Grants Impact

One Drop Foundation was the recipient of a $40,000 grant through the Sleeman Better Water Fund 2026 which is administered through The Guelph Community Foundation. Since receiving the funds in February, One Drop and its partners have already reached a major milestone in the development of the Six Nations Mobile Water Lab! The Mobile Lab…

Immigrant Services Guelph Wellington’s Distract Me Not! educational program helped older adults, seniors, and newcomers learn how to recognize scams and protect themselves from distraction crime, an issue that is becoming increasingly common in communities across Ontario. The workshop focused on helping seniors, particularly newcomer seniors, understand the tactics used by scammers and develop strategies…

This winter Seed, Soil and Spirit School held a BIPOC Willow Basket Weaving Intensive workshop. This workshop brought together Black, Indigenous and racialized community members for a hands on, two day learning experience rooted in traditional fibre arts, land stewardship, and cultural knowledge. Hosted at Seed, Soil and Spirit School’s outdoor classroom and St. Brigid’s…

The Shelldale Family Gateway’s Youth Mentoring Program has been highly successful in their community, providing youth with opportunities to build leadership skills, confidence, and meaningful relationships. The program currently engages 25 mentors aged 12 and older each week, with more than 175 youth participating to date! Through guidance, recreation, and life skills activities, menstorship participants…

Focus on Nature’s Fresh Perspectives photography exhibit brought together students, families, teachers, local leaders, and the wider community to celebrate the amazing work of young photographers across Guelph. The exhibit showcased 60 “Best of the Best” photos taken by students in workshops and camps. These were displayed over two installments, with 30 photographs displayed at…

Last fall the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival brought together readers, writers, and families for a three day celebration of Canadian literature. Attendance reached 1,797 people, including more than 1,000 on Sunday, marking a 55% increase from the previous year! The 2025 festival featured 51 Canadian authors, expanded children’s programming, and a marketplace with over 40…

Over the past year, Hope House Guelph’s Guelph Community Backpack Project has made a meaningful impact for children and families across the community. In 2025, the program distributed 2,991 backpacks filled with grade appropriate school supplies across 12 community pick up sites with the help of 238 volunteers and 793 volunteer hours. Children shared overwhelmingly…

Over the course of a full day retreat, Guelph Youth Singers created a meaningful and engaging experience that brought together 31 children and youth from across Guelph and surrounding areas! Youths, ages 6 to 18, were actively involved in rehearsals, team building activities, and creative sessions that strengthened their musical skills while fostering a strong…

Over the last five months, the Children’s Reading Room has created something very special for families with young children through its Baby Book Club Program. The Club has welcomed more than 100 family visits, with about 70% returning regularly, showing how strongly families value the experience! With support from a Community Grant, more than 220…

With support from the Musagetes Arts Fund, 10C held their first ever Summer Solstice Shindig at Guelph Farmer’s Market last June. The Solstice was a shining success that welcomed more than 250 guests, alongside over 30 musicians and artists, 15 community vendors, and eight local food businesses! The event activated the Guelph Farmers’ Market with…

Anishnabeg Outreach received a 2024 Community Grant to support their Guelph Spirit Bundle Program. This is an initiative that offers culturally informed food support, seasonal resources, and community connection for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis (FNIM) families in Guelph. Thanks to this funding, Anishnabeg Outreach was able to expand their program, which provides bi-weekly food…

Silence Guelph received a 2024 Musagetes Fund to support its year round programs and day to day operations. This funding helped the organization continue offering inclusive and accessible arts experiences, and to flourish as a creative gathering space in downtown Guelph! Silence is known for its focus on experimental sound, music, and art. It acts…

Stonehenge Therapeutic Community received a 2024 Community Grant to support the well-being of people living at 10 Shelldale Crescent, an affordable housing community in Guelph for individuals who have faced long-term homelessness, poverty, and addiction. The project aimed to reduce isolation and improve wellness by creating space for movement and connection. Thanks to the grant,…

Art Not Shame (ANS) received a 2024 Musagetes Fund grant during an important time of growth. The grant helped them open a new and fully accessible Community Arts Hub in downtown Guelph and expand their inclusive, creative programs across the region! The Musagetes grant also helped bring vibrant, community-led programs to life. Projects like their…

Congratulations to the 30 Community Grants 2025 Recipients! The Guelph Community Foundation’s board and staff are pleased to announce the Community Grants Program grant recipients for 2025. This year will cheerfully conclude with 30 local charities receiving a total of $145,887.70 in funding! The Community Grants application process takes place each fall, when local charities…

Guelph Arts Council (GAC) received a 2024 Musagetes Fund operational grant to help them achieve their mission of making the arts more accessible for underrepresented communities in Guelph and Wellington County. The project focused on supporting BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ artists and audiences, creating more space for connection, and inclusion in the local arts scene. This…

With support from the Musagetes Fund, the Art Gallery of Guelph (AGG) launched the art exhibition, Entrelazados, by Guatemala-Mexican-American artist Justin Favela in 2024. This was Favela’s first solo show in Canada and it included additional artist and curator led-programing. The exhibition featured Favela’s iconic bright, piñata-style artworks in AGG’s main exhibition space in their first…

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,…

Guelph Dance received a 2024 Musagetes Fund grant to help cover its operating costs for the year. This support allowed the organization to grow its team and continue offering exciting dance programs across the community Guelph and Wellington. Guelph Dance has a small but hardworking team, and runs programs all year with three part-time staff…

The Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition (GNSC), along with the Community Resilience Coalition of Guelph and Wellington (CRC), received a 2024 Community Grant to launch Fostering Resilience Champions, a youth leadership program that helps local young people build life skills and stronger connections in their community. The grant helped create a youth leadership group with ten…

The Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy (WGDS) received a 2024 Community Grant to launch a free public education project focused on substance use and overdose response. This education project was designed to help address the drug crisis by helping people in Guelph learn how to take action in emergencies and to care for one another with…

The Nightingale Centre received a 2024 Community Grant to support its Through Loss to Compassion Leadership program. This program helps children, teens, and young adults who have lost someone close to them by teaching about grief, offering peer support, and building leadership skills. Thanks to the grant, Nightingale expanded its peer-led approach and updated their…

West Village Community Development Co-operative received a 2024 Community Grant to support their Village Food Hub, a program led by the community that helps families in Guelph’s west end access healthy food and other support services. Located at Westwood Public School, the Food Hub offers weekly food pickups where families can choose the items that…