Guidelines to help you apply

• Organizations receiving funding must be located in Waterloo Region and providing services to people residing or working in Waterloo Region.

• Applications will be considered from:

  • Registered charitable organizations

  • Qualified donees recognized by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)*

  • Non Profit organizations through a partnership with a fiscal partner

    • This partnership allows WRCF to provide the fiscal partner with the funding on your behalf. If you plan to partner this way, they would be your organization’s “fiscal partner” for this funding. If you want more information about how this works, you can find information about qualified donees, fiscal partners, and/or download the fiscal partner form at: wrcf.ca/fiscal-partnership

    * Note: Municipalities, hospitals, and organizations that operate as a school (private and public; elementary, secondary, or post-secondary) are not eligible to apply

  • To determine if your initiative is eligible, and to understand how the funding can be used, review the Funding Guidelines (pdf). If you want to download a copy of the application so you can see all the questions before you apply, you can access it here: Application (pdf). If you want to see the evaluation form you would complete if you received a grant you can access it here: Evaluation (pdf).

• There are two granting levels for funding:

  • Level 1 - up to $10,000

  • Level 2 - $10,001 - $40,000

• Funding must be used between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025 for eligible expenses incurred over the same period.

Note: $566,000 of the funds available are from the WRCF Community Fund and are eligible to be distributed to organizations located anywhere in Waterloo Region. $84,000 of the funds available are from the Cambridge Community Fund and the North Dumfries Community Fund and are eligible to be distributed to organizations located in Cambridge or North Dumfries.

How we will be assessing your application

• Applications must align with WRCF’s mission, vision, and values

• The initiative should support one or more of the four focal areas of social infrastructure, as defined in the Funding Guidelines

• The organization is financially stable as evidenced from the submitted financial documents and the initiative budget is financially viable, balanced, and appears reasonable

• The organization demonstrates the ability to achieve the articulated objectives of the proposal within the stated timeframe

• The impact of the initiative has been clearly articulated in the short term and where possible long term

• Evidence that the organization has made efforts to attract and support diverse members of community

• Evidence that the voices of people with lived experience have been included in the decision making, development, delivery, and evaluation of the initiative

If you require additional support, you can contact us via grants@wrcf.ca or 519-725-1806 x 206.

WRCF is dedicated to upholding professional, ethical, and regulatory standards as we work to deliver on our vision and mission, while staying true to our values. We expect partners and organizations we fund to share our commitment to these standards. By applying for funding through WRCF, you are indicating that your organization complies with the regulatory requirements to work with your population(s), and within the legal and ethical framework appropriate for your organization.

WRCF gathers data to connect local impact to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Applications to Community Grants will ask charities to indicate which one(s) your funding requests align with. (Note: Responses to this question will not be a factor in the review and potential funding of an application).

Visit the United Nations website to learn more about the 17 UN SDGs by clicking the button below.

For other funding opportunities from Waterloo Region funders, please visit www.wrapply.ca