Find data specific to rural Ontario communities. Statistics Canada Census Data: All population-related data across CanadaDurham's Vital Signs Report 2023: The Vital Signs report captures how people are living, as well as how they could be living. It includes data around how Durham is doing over eight different domains: Community, Civic Engagement and Belonging, Housing, Health, Income and Work, the Environment, Children and Youth, and Safety.
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