Ontario Supporting Non-Profits through the Community Building Fund

Ontario Supporting Non-Profits through the Community Building Fund

Operating grants to benefit 648 organizations across the province

October 05, 2021

Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries

TORONTO ― The Ontario government is providing more than $46 million to support 648 non-profit tourism, culture, sport and recreation organizations experiencing significant financial pressures due to COVID-19. Funding is being delivered through the Community Building Fund’s Operating stream to help these non-profits operate their facilities so they can provide much-needed programs and services in their communities.

Details were provided today by Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, at the Toronto Botanical Garden, where she was joined by Harry Jongerden, Interim Executive Director of the Toronto Botanical Garden, and Charlie Johnstone, CEO of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our government has been supporting those struggling the most,” said Minister MacLeod. “The Community Building Fund was designed with this in mind – to enhance the quality of life for Ontarians and support local jobs. These grants will help non-profit organizations sustain operations – providing funding so they can adapt to the pressures of the pandemic and continue to deliver programming that is critical to the economic and social well-being of communities across the province.”

The Community Building Fund launched earlier this year as a part of the 2020 Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover. The fund is administered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) through two streams: Operating and Capital. Applications for the Operating stream closed on June 1, 2021, and the funding is providing organizations across the province with support for:

  • Essential expenditures, such as staff salaries and fixed operational costs, including utilities, rent, lease, telephone and communication lines/services
  • Equipment costs, programs, services, and adapting to public health measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as equipment for changing technology, health and safety, and personal protective equipment
  • Innovation, digital and mobile web/virtual costs for the delivery of products and experiences.

For a full list of Community Building Fund Operating stream recipients, please visit the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s website.

Quick Facts

  • The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, working to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario through investments of local grants to non-profit organizations. Its programs support the arts, culture, heritage, sports and recreation, human and social services, and environment sectors across the province.
  • For organizations interested in applying for the Community Building Fund, OTF will provide support through information sessions and one-on-one application coaching calls. More information about eligibility requirements, deadlines for applications and OTF supports is available at otf.ca.
  • As announced in the 2021 Budget, Ontario is investing more than $400 million over the next three years in new initiatives to support tourism, culture, sport and recreation sectors. This builds on investments of $225 million announced earlier, bringing the total support for these sectors to more than $625 million since the pandemic began.

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