Applying for a Grant
Granting Outlook
In 2009 the Foundation was not able to consider new grant requests since we were fully committed to a number of multi-year programs that were still underway. Despite this our program expenditure was almost $15 million, compared to $13.5 million in 2008. Although the Foundation’s endowment was somewhat affected by the market decline in 2008, this did not, and will not, impact our level of granting.
As a few of these long-term commitments wind down in 2010 we will be looking at new program opportunities. However, as we – like other funders – attempt to be focused and ‘strategic’ in our granting we will select one or two new areas where the Foundation may be able to effect significant change. There may also be some grants to projects that complement or complete work in the core areas where we are already funding. We will not therefore consider unsolicited proposals nor will we change our current policy of not making grants to capital campaigns or organizational operating costs.
Although there is a generalized need for more funding for charitable activities in Canada, we continue to believe that a foundation can best create value by targeting its investments on a few major challenges. This has allowed us to deepen our understanding of issues, develop strong partnerships, and refine our strategies based on results.