The Guelph Community Foundation provides funding grants that promote and support community initiatives and non-profit charitable organizations. We bring local knowledge, experience and a network of community relationships to our granting process.
To ensure you do not miss a funding opportunity, we encourage organizations to subscribe to our newsletter.
Not sure if you are eligible for a grant? Learn more by reading our granting eligibility and guidelines below.
Any questions regarding our granting programs can be directed to [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you!
Grants
Our role as a grant maker is to build connections between donors and the charitable sector. We build these connections through the generosity of donors who provide financial support by directing their gift to various types of endowment funds. Our funds help people invest in the causes they care about most.
Through our grants program, we seek to…
- honour the diversity of our community
- build a stronger, healthier & safer community for all citizens
- inspire a positive & enduring impact in our community
Grant recipients are selected in two ways:
1. Designated or suggested by the fund holder(s); or
2. Recommended by our Board of Directors or Grants Committee after a careful evaluation process.
We believe that being an effective and dynamic grant maker is more than just about making good grants. It is also about strengthening our community by working with other funders, acting as a sounding board, being a convener for people and a catalyst for change. We strive to continually improve our skills as grant makers through a granting program that is balanced, flexible, creative and responsive.
Grant Eligibility
Applications are invited from registered charities and incorporated non-profits operating community based programs in Guelph or Wellington County. Applications may be accepted from organizations that are located outside of this community, but the applications must be specific to supporting programming that directly benefits/affects the community of Guelph and/or Wellington County.
Applying Organizations Must Meet These Guidelines:
• Provide programs or services that directly benefit the people of Guelph and/or Wellington County.
• Make services available without discrimination
• Demonstrate fiscal and management responsibility
• Demonstrate a level of financial need
Applications Must Meet These Guidelines:
• Not contribute to operating or capital deficits
• Not be exclusively for fundraising activities or campaigns
• Not be exclusively for conferences
• Not be exclusively for political activities or advocacy initiatives
• Not support religious or political activities *
*A religious organization may seek funding for a non-religious program, for example addressing food insecurity.
Have Questions?
If this is your first time applying for a GCF grant, email us at [email protected] so we can help determine the eligibility of your proposed application as it relates to our current grant streams and help answer any questions you may have. Whether you’re still deciding to apply, or in the middle of your application, we’re always happy to connect and to help grant writers fully understand the questions and write better grants.
How to Apply:
If you have any outstanding Grant Follow Up Reports then you may be ineligible for future funding until all requirements of past grants have been fulfilled.
- Check to see within your organization if an account in GCF’s grant portal has already been created. If you are not sure, please email us at [email protected] – only one organization account is needed per organization, multiple users are registered to each organization account and can collaborate on applications together.
- If there is no preexisting account then create an account in our grants portal.
- If there is a preexisting account then please email to ask to be added to the organization account if you don’t have access.
- Once you have an account, login to the portal to see the currently available grant streams’ application form(s).
- Once your application has been submitted you will receive an email confirming that it was submitted. An email will be sent with the decision regarding the application. The time frame of this decision varies for each grant stream.
- If you are the successful recipient of a grant, please review our Grant Recognition page for guidelines and resources.
Grant Evaluation
With the exception of Scholarships, a Follow Up Report is required as a condition of receiving a Grant and will be assigned through the grant portal.
When awarding grants, we anticipate success, but understand that many initiatives take place in dynamic contexts, with escalating community needs and a fluctuating economy. Reporting helps both the Guelph Community Foundation and your organization learn from your experience and understand the impact of the grant on your organization and the community. This feedback helps us learn about what makes your organization successful and how we can both meet our common goal of service to the community.
It is possible that a report prepared for another funding source will meet our needs. Please, contact us in advance if you believe this is the case. You can also contact us to discuss your reporting options if you feel your initiative does not lend well to this format.
We may follow up with you for the purpose of reporting and media sharing after the report has been submitted. We often share the project information with the donor(s) that funded your organization. We may feature your grant story and photo(s) in our annual report, newsletter and on social media.
2026 Grant Opportunities:
Community Grants – Now Accepting Applications!
Applications accepted: September 01, 2026 – October 13, 2026 | Decision Notifications: December 2026
Community Grants provide funding to registered charities and eligible non-profit organizations that are delivering programs, operational initiatives, or capital projects that address pressing community needs and strengthen well-being across Guelph and Wellington County.
Sleeman Better Water Fund | Fondation Sleeman Pour Une Eau Meilleure
Applications accepted: September 14, 2026 – October 19, 2026 | Decision Notifications: February 2027
The Sleeman Better Water Fund supports registered Canadian charities delivering projects, programs, research, operations, or capital initiatives that advance water conservation, water preservation, and access to clean water in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec.
Les soumissions seront acceptées du 14 septembre 2026 au 19 octobre 2026 | Notifications de décision : février 2026
Fondation Sleeman Pour Une Eau Meilleure soutient des organismes de bienfaisance canadiens enregistrés qui mènent des projets, des programmes, des activités de recherche, des opérations ou des initiatives d’investissement favorisant la conservation et la préservation de l’eau ainsi que l’accès à de l’eau propre en Colombie-Britannique, en Alberta, en Ontario et au Québec.
Scholarships and Bursaries
2026 Application Period: February 17, 2026 – March 27, 2026 | Decision Notifications: May 2026
The Guelph Community Foundation’s scholarship and bursary programs help reduce barriers to education by providing financial support to students pursuing post-secondary studies and training opportunities.
Musagetes – Funding for the Arts
Not Accepting Applications in 2026 – More information will be available by late 2026
The Musagetes Fund supports registered charitable organizations that use arts and culture to strengthen community connections and enrich life in Guelph and the surrounding area. The fund prioritizes projects that explore new approaches to community building through the arts, with particular interest in initiatives that advance social justice, environmental resilience, and intercultural understanding.
