Housing Initiatives Grant

The Housing Initiatives Grant, offered by the Catherine Donnelly Foundation, aims to combat homelessness and promote affordable housing solutions in Canada. This funding supports projects that prioritize the prevention of homelessness, advocating for a rights-based approach, and fostering collaborations among various sectors. With a focus on partnerships, the Foundation seeks initiatives that address systemic barriers and empower marginalized communities, ultimately working towards sustainable housing solutions and collective impact.

NOTE:
Potential applicants are strongly advised to contact the Foundation office prior to submitting a Letter of Inquiry.
Mobilizing, engaging and advocating for effective housing solutions
Each day in Canada, some 35,000 people experience some form of homelessness and another 1.5 million pay more than they can afford for housing. The shelter crisis has spread to rural and remote communities and youth, women and families are all much more likely to experience homelessness than in the past. Indigenous people are ten times more likely than non-Indigenous to make use of emergency services.
In fact, many of the solutions are beginning to be implemented.
Our Funding Objectives
Housing initiatives prioritize the prevention and elimination of homelessness as well as the provision of safe and affordable housing.
Our Approach
The Foundation supports projects that advance public policy development in the housing sector; educate the public and animate action toward sustainable solutions to Canada’s homelessness and affordable housing crisis; and strengthen networks and collective strategies among non-profit housing groups and organizations.
The Catherine Donnelly Foundation is particularly drawn to projects that involve partnerships across organizational and sector lines (non-profit, public and private) and that value collaboration in pursuit of collective impact and sustainable change in the housing sector.
In our most recent funding cycle, Fredericton, NB’s Partners for Youth received a grant to address the service gap related to ongoing mentorship and support for youth who seek mental health treatment, while Logifem in Montreal, QC was supported in their work to shift from an emergency-only response for women who experience housing instability to a sustainable approach.
In Vancouver, Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE) in partnership with Columbia Institute, received funding to help actors in the financial system address practices driving housing unaffordability. Investors for Affordable Cities will encourage institutional investors to implement responsible real estate strategies and enlist policy makers to stop predatory behaviors and promote housing investment that support inclusive communities.
Funding
The Catherine Donnelly Foundation provides one-year project grants generally in the $10,000 to $50,000 range. Our average grant amount is $25,000. The maximum you may request is $50,000.

Eligibility

Applicants to the Catherine Donnelly Foundation can be Canadian registered charities or qualified donees under Canada Revenue Agency guidelines. Non-profit groups working in partnership with a Canadian sponsoring charitable organization or a qualified donee can also apply. We also accept applications from registered non-profit organizations without charitable status.Organizations and submissions that are rejected at one stage in the granting process, can re-apply at the next grant cycle.

Ineligibility

The Catherine Donnelly Foundation will not consider funding the following:Retroactive funding Projects outside of Canada Emergency appealsPurely commercial recordings or film projectsFor-profit businesses are not eligible to apply.