As a founding partner, CFC joined a diversity of others including women’s funds, community foundations, Royal Bank of Canada, a gender-lens investing firm, venture capital, a network of the largest global foundations, and others, in an effort to scale global impact by working together. In June of 2019, the Government of Canada announced its own contribution to the Equality Fund, which will further help in creating a sustainable and predictable source of funding for women’s organizations and movements advancing gender equality and the empowerment of all genders, including women, non-binary people and trans people.
As Canadian communities work towards a just recovery and a future grounded in gender equality, the Fund for Gender Equality (The Fund) will support ambitious, local projects that advance gender equality.
The Fund will support local initiatives in over 20 communities across Canada. Hosted by local community foundations, the Fund will build on efforts to shift power to women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse people, and will work towards a future grounded in justice and gender equality.
Several foundations took part in the Pilot Fund for Gender Equality earlier in 2020. Having taken important learnings from the pilot, Community Foundations of Canada and participating community foundations are now inviting applications to the Fund for Gender Equality.
The Fund will support ambitious, local projects that advance gender equality as Canadian communities work towards a just recovery. From November 2020 to March 2022, the Fund will be hosted by participating community foundations who will make a total of $3.4M available to projects in their communities.
The Fund is available in participating communities, and organizations whose mission, activities, or partnerships are focused on advancing gender equality are welcome to apply for grants of up to $40,000.
Check the list of participating community foundations to confirm that applications will be accepted by organizations in your community.
List of participating community foundations
If your organization meets the eligibility criteria below, you are encouraged to apply for the Fund for Gender Equality, a collaboration between CFC and the Equality Fund with support from the Government of Canada.
Grants through the Fund for Gender Equality activated by Community Foundations of Canada and participating community foundations, can only be made to Qualified Donees (QD). Non-qualified donees (NQDs) may indirectly apply to a participating community foundation by securing a “fiscal sponsorship” from a QD.
Community Foundations of Canada and community foundations have launched the Fund for Gender Equality (the Fund). As Canadian communities work towards a just recovery and a future grounded in gender equality, the Fund will support ambitious, local projects that advance gender equality. The Fund will shift power into the hands of women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse individuals by supporting their leadership and engagement in community-level initiatives.
The Fund for Gender Equality (The Fund) will shift power into the hands of women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse individuals by supporting their leadership and engagement in community-level initiatives.
This document sets out common principles for a feminist approach to funding. It was created in partnership with Canadian Women’s Foundation and the Equality Fund (formerly The MATCH International Women’s Fund). This evergreen document outlines our early thinking around how we will strive to live out our values.
What is intersectionality? How does it apply to me and our work at the community foundation? In this interactive webinar we explore the foundational concepts behind intersectionality and how power shows up in our everyday lives and work.
COVID-19 has exacerbated gender equality in Canada. Women are facing more job losses, doing more essential work and doing more work at home. Community Foundations can play a role, now more than ever, in closing the gender gap. Come engage with experts to learn about feminist grant making and the power of its impacts.
Contact our the team at equality@communityfoundations.ca for additional information about the program and ways you or your foundation can get involved.
