The Community, Youth & Cultural Funding Program provides municipal funding every year to non-profit organizations in the social service, youth, and cultural sectors, as well as to individual artists undertaking projects in the community. These grants benefit the community and help to leverage other provincial and national funding sources.

Online Grants Portal - coming soon!

We will be moving to an online grants portal for Project, Operating & Sustaining Grant applications to streamline the application process for applicants and reviewers. Assistance will be available to ensure a smooth transition, and more information will be provided to organizations soon! 

Grant categories

The Funding Program has three categories. Select a category below to view the grant guidelines/criteria and application forms. Organizations can only receive funding in one category per funding term.

Note: If you open application forms in Google Chrome, please save a copy before editing.

Project grants

Project grants are one-time, short-term funding for special activities, training and development, or seed funding for new organizations.

There are two intakes for project grants with the following deadlines:

  • March 28, 2025
  • October 17, 2025 

Maximum request: up to 80% of a project budget, to a maximum of $10,000.

A limited amount of funding is available for project grants, and applications will be evaluated based on how well the application meets the evaluation criteria.

Applicants must connect with a program contact below prior to applying to discuss eligibility.  

Program Contacts

Please direct your inquiry to the appropriate representative based on the focus of your grant.

General inquiries/Culture: Callie Hemsworth (807) 632-2485 or grants@thunderbay.ca

Anti-Racism, Truth & Reconciliation: Louisa Costanzo (807) 627-4216 or louisa.costanzo@thunderbay.ca

Community Safety & Well-Being: Louisa Costanzo (807) 627-4216 or louisa.costanzo@thunderbay.ca

Youth: Nina Arcon (807) 629-7051 or nina.arcon@thunderbay.ca 

Sport: Paul Burke (807) 625-2305 or paul.burke@thunderbay.ca

Email completed applications to: grants@thunderbay.ca 

 

Guidelines & Criteria

View Project Grant Guidelines
Application Forms

Applications will be submitted through the Online Grants Portal - details coming soon!
 Recent Grant Recipients
 2024 Project Grants

Project funding was awarded to the following recipients in 2024:

  • Autism Northwest - Autism Club Skateboard Program
  • Nokiiwin - Reconciliation training for community groups
  • Thunder Pride - Queer Coffee Nights
  • The Coalition for Waverley Park - 150th Anniversary of Waverley Park Celebration
  • Youth Climate Action Council - youth engagement 
  • CréAction Collective - Upcycled Voices: Crafting Stories of Healing
 2023

In 2023, project grants were awarded to the following 8 groups and individuals:

 
  • DEK Addiction Recovery Foundation (basic living backpacks)
  • Elizabeth Fry Society of Northwestern Ontario (nightly drop-in program)
  • Our Kids Count (collaboration with Thunder Bay Police and Skate Coalition for youth skate camps)
  • Kamryn Asmunt (collaboration with RMYC to youth photography/mentorship program)
  • Damian Rivers-Moore/Tamarack Wind Quartet (Science and Athleticism of Music Making, in collaboration with Science North)
  • Mindful Makers Collective (collaboration with CréAction Collective for community artist workshops)
  • Northwestern Ontario Writers' Workshop (TBay Reads workshop and pilot project)
  • Thunder Bay Cricket Council (cricket camp for children and youth)

Feature grant: Dayna Elizabeth Karle (DEK) Foundation

With the help of a Community, Youth & Cultural Funding Program project grant, the DEK Foundation program delivered 62 backpacks filled with hygiene products, sleep clothes, hoodies, journals, hats, mitts, and more to people that are homeless, have addiction and mental health issues and heading into treatment residences.  


"DEK believes strongly in acts of kindness that show vulnerable people Thunder Bay cares about them and this City of Thunder Bay grant allowed DEK to continue to share kindness!" - Jan Thompson, DEK Foundation

 

Operating grants

Operating grants are for organizations that have an ongoing presence in Thunder Bay and a track record of providing quality programs or services. Organizations must show diverse funding sources.

Deadline for funding applications: 2025 funding has been allocated. Applications for 2026 funding are due no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday, June 20, 2025. 

2026 application forms, guidelines and criteria will be available in mid-May, on the new online grants portal (details coming soon!)


Funding term: Up to 3 years

General Criteria for Operating Grants:

  • There is a demonstrated need in the community for the program/service; the organization does not represent duplication of programs/services in the community.
  • Enhances quality of life for City of Thunder Bay residents.
  • Demonstrates operational effectiveness, financial stability and appropriate level of self sufficiency, including involvement in fundraising and advocacy activities, to ensure financial support from the public.
  • Has an active, independent board and an appropriate volunteer base.
  • Demonstrated partnerships and collaborative efforts.
  • Consistent with the goals and objectives of the current City of Thunder Bay Strategic Plan.
Please note that there are also specific criteria depending on the focus area of the grant (Community Safety & Well-Being, Youth, or Culture).

Eligible Expenses
Eligible expenses include the costs incurred to deliver the organization’s programs and services, such as:

  • Employee compensation and development.
  • The space in which the organization operates (rent, insurance, utilities, maintenance, etc.).
  • Non-capital program and office equipment and supplies necessary for the on-going operation and development of the organization.
  • Fees (legal, accounting, etc.).
  • Marketing.
Full guidelines and criteria:

View program guidelines below:

  • Guidelines & Criteria
  • Budget Statement - please fill out and included in the uploads section of the application. Note that budget statements must match financial statements where relevant (e.g. prior year actuals).

 

Multi-year Funding Term Report

If your organization has been approved for a multi-year term, you do not need to fill out a full new application.

Instead, multi-year grant recipients must submit the following mid-term report. Relevant organizations will be notified about this process directly.

Sustaining grants

Sustaining grants are provided to organizations that the City has deemed as being integral to its identity, provided the organization has received at least 5 years of consecutive funding in the Operating category. These grants are operational and are often renewed from year to year, provided that the organization meets the criteria. These organizations fill a void for services or programming in the city and positively affect quality of life. Organizations must show diverse funding sources. City Council has final approval on any recommendations to move an organization to the Sustaining category.

 

Deadline for funding applications: 2025 funding has been allocated. Applications for 2026 funding are due no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday, June 20, 2025.

2026 application forms, guidelines and criteria will be available in mid-May, on the new online grants portal (details coming soon!)

Funding term: Up to 5 years

General Criteria for Sustaining Grants:

To be eligible for a Sustaining Grant, the applicant must demonstrate:

  • Many years of demonstrated administrative competence.
  • Budget practices and financial statements in accordance with generally accepted Canadian accounting principles.
  • A track record of providing quality programming and/or services.
  • Employment practices that comply with applicable legislative requirements, as the case may be, such as the Employment Standards Act of Ontario, the Pay Equity Act of Ontario, and the Ontario Human Rights Code.
  • A Board of Directors which will assume full responsibility for the administration of the funds or an agent acceptable to City Council.
  • Evidence that funds are confirmed/projected from a variety of other sources clearly stated in the application.
  • At least five (5) years of successfully completed operating funding from the City.

Please note that there are also specific criteria depending on the focus area of the grant (Community Safety & Well-Being, Youth, or Culture).

Eligible Expenses
Eligible expenses include the costs incurred to deliver the organization’s programs and services, such as:

  • Employee compensation and development.
  • The space in which the organization operates (rent, insurance, utilities, maintenance, etc.).
  • Non-capital program and office equipment and supplies necessary for the on-going operation and development of the organization.
  • Fees (legal, accounting, etc.).
  • Marketing.

Full guidelines and criteria:

View program guidelines below:

  • Guidelines & Criteria
  • Budget Statement - please fill out and included in the uploads section of the application. Note that budget statements must match financial statements where relevant (e.g. prior year actuals).
Multi-year Funding Term Report

If your organization has been approved for a multi-year term, you do not need to fill out a full new application.

Instead, multi-year grant recipients must submit the following mid-term report. Relevant organizations will be notified about this process directly.

 

Program Contacts

All Project applicants and first-time Operating/Sustaining applicants must contact a program supervisor to discuss eligibility. Please direct your inquiry to the appropriate representative based on the focus of your grant.

Grant review team

The funding program has a Grant Review Team comprised of City staff and citizen members. If you are interested in learning more about how to become a member, please email grants@thunderbay.ca.

Evaluation

Applications are evaluated on based on the following:

  • Ability to meet grant criteria
  • Completeness of application (application is complete and properly filled out)
  • Community impact and support
  • Program/service enhances the quality of life for residents
  • Quality of activities and services
  • Organizational competence and level of self-sustainability
  • Financial stability
  • Evidence of a variety of funding sources*
  • Evidence of partnerships
  • Consistency with priorities in the City's Strategic Plan or other relevant plans (e.g. Inspire Thunder Bay Culture Plan, Youth Services Plan, Community safety and Well Being Plan)

* Evidence of other funding sources is often missing in applications that are not successful. When applying for funding, organizations should outline their own fundraising activities, as well as confirmed or potential grants from other funders.

Funding acknowledgment 

Please use the City of Thunder Bay corporate logo when acknowledging the City of Thunder Bay's funding support.

Questions?

Email: grants@thunderbay.ca 

Phone: 807-632-2485

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