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: November 2024: 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

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.

Government of Ontario: 2024-2025 Ontario Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant

The Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant will help support communities impacted by the recent rise in hate incidents in Ontario.

The following organizations and communities may now be eligible for a one-time grant of $5,000, $7,500 or $10,000:

• faith-based
• cultural
• 2SLGBTQQIA+
• First Nations, Inuit and Métis
• Indigenous organizations

There is also additional funding for non-registered chapters that meet eligibility guidelines to help prevent and/or respond to hate-motivated incidents.

Recipients can use the funding to enhance or implement protection measures, such as:

• making building upgrades
• enhancing locks
• installing cameras
• training staff
• completing security assessments
• introducing safer cybersecurity measures
• hiring professional security
• making repairs

Deadline: December 2, 2024

Learn More

Government of Ontario: Agricultural Workforce Equity and Diversity Initiative

The Agricultural Workforce Equity and Diversity Initiative (the Initiative) provides funding to organizations to support underrepresented groups in starting or growing their own business in the agri-food sector.

Projects must serve at least one underrepresented group, including:

• Indigenous communities/governments
• youth
• women
• visible minorities
• 2SLGBTQI+ people
• persons with disabilities
• members of English and French linguistic minority communities

Projects must also support one of the following:

• address barriers to financing
• provide access to equipment
• provide access to spaces (such as greenhouse space, vertical farming space or land to grow and/or process agri-food products)

Supporting activities, such as development/delivery of training, mentoring, analysis, promotion, cannot be stand-alone projects.

Funding

You could get 70% of eligible costs, up to a maximum of $100,000 in funding for a project under the Initiative. If you can demonstrate financial need, you could get up to 85% of eligible costs, up to a maximum of $100,000 in funding for a project under the Initiative.

Only projects with a minimum of $25,000 in eligible costs will be considered.

Deadline: December 3, 2024

Learn More

Town of Whitby Mayor's Community Development Fund

Community Grants

The Town of Whitby is providing funds through the Mayor’s Community Development Fund (MCDF), which provides financial assistance to local community groups, events and initiatives that help contribute to Whitby as a vibrant and caring community. The criteria has been expanded to focus on local organizations working to help the Whitby community during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Applications are accepted on a monthly basis for community grants of up to $5,000. 

Lead Cause Grants

Applications for Lead Cause Grants of up to $25,000 are accepted once per year, with a deadline of March 31.

Deadline: End of October for the Mayor's Fundraiser and end of March for the Mayor's Golf Tournament

211 Durham

Frequently Asked Questions