Is your charity ready to apply for foundation grants?

Tick what is true for your charity today. You get a readiness score and the gaps to fix first, most important at the top. Nothing is sent anywhere: it all runs in your browser.

We are a registered charity (or other qualified donee) in good standing with the CRA.Foundations can only give to qualified donees. A revoked or annulled registration ends every grant conversation. Our last T3010 return was filed on time (within 6 months of our year end).Funders look you up on the CRA list first. A late or missing return shows there and can lead to revocation. We have financial statements for our last full year.Almost every application asks for them, and larger funders often want audited or reviewed statements. We have a board-approved budget for this year.Funders want to see where their gift sits in your total spending and who else pays for the work. We have a specific project with its own budget, timeline and amount we are asking for.Most foundations fund projects, not general needs. A clear ask is the biggest difference in replies. We can show results from past work (people served, outcomes, a short evaluation).Funders renew and recommend charities that report results. Numbers beat stories alone. We have a current board list with at least 3 arm's-length directors.Funders check governance. A board made up of one family raises questions. At least one other funder, donor group or government source supports us.Foundations rarely want to be the only funder. Other support shows the work will last. We have a list of foundations that already gave to charities like ours.Private foundations mostly fund causes and places they have funded before. Applying to the wrong funder wastes weeks. We have a short letter of inquiry we can adapt for each funder.Many foundations want a 1 to 2 page letter first, not a full proposal.

What Canadian foundations check before they fund

Foundations in Canada can only make gifts to qualified donees, so the first thing a funder does is look your charity up on the CRA's List of charities. They see your status, your last T3010 return and your reported revenue. A late return or a revoked status stops the process before anyone reads your proposal.

Then most foundations look for fit: do they already fund your cause and your region? Many private foundations give mainly to charities they know or have funded before. That is why a list of funders who gave to charities like yours is worth more than a long list of every foundation in Canada.

Browse the foundations by cause and province, or search your own charity.

Is your charity ready to apply for foundation grants?

Fix these first

Find the foundations that already fund charities like yours

What Canadian foundations check before they fund