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Our research team is so good we sometimes forget that they’re people and not machines.  In this week’s Opportunity Watch, we’re sharing some grants that support organizations serving specific populations.  And yes, these opportunities were all identified by our great researchers.

The Canadian 99s promote women in aviation through several different programs, including the Canadian Award in Aviation, which was created in 1974.  They support air cadets, as well as community groups, aviation museums and preservation efforts.  Applications should be submitted by mail no later than August 31^st.

The Weyerhauser Company operates in four Canadian provinces and supports communities where they have at least 50 employees working and living. Priorities for each community are defined at the local level but must fall within four focus areas: affordable housing and shelter (including helping homeless families get into permanent housing), education and youth development, environmental stewardship and human services, civic and cultural growth (including supporting the health and well-being of vulnerable populations and responding to local disasters).  Registered Canadian charities should apply no later than August 1.

Based in Quebec, l’Oeuvre Léger supports families in need, street youth and the elderly in that province, as well as international projects in Latin America, Asia and Africa.   Projects must have a measurable impact upon the community and the Foundation will not fund more than 40% of a project’s total budget.   Consult their website for a full list of the documentation required and apply before July 1st.

Recognized as one of Alberta’s Top 50 Employers, First Calgary Financial is the province’s second-largest credit union.  Their Knowledge Builders Grant Program offers grants of up to $2,500 to support the internal learning needs of registered non-profits.  Calgary-area organizations that would benefit from training in leadership, planning, teamwork or organizational development should apply no later than July 3rd.

Want to see for yourself just how good our research team is?  Call us at 1-888-406-2524 to book a free demonstration and we’ll show you how to identify new funding prospects efficiently and effectively.

Did you know that Fundtracker includes 726,000 foundation gifts?  And that in 2011, over 1,500 foundations donated $100,000 or more in a single gift?  This week in Opportunity Watch, we’re sharing upcoming deadlines from private foundations across the country.

The Youssef-Warren Foundation is a family foundation that support the arts, conservation efforts and healthcare.   Based in Ontario, they fund non-profits located throughout Canada.  Consult their website for the application form, which must be submitted by June 30th.

Incorporated in 1951, The Mr. and Mrs. P.A. Woodword’s Foundation supports the health of British Columbians.  Their main priority is funding medical equipment for hospitals and other clinical settings that directly impact the care offered to patients.  They do not fund equipment related to medical research but will on occasion consider support for special health-related projects.   Applications are due in mid-July.

The Carolyn Sifton Foundation supports charities located in Winnipeg, Toronto and Brockville, Ontario.   Their main focus is youth-at-risk but they will also support exceptional projects outside of that mandate if they have been identified by a board member.  Letters of intent are due July 31^st.  If the Foundation decides it wants to know more about your project, a full proposal will be due September 30^th.

Created in 2006 by businessman Peter Munk and his wife Melanie, the Aurea Foundation supports registered non-profits implicated in public policy issues.  Newly created organizations that require start-up or matching funding, existing organizations whose funding sources have been withdrawn/reduced or those wishing to expand their activities should consult the website for a full list of the policy areas the Foundation supports.  Letters of intent are accepted until August 15^th .

If the foundations above aren’t active in your sector, why not sign up for a free trial of Fundtracker?  You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to identify new corporate, foundation and government granting opportunities.

Some have claimed that the mostly flat geography of Manitoba is boring.  This week, our research team has tracked down some granting opportunities that are anything but boring!  Read on for some great finds for non-profit organizations operating in Manitoba.

Created in 1986, the Thomas Sill Foundation funds four general areas: Environment, Education, Heritage and Health.  Their fifth area of support, defined as Responses to Community, includes poverty, women’s shelters, daycares and other initiatives that contribute to a vibrant Manitoba community.  The average grant awarded in 2011-2012 was almost $13,000.  Applications are accepted year round.  Contact them by phone for a preliminary eligibility discussion and to receive an application form.

The Wasyl Topolnicky Memorial Foundation supports the preservation, promotion, and advancement of Ukrainian arts, culture, heritage and education in Manitoba.  Grants offered are generally to a maximum of $2,500, although higher funding for special projects may be considered.  The application form is available online and includes a list of required documentation.  Applications are reviewed three times per year; the next deadline is May 31st.

Created in 1978, Francofonds is the charitable foundation that supports Manitoba’s french-speaking communities.  They have distributed over $3m to organizations that promote the French-language in Manitoba or support the province’s francophones.   A detailed application form is available online and must be submitted no later than September 15th.

The Jewish Foundation of Manitoba supports registered charities through three granting programs, each with specific deadline dates.  The Grants Program provides one-time funding for projects serving Jewish charities as well as those serving the greater Manitoba community.  Annual deadlines are June 15th and December 15th.   The Special Grants Program funds projects that address the needs of Winnipeg’s Jewish community.   This program has an annual deadline of September 15th. And finally, the Women’s Endowment Fund Grants provides one-time funding to projects and initiatives that support women throughout the province.  Deadlines are March 1 and October 15 of any given year.  All applications are found online.

Good luck with your applications, Manitoba.

Fans of our Opportunity Watch posts know that we normally share time-sensitive granting deadlines.  This week, we thought we’d share a few corporations that accept grant applications year-round, so you can apply whenever you have time.

Spectra Energy is a natural gas pipeline company with offices in Calgary, Halifax and Vancouver.  They support two main sectors: education and community vitality (for example arts/culture and environmental conservation efforts).  They will also consider support for projects initiated by their employees.  Registered Canadian charities in the communities where their operations are located should consult the online application form.

Vancouver Airport Authority is another corporation that accepts applications year-round.  In addition to supporting employee-driven initiatives, they also fund projects that benefit families, communities and the First Nations of BC.  Consult their website for tips on applying and the application form.

Boralex is a Quebec-based company which specializes in hydroelectric, wind, thermal and solar power-generation.   They support environmental and sustainable development projects, as well as social/community development in the areas where they have installations.  Consult their website for more details, including a full list of the information that  must be included in the application.

3M Canada, the company behind products like Scotch tape and Post-it notes, is another corporation that accepts applications year-round.  They support initiatives that encourage health and wellness, education and the environment.  In addition to grants, they will consider requests for product donations from organizations that fall within their giving criteria. Applications must be submitted online.

That’s it for this week – good luck with your requests!

If you follow our blog, you know that we regularly share funding opportunities from across Canada, posting information about grants that have applications due within 4-8 weeks.  But what happens if you miss the application date? Should you bother to apply anyway?  Before we answer that question, let’s review the standard steps in a job search (there is a link, bear with us).

You’ve identified a job that interests you.  You write a great letter, identifying your skills and how they would benefit this company. With any luck, you’ve been able to identify contacts in your network that are connected to the company and ask them to put in a good word. You apply online and cross your fingers.  On the recipient end, the hiring process goes a little like this: applications are scanned upon receipt (either by an automated system or by a single person).  Applications that do not meet the basic criteria are automatically discarded.  Then another review: Did they include the writing samples as requested? Are there any standout applicants? Who has the potential to be a great asset to the team?  Applications are prioritized and a short list is presented to the hiring committee.  The hiring committee comes back with an even shorter list of who they would like to meet in person.  You meet, you talk, you discuss. A decision is made. You jump for joy. Money appears in your bank account. You jump for joy again.

Would any of that have happened if you applied late?  It’s possible, but unlikely as many HR managers won’t even bother looking at an application once the posting date has passed.

Applying for a grant isn’t any different than applying for a job.   Most funding agencies, whether foundations, corporations or government, have a strict enforcement policy when it comes to deadline dates.  There has to be an end date, otherwise they can never move on to the next phase, which is reviewing all those applications and then awarding funds to the lucky recipient organizations.

As an organization applying for funding, do your utmost to meet granting deadlines – it’s a sign of respect for the agencies that offer them and for the other organizations that have struggled to get their application in on time.

If you’ve missed the deadline, don’t despair.  Take the opportunity to introduce your organization to the funder well in advance of the next deadline and keep looking for for other prospects.

P.S. Check back in a few days for this week’s Opportunity Watch:  we’re sharing a few grants without deadlines!

We recently told you about Fundtracker’s new corporate granting histories and some upcoming corporate grant deadlines.  Today, we thought we would share a few tips on applying for a corporate grant.

Once you have identified a new corporate prospect, review their funding priorities and their granting history. Get to know the organizations they have funded previously.  This will help you better understand their charitable focus.  Before you begin the application, give them a call or send an initial email to introduce your organization and your program/project.   Be sure to ask for clarification if you have questions about the application process as most granting officers appreciate the initial contact and welcome questions from non-profits.

Next, look for links between your organization and the company.  Consider sending an email to specific volunteers, such as board members, letting them know that you are applying for a grant from XYZ Corporation and asking if anyone has a connection to the company.  You might find out that your treasurer plays golf every week with the VP of Finance at XYZ Corporation.  This is a great way to find champions inside the company!

If the corporation has a retail outlet in your service area, consider introducing yourself to local employees.  Make sure you tell them about your funding application and ask for their endorsement.  And then don’t be shy about name-dropping when you submit the grant application.  The support of local employees is a great selling point.

Outline the links between your organization or project and the corporation’s public profile. Remember to ask yourself what’s in it for the corporate funder.  Don’t forget that funding decisions are frequently business decisions  and may be guided by marketing objectives instead of emotions.  That doesn’t mean you should avoid tugging at heart strings when stating your case for support – but do keep in mind that a request to a corporation should have a more professional and business-like feel than a request to an individual or even a foundation.

Good luck on your search for corporate funders!

Spring has sprung and it’s time to get the kids outside (we’re ignoring tomorrow’s snowfall warning for some parts of the country).  This week’s funding finds are for the benefit of young people across Canada.

The For Kids Sake Fund (a.k.a. the Ontario Endowment for Children and Youth in Recreation) of  The Temiskaming Foundation supports registered charities providing community recreation programming to children and youth under the age of 18 and located within the District of Temiskaming.  This year’s deadline for projects that provide a better life for the kids of the community is April 30^th.

The GoodLife Kids Foundation supports initiatives across Canada that encourage physical activity in kids aged 4 to 14.  To be eligible, the primary basis of the initiative must be children participating in physical activity for a significant portion of the project (nutrition and education components may be complementary elements but should not be the main focus).  Visit their website for an online application that must be submitted before April 30^th.

The Medavie Health Foundation supports initiatives in Atlantic Canada in the area of child and youth mental health (including early detection and stigma reduction through education and awareness) and Type 2 diabetes (focusing on prevention and self-management).  Applications must be completed online before April 30^th.

The mission of the Evergreen Philanthropic Foundation is to make cities more livable.  It is one of the leading funders of community and school greening projects in Canada.  The Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds Greening Grants are available for schools and non-profit daycare centres wishing to create outdoor classrooms and food gardens to provide students with a healthy place to play, learn and develop a genuine respect for nature.  Apply before April 30th.  Grants are awarded in amounts up to $3,500 for school and $2,000 for non-profit daycares.

Good luck!

We recently updated Fundtracker to include corporate granting histories, which will help you prospect much more efficiently when looking for corporate funders.  In this week’s Opportunity Watch, we’re continuing our corporate giving theme, with upcoming deadlines from corporations across the country.

Based in British Columbia, Canfor considers requests from charitable organizations who are active in any of the following five areas: youth/education, community enhancement, forestry/environment, amateur sports or health/wellness.  Organizations located in Canadian communities in which Canfor operates are eligible.  Requests are made via an online application form and are accepted between April 1 and June 30 of each year.

BC Ferries funds projects in coastal communities of British Columbia through a combination of donations, sponsorships and employee volunteerism.   Their current funding priorities include festivals, events and sports. To be eligible for sport funding, organizations that apply must be a member of  Sport BC.   Registered charities should fill in the online application no later than June 30th.

Casino Rama Community Wellness Program is based on the First Nations medicine wheel, stressing balance in all parts of one’s life. Food banks, women’s shelters and seniors groups are a few of their funding priorities.  Projects must target those over the age of majority and, with very few exceptions, be located in the Simcoe County area.  An application form is available online.  Applications are reviewed four times a year; the next deadline is April 30th.

Take a peek at our new corporate granting histories by signing in to Fundtracker today.  And if you’re not already a Fundtracker user, why not sign up for a free trial?  We’re convinced that after using Fundtracker for your prospect research, you won’t be able to do without!