Emergency Funding

Second Harvest is pleased to have partnered with the Federal Government: Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada and The Sprott Foundation to offer two emergency funding streams to support registered charities and non-profits across Canada.  These funds have allowed Second Harvest to respond to the increased demand for food support by providing communities with food, grocery gift cards and funding during COVID-19. 

By September 2020, Second Harvest will have granted $20 million to help feed Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Please stay tuned for the results of our funding efforts. 

If you have funding questions, please email emergencyfund@secondharvest.ca

FoodRescue.ca Emergency Fund – Indigenous Application 

Status: Open, accepting applications 

Deadline: July 31, 2020 

Second Harvest has distributed close to $5 million in emergency funding to Indigenous communities and organizations during the COVID-19 Pandemic.  The FoodRescue.ca Emergency Fund will be granting another $1.5 million by opening a new funding cycle that focuses on providing further support to Indigenous peoples during COVID-19. 

The FoodRescue.ca Emergency Fund is an emergency response initiative that can provide both financial and food support through Second Harvest’s FoodRescue.ca. This funding and food support are available to Indigenous-led organizations, Indigenous community groups, First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities supporting people through food programs and initiatives.  

To learn more about this funding opportunity, please access the application by clicking the following links: 

English Online Application 

English Application Download – fillable form 

French Online Application 

French Application Download – fillable form 

Selection Criteria  

• Activities and timelines: Will the proposed activities address urgent, immediate community needs to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and directly support access to safe and nutritious food?

• Budget: Does the budget reflect reasonable costs for the proposed activities?  Are expenses related to the successful delivery food programming?

• Impacts: Does the project offer direct, meaningful benefit to the recipients or anticipated number of individuals?  

• Funding qualification:  Are you an Indigenous-led group/organization?  The applicant is not a member of, or received emergency funding through; Community Food Centres Canada, Salvation Army, Breakfast Clubs of Canada or Food Banks Canada (includes provincial and local affiliates). 

Meeting these criteria does not guarantee funding. Applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, depending on total available funding and the number of grant applications submitted.  

FoodRescue.ca Emergency Fund 

Status: Closed 

Results: Pending 

The FoodRescue.ca Emergency Fund is an emergency response initiative that can provide both financial and food support through Second Harvest’s FoodRescue.ca. This funding and food support are available to Canadian non-profits and charities supporting people with food. Our goal for this initiative is to provide hope, security, and inclusivity during a time when so many feel isolated and left behind.    

Selection Criteria  

• Location and population served: Are you a registered charity or non-profit organization? Are you reaching under-served populations?  Are you supporting remote or rural communities? How many individuals are expected to be reached? 

• Activities and timelines: Will the proposed activities address urgent, immediate community needs to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and directly support access to safe and nutritious food?

• Budget: Does the budget reflect reasonable costs for the proposed activities?  Are expenses related to the successful delivery food programming? 

• Impacts: Does the project offer direct, meaningful benefit to the recipients or anticipated number of individuals?  

Funding qualification:  The applicant is not a member of, or received emergency funding through; Community Food Centres Canada, Salvation Army, Breakfast Clubs of Canada or Food Banks Canada (includes provincial and local affiliates). 

Meeting these criteria does not guarantee funding. Applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, depending on total available funding and the number of grant applications submitted.  

 Grocery Gift Card Fund 

Status: Closed 

Results: Pending 

Thanks to a generous donation from The Sprott Foundation, registered charities and non-profit organizations can apply for up to $20,000 in grocery gift cards.  The purpose of this fund is to support front-line organizations working to get healthy food to those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Second Harvest is ensuring support through this funding reaches Canadians in urban, rural and Northern remote communities by working with grocery retail partners, Loblaws Company Ltd. and North West Co. 

Selection Criteria 

• Location and population served: Are you a registered charity or non-profit organization? What under-served populations do you support? How many individuals are expected to be reached? 

• Activities and timelines: Will the proposed activities address urgent, immediate community needs to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and directly support access to safe and nutritious food?  Is there evidence of a meal and/or food program within the organization? 

• Impacts: Does the project offer direct, meaningful benefit to the recipients or anticipated number of individuals?  

Meeting these criteria does not guarantee funding. Applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, depending on total available funding and the number of grant applications submitted.  

RECOGNITION POLICY

Government Funding

In order to maintain the standards of public accountability and to ensure transparency regarding the distribution of public funds, Second Harvest has established recognition and information disclosure requirements for funding recipients.

Funding for the FoodRescue.ca Emergency Fund is provided to Second Harvest by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (“AAFC”) on behalf of the Government of Canada.   AAFC will use the funding recipient’s information to inform the public of the recipient’s projects funded through Second Harvest and of Canada’s role as a source of the funding.

Private Funding

Projects funded by private funding sources will have results shared with the funder(s) and made public at the discretion of Second Harvest. Funding recipients should use all opportunities to acknowledge the funding partnership with Second Harvest/FoodRescue.ca using online and traditional media.