What are the application deadlines?
The Ontario Trillium Foundation’s grant application deadlines are March 1, July 1 and November 1. Applications must be received at OTF’s Toronto office by 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date.
If the deadline falls on a statutory holiday or weekend, your request must be received by 5:00 p.m. the next business day.
Applications received after the deadline date will be returned to the applicant.
Before applying, you should speak to a Program Manager or Grants Associate to obtain as much information as possible. Foundation staff are available to advise you about your organization’s eligibility, answer your questions and link you with other organizations that may be engaged in similar work. You can also explore this website to obtain a wealth of information about grants from our Foundation and information that will help you apply for a grant.
How long will it take before I know if my application is approved?
Once the deadline is passed, it will take approximately four months for the application to go through our extensive review process and be presented to the Foundation’s Board of Directors for ratification. You should be notified within a few days following the Board’s decision.
I’d like to apply for a grant. Where do I go?
Before you start, please see the ‘Grant Seekers' section of this website for full instructions and information concerning our application procedures, including a downloadable copy of our Program Guidelines.
What’s the difference between a Community Grant and a Province-Wide Grant?
The Ontario Trillium Foundation’s grant program has two streams: Community Grants and Province-Wide Grants. The Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Community and Province-Wide Grant Programs support charitable and not-for-profit organizations by funding local initiatives that contribute to building healthy, caring and economically strong communities. On an annual basis, the program allocates nearly $100 million to provide Ontario communities with assistance for projects in the areas of Arts & Culture, the Environment, Sports & Recreation, and Human & Social Services.
What determines if a grant is a Province-Wide Grant or a Community Grant?
The Community grants component is for activities that take place within one catchment area and have local impact on one or more communities within that catchment area. Even if people attending the activity come from all regions of the province or the country, the determining factor is where the impact will be felt.
Province-Wide grants fund activities that take place in at least three catchment areas in Ontario. In the North, the activity must impact two catchment areas.
Do you have an appeals process?
There is no appeals process. All granting decisions are based on specific criteria described in our Program Guidelines and on local priorities identified by local Grant Review Teams.
Can my organization apply for two grants at the same time?
Normally, organizations are limited to one active grant at a time. However, in small communities and rural areas, groups should contact their local Program Manager or Grants Associate to find out about local priorities. Generally, an organization can apply for another grant only when all reporting requirements from their previous grant have been met.
Do you give grants to individuals?
The Ontario Trillium Foundation does not make grants to individuals. For a full eligibility breakdown, please download a copy of our Program Guidelines from the ‘Grant Seekers' section of this website.