| The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), now in its 25th year, is launching a new granting initiative. The new Future Fund will set aside a pool of funding each year to support community initiatives to enhance the future of Ontario communities. In its inaugural year the Future Fund will strengthen the impact of organizations working on environment issues by enhancing leadership and building capacity through investments in innovation and collaboration.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation, one of Canada’s leading grant making foundations, is an agency of the Government of Ontario. Ontario’s spring 2007 budget boosted OTF funding to $105 million from $100 million as the first phase of a 20 per cent annual increase.
OTF’s mission is to help build healthy and vibrant communities by strengthening the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. This is reflected in OTF’s granting priorities and grants that enable charitable and not-for-profit organizations to build on their strengths and develop new ideas.
Background
OTF has created a new fund with the focus on enhancing the future of Ontario communities. In 2007-2008 the Future Fund, with an allocation of $2 million, will be directed at building the capacity of the environment sector.
The first theme for the Future Fund was selected by the OTF Board of directors because:
• A focus on capacity building is consistent with the values and expertise of the Foundation. One of OTF’s granting principals is that the Foundation will work to achieve its mission by supporting the work and enhancing the long-term capacity of organizations in the not-for-profit sector.
• OTF recently completed research on the environment sector in Ontario. The study indicated that as the largest funder of the not-for-profit environment sector in Ontario, OTF was uniquely suited to play a leadership role. Moreover, it suggested the Foundation could enhance its impact by focusing on targeted results in the area of capacity building and environmental outcomes.
• Capacity building is an important and timely focus for the not-for-profit sector. As environment issues gain increasing importance, there is a growing need to strengthen the sector in order to mobilize around opportunities and move forward on environment issues. OTF research has identified an opportunity for greater collaboration and coordination between smaller groups and larger provincial and national organizations. The Foundation recognizes the value in leadership development and knowledge sharing among organizations working on environment issues.
Future Fund Goal
Strengthen the impact of organizations in Ontario working on environment issues by enhancing leadership and building capacity through investments in innovation and collaboration.
Eligibility
Applications to the Future Fund 2007-2008 initiative must be submitted from a collaborative of organizations. Collaboratives may be comprised of established organizations working together, large organizations collaborating with smaller local groups or several small groups collaborating together. Application proposals will describe the nature of the collaboration and what specifically is innovative about the partnership. Applications from organizations representing diverse communities including Aboriginal and Francophone communities and non-traditional partnerships including the private sector, universities, colleges and governments are encouraged.
All existing OTF eligibility requirements as outlined in the OTF Program Guidelines apply to applications to the Future Fund. As applications must be from a collaborative, having an active OTF grant does not preclude an application to the Future Fund.
Applications are encouraged from cross-sector collaborations and from organizations that have not previously worked together. Collaboratives must include a minimum of one eligible partner organization.
Eligible organizations include:
• A charitable organization or foundation registered as a charity by the Canada Revenue Agency
• An organization incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation without share capital in a Canadian jurisdiction
• An unincorporated branch or chapter of a registered charity or incorporated not-for-profit organization. The incorporated organization or registered charity must authorize the application and accept responsibility for any approved grant
• A First Nation
• A Métis or other Aboriginal community
An application must meet one of the following eligibility criteria to qualify for the Future Fund:
• Work will be done by a local group that has:
- demonstrated capacity and rationale to extend its reach beyond its home community
- a model initiative that may be reproduced across the province
• Work will be done by a network of organizations that submits a collaborative request for a project that has a clear provincial impact
• Work will be done by a group with a province wide or national mandate
• Work will take place in three OTF catchment areas or two in Northern Ontario
Priority will be placed on funding applications which:
• Encourage organizational learning, knowledge sharing and transfer
• Foster collaboration, enhance leadership and sustainability within the sector and throughout the province
• Accelerate the ability of the environment sector to achieve common goals and objectives
• Facilitate the ability of organizations to work better together to deliver programs and services that have an impact on the environment
• Build leadership, engage communities and mobilize volunteers
• Catalyze increased local environmental activity
• Build models with the potential for replicability
Funds Available
Operating, project, and capital expenses will be funded through the Future Fund.
Proposal assessment and decisions on grants
The Future Fund is a competitive process. Proposals will be selected that meet the funding priorities and further the goal of the Future Fund. In addition to OTF’s standard assessment criteria, proposals will be assessed on the nature of the collaborative and the potential for innovation. Innovation may be seen, for example, in the non-traditional nature of the collaboration, in doing things in new ways or in the development of a model.
•Application Process
Deadline for submission is Friday November 30, 2007 by 5:00 p.m. Decisions on grants will be made in March 2008.
•Funding limits
The total allocation for the Future Fund in 2007-2008 is $2 million. In this first year of the Future Fund the expectation is that there will be a range of six to nine grants made. All existing OTF eligibility requirements as outlined in the OTF Program Guidelines apply to applications to the Future Fund.
•How to Apply
Please contact staff at OTF to discuss your proposal before you begin to fill out your application. Call 1.800.263.2887 to be directed to the appropriate OTF staff or email: futurefund@trilliumfoundation.org
Applications must be submitted in either English or French using the current OTF Future Fund Application Form and referencing this Call for Proposals document. Incomplete applications or applications submitted on any other forms will not be accepted.
Proposals may be submitted by hard copy or electronically. If you wish to file electronically please be in touch with OTF staff prior to your submission.
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