For over 20 years, the Western Financial Group Communities Foundation has been awarding $5,000 in Community Infrastructure Grants to support the enhancement, upgrade, and construction of community spaces and assets across Canada. These projects benefit the community’s future by contributing to its strength and resilience, enhancing sustainability, accessibility, health and safety, and creating connections to allow our communities to flourish. Since 2004, the Communities Foundation has awarded over $2.3 million in grants, supporting over 470 community projects.
Each year, we invite local community organizations to submit proposals for funding of their community infrastructure projects. In December, a select number of deserving applicants will be awarded the grant to support their initiatives.
Our Infrastructure Grant program includes three brackets:
- The Community Infrastructure Grant,
- The Municipality Infrastructure Grant, and
- The Indigenous Infrastructure Grant, introduced in 2021 as part of Western Financial Group’s efforts towards reconciliation.
We will be accepting applications for our 2024 grants from August 25th to November 10th.
Project Eligibility and Criteria
- The project must be within Canada
- The project must be completed within 12 months of receiving funding (by Dec 2025)
- The total cost of the project can not exceed $500,000
- The project consists of either upgrading, enhancing, renovating, or constructing a community asset.
- The project must be a publicly owned community asset.
- The project must be accessible to the public.
- The project must be able to demonstrate how it will benefit the community’s future through sustainability, accessibility, health, safety, and security.
- The project has measurable social outcomes for the community it serves.
The grant funding cannot be used for regular operating expenses.
Who can apply?
Indigenous Infrastructure Grant
- Indigenous-focused CRA Registered Charitable Organizations
- Indigenous Municipalities, Nations, Reserves, Communities
Community Infrastructure Grant
- CRA Registered Charitable Organizations
Municipality Infrastructure Grant
- Canadian Municipalities
The following are not eligible:
- Non-profit organizations
- Social enterprises
- Religious organizations
- For-profit organizations
- Businesses
- Individuals
- Political campaigns, individuals, parties
- Event sponsorship
How to Apply
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Project Eligibility
Review the project eligibility and criteria to learn about the types of organizations and projects that qualify for this grant.
-
Online Application Forms
Please complete and submit your grant application by the application deadline indicated below. Please ensure you complete the correct application.
Indigenous Infrastructure Grant
Deadline: September 15, 2024
Community Infrastructure Grant
Deadline: November 10, 2024
Municipality Infrastructure Grant
Deadline: November 10, 2024
Q&A
It will take approximately 15 minutes to complete the application.
Indigenous Grant Applications are due September 15, 2024
Community Infrastructure Applications are due November 10, 2024
Municipality Infrastructure Applications are due November 10, 2024
No, an organization is only permitted to submit one application.
No, an organization is only permitted to submit one application, even if they are different projects.
Yes, projects that have previously received funding are eligible to apply.
Grant recipients will be contacted in mid-December 2024 via email.
Applications will be pre-screened internally to ensure eligibility and program criteria and then drawn in a lottery. In this way, bias is omitted and projects that otherwise would be easily overlooked are given a chance to receive support.
Please contact your local Western Financial Group branch if you have more questions.
Check out some of our previous recipients
2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
To express our appreciation and demonstrate our support for the communities where we live and work, Western Financial Group founded the non-profit Western Communities Foundation in 2001 under the Income Tax Act of Canada (Registration #87030 2619 RR0001).
The Foundation does not accept requests, applications, or nominations from outside organizations; we only accept via a Western Financial Group or affiliate office. According to CRA guidelines, we can only donate to a registered charity or municipality and its boards.