Community Grants Program

Overview of the Community Grants Program program:

The Community Grants Program is Calgary Foundation’s largest and most inclusive funding stream, aimed at supporting charitable organizations that are advancing the well-being of individuals and communities in Calgary and area. This grant is open to a broad range of sectors and projects—social services, arts and culture, environment, education, health, and more. It supports both new initiatives and ongoing operations that demonstrate a strong alignment with community priorities and Calgary Foundation’s commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation. The program offers both project-specific funding and operational funding, providing flexibility to organizations based on their most urgent needs. Funding can be used to pilot new ideas, scale existing programs, support strategic planning, invest in organizational capacity, or maintain core services. Priority is given to proposals that are community-informed, collaborative, and demonstrate measurable outcomes. The Community Grants Program emphasizes relationships and trust, rather than burdensome reporting. It adopts a responsive and open application approach, where charities can submit proposals aligned with their mission and community context. Calgary Foundation encourages applications from equity-deserving groups and underrepresented voices, including Indigenous-led, grassroots, and culturally diverse organizations. The program is designed to foster inclusive, long-term change by empowering local organizations with meaningful support and reduced administrative barriers.

Benefits of the Community Grants Program program:

• Provides flexible funding for either operations or specific projects
• Supports a wide range of charitable activities and sectors
• Encourages innovative, collaborative, and community-based approaches
• Fosters equity by prioritizing underrepresented groups and grassroots initiatives
• Simplified application and reporting process
• Grants available for capacity building, service delivery, evaluation, and strategic growth
• Opportunities for multi-stakeholder collaboration and systems change
• Focus on impact, relationship-building, and community learning

Eligibility criteria of the Community Grants Program program:

• To qualify, applicants must:
• Be a registered Canadian charity (CRA number required)
• Operate primarily in Calgary and surrounding region
• Demonstrate community benefit, alignment with Calgary Foundation values, and organizational capacity
• Be involved in areas such as social services, arts, education, health, environment, or community development
• Have clearly defined goals and outcomes
• Be open to new collaborations and community partnerships
• Equity-seeking and Indigenous-led organizations are strongly encouraged to apply
• Organizations without charitable status may apply with a fiscal sponsor