Donor Stories

The Community Services Recovery Fund is open for applications between January 06 – February 21, 2023 for community service organizations. The Community Services Recovery Fund is a $400 million investment from the Government of Canada to support charities and non-profits as they focus on how to adapt their organizations for pandemic recovery.

Next up in our #GCFGrantStories series is Community Grant recipient Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition (GNSC), which received funding for its Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Program. 100% of the received funds went towards books for local children 0 to five years old. For $45 per child per year, each child received a high-quality, age-appropriate book in…

Easter Seals Ontario’s Equipment Funding Program received a grant from our 2024 Community Grants program to support their work with children and youth in Guelph living with physical disabilities. The Funding Program helps families purchase vital mobility and accessibility equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, ramps, lifts, and specialized seating. These items are often not fully…

Ed Video Media Arts Centre received a 2024 Musagetes Fund Art Grant which provided operational support which helped the organization during a big time of change. As Guelph’s only artist-run media arts centre, Ed Video is an important place where local artists can create, share their work, and connect with others. Thanks to the grant,…

The first #GCFGrantStories of the year comes from Community Grant recipient The Elliott Community , who received funding for their ‘In Tune’ Ukulele – Music Therapy for Seniors program. This popular music program was designed for local seniors at risk of social isolation during the COVID pandemic. The program helped these seniors gain social connections…

The Elora Centre for the Arts received a 2024 Community Grant to support their Community Connections Through Art program, which offers visual arts education to students with (dis)abilities across schools in Centre Wellington. Led by artist and educator Eileen MacArthur, the program brings inclusive, accessible art sessions directly into classrooms at schools including Elora Public…

Today in our #GCFGrantStories series is Community Grant recipient Elora Centre for the Arts (ECFTA), which received funding for The Nest! Community Outreach Program. The Nest! is designed to support local youth ages 10+ seeking to re-engage and reconnect with their peers in a safe, creative, and nurturing space. It is an open-flow, gender-diverse space…

Next up in our #GCFGrantStories series is Community Grant recipient Elora House, which received funding for its Rebuild Project, described as “a journey to build towards self-reliance, resilience, and overall well-being.” Elora House is a three-stage recovery centre offering programs and services focused on rest, therapy, education, and job training post-sex trafficking. These services can…

KidzCreate Grant Story By Judith Rosenberg – Founder & Director, Spark of Brilliance (2005 Musagetes Fund grant ) – “It’s like trying to put a square peg in a round hole”, explained a frustrated mother of her beautiful young daughter with autism. “Our kids just don’t fit”.Parents and other stakeholders from the special needs community along with representatives from the mainstream…

Quebec based charity, Fondation Rivières, received $35,000 from the Sleeman Better Water Fund in early 2025 to strengthen its work on improving water quality in the Rivière du Nord. Since this time they have been working closely with the mayors of 28 municipalities to reduce wastewater pollution and improve water quality in the river so…

Mentoring young musicians is one of the mandates of the Guelph Symphony Orchestra (GSO); thus the launch of the GSOKids Club in the fall of 2012 comes as no surprise. Building on the success of the Guelph Youth Symphony Orchestra, this free, season-long program was designed for children between 6 and 12 years of age. Recent grants from…

$110,000+ of funds given to 24 local charities through Community Grants & Kids to Camp! The Foundation received a record number of 75 applications this year. These applications highlighted both the increase in demands placed on Guelph and Wellington County’s local charities, and the incredible work that is being done by these organizations. We are…