Environment Canada (Ontario Region) publishes The Green Source, an excellent list of funding sources on its Funding Programs site. It's about 100 pages, with a page on each separate funding source, and can be downloaded in PDF format.

The Canadian Environmental Grantmakers Network (CEGN) has links to all its member websites. It also has a searchable database of all grants given across Canada. An excellent starting point.

Charity Village's Sources of Funding page will send you to lists of foundations and other useful sources of information. (You'll still need to do some digging!)

FEE FOR SERVICE
If you have a fundraising budget and are willing to invest time and money in a thorough research of corporate and foundation sources, there are a couple of databases that you should look into.

The Canadian Centre for Philanthropy publishes the Directory to Foundations and Grants.

Metasoft Systems publishes the Big Database, a fact-filled, accurate, and current source of Canadian and American fundraising information for non-profits and charities, providing more than 5,000 funding opportunities.

Best Bets

Here's our list of some of the best sites and sources of funds for environmental projects in Ontario.

Federal

Eco-Action is the current environmental project fund managed by Environment Canada. Priority for funding is given to projects that will achieve results in the following areas: clean air & climate change, clean water and nature. Funding can range from $500 to a maximum of $100,000; however, the average amount is about $25,000. Remember that for every dollar you receive from the federal government (including EcoAction 2000), you must have at least the same amount from non-federal government sponsors. This can include cash contributions and in-kind support.

The Climate Change Action Fund will fund public education and innovative emission-reduction projects that are designed to help meet Canada's commitment to the Kyoto Protocol target of a 6% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2012.

Millennium Eco-Communities: doesn't appear to provide any direct funding, but it can provide resources for organizing at the community level, and thereby increase your prospects for funding success.

Ontario

The Great Lakes Renewal Foundation has been established with a $5 million grant from the provincial government. Its purpose is to support rehabilitation activities in the Great Lakes region.

Employment Programs: The Environmental Youth Corps (EYC) has been "consolidated" with other youth employment programs. The Ministry of Education and Training now runs Ontario Job Services, made up of all the youth funding programs. Apparently only a $2.00 subsidy is now available towards minimum wage jobs. Try calling the Training Hotline at (416) 326-5656 for automated information or to leave your name for a call-back.

Corporate Funding

Clean Environment Foundation (Canada Trust): provides funding support for initiatives that make a positive impact on the Canadian environment through two sources: the locally focused Friends of the Environment Community Fund (established in 1990); and the nationally focused Friends of the Environment Canada Fund (established June, 1997)

Husky Injection Moulding and the Schad Foundation has a fund for environmental projects. For information on the foundation, write to Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd., 500 Queen Street S., Bolton, Ontario, Canada L7E 5S5 , Phone (905) 951-5000 ext 3834. Foundation funding is limited to charities.

Lever Pond's Foundation has three funding priorities: "growing for green", "caring for community", and "women and wellness". E-mail the foundation for details at leverponds.foundation@unilever.com

Mountain Equipment Co-op has set aside 0.4% of its gross revenues each year for an environment fund that will give from $2,00 to $10,000 to projects such as land acquisition, and advocacy and education.

Shell Environment Fund: Shell funds up to $5,000 for projects that propose innovative, action-oriented ways of improving and protecting the Canadian environment. Examples of eligible projects are: to clean up a local stream, beach or park; naturalize a site to enhance wildlife habitat; set up a community recycling program; or implement an innovative environmental education program. Applications for small grants of $500 can be processed outside of the regular approval process.

Foundations

Joyce Foundation: The Joyce Foundation supports efforts to strengthen public policies in ways that improve the quality of the Great Lakes. The environment is a major area of interest, and a limited number of grants are made in Canada. Charitable status required.

The Laidlaw Foundation has an environment program that is focused on children’s health, environmental contaminants and community capacity building. The programme is based on environmental values and an ecological systems perspective.

McArthur Foundation: The John D. and Catherine T. McArthur Foundation has a program on Global Security and Sustainability which focuses on ecosystems conservation work in a small number of tropical biogeographic zones in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. These zones are chosen for their richness of species diversity, number of unique species, and the level of threat within each zone. In addition, the Foundation supports ecosystem conservation work in tropical areas of the United States.

The Trillium Foundation has been selected to allocate funds from the provincial government's gaming initiative. Essentially, this means $100 million is available through the Community and Province-wide grants. The environment is only one aspect of the program, however this is by far the largest single source of funding for environmental projects. Check their web site for details and an application form.

Donner Canadian Foundation: The Donner Canadian Foundation does not respond to letters of inquiry or unsolicited requests for funding. However, it does maintain files about charitable organizations and their work. The Foundation uses this information – along with research and input from advisors – to inform its search for high-potential projects. Charitable organizations, or researchers affiliated with charitable organizations, may send our Executive Director a two- to three-page description of their goals and programs. Foundation staff will keep this information on file for one year and will be in touch if there is any interest in inviting a funding proposal. In 2004, 15 percent of their grants were devoted to land and wildlife conservation.

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation: The mission of the Mott Foundation's environmental grantmaking is to support the efforts of an engaged citizenry working to create accountable and responsive institutions, sound public policies, and appropriate models of development that protect the diversity and integrity of selected ecosystems in North America and around the world.

Local

Community Foundations

Community foundations exist in major cities and towns across Canada to support community development projects, arts, culture, and the environment. For more information on the more than 30 community foundations in Ontario, visit Community Foundations of Canada, or see their list of Ontario foundations.

Becoming a Charity

Although it is not essential for fundraising, charitable status opens many new doors for an organization

Charitable foundations are generally restrict their grants to organizations with charitable status
charitable receipts can be given out for donations. These receipts can be used for a credit of 17% of the first $200 and 29% or the balance (far less than the credits given for political contributions).

For information on how to obtain charitable status, check the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) Charities Division web site, the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy's Resource Centre, and the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (Ontario).

Charitable status is not easy to get, but there has been a recent development in Ontario which has helped to streamline the process. The Ontario Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee has issued a list of pre-approved purposes and objectives for charitable organizations. If you use the environmental objectives (section 11) and your description of activities is consistent with the objectives, then you may find it easier to obtain charitable status.