Granting
Learn more about the Donner Canadian Foundation’s granting program.
Wide-Ranging Interests
The Donner Canadian Foundation’s grants portfolio reflects the interests of the Donner family, in consultation with our independent Canadian governors and expert advisors. The foundation supports a variety of organizations making significant impact in the environmental, social, and public policy sectors.
Granting Overview
The Donner Canadian Foundation’s granting is by invitation-only.
Each year, the foundation’s board, members, staff, and advisors engage with current partners, as well as the wider charitable sector, to identify opportunities to make positive change. Staff does not regularly respond to letters of inquiry or unsolicited requests for funding.
2024 Granting
How we allocated our grants in 2024
Focus Areas
To have a more sustained impact, the foundation has multi-year strategies in three areas.
Atlantic Marine Conservation
Supporting Healthy Marine Ecosystems, Sustainable Economies, and Vibrant Communities
Climate Change
Advancing Canada’s Transition to a Net-zero Carbon Future While Fostering Economic Prosperity
Indigenous Partnerships
Working Toward Truth and Reconciliation
2024 Grantees
| Organization | Project | General Support | Sector | City | Province/State | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institute for Liberal Studies Inc. | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Ottawa | ON | $ 35,000 |
| Community Veterinary Outreach | General Support | Animal Welfare | Kanata | ON | $ 86,600 |
| Shaw Festival Theatre, Canada | General Support | Arts and Culture | Niagara-on-the-Lake | ON | $ 30,000 |
| Ecotrust Canada | Climate Resilience in Indigenous Communities | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Vancouver | BC | $ 60,000 |
| Council for Canadian American Relations (CCAR) | General Support | Arts and Culture | New York | NY | $ 45,000 |
| Hillsdale College | General Support | Education | Hillsdale | MI | $ 50,000 |
| Fordham University | Fordham University Law School Support | Education | New York | NY | $ 16,000 |
| Montreal Economic Institute (Institut Économique de Montréal) | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Montreal | QC | $ 47,500 |
| Concussion Legacy Foundation (Canada) Inc. | Youth Outreach & Project Enlist | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $ 45,000 |
| Casey House Foundation | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $ 25,000 |
| Canadian Network for International Surgery | General Support | International Development and Human Rights | Vancouver | BC | $ 24,000 |
| Canadian Animal Task Force Society (formerly the Alberta Animal Task Force Society) | General Support | Animal Welfare | Calgary | AB | $ 41,600 |
| C. D. Howe Institute | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Toronto | ON | $ 17,500 |
| BullyingCanada Inc. | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Fredericton | NB | $ 11,000 |
| Bear Valley Rescue Society | General Support | Animal Welfare | Sundre | AB | $ 7,386 |
| African Wildlife Foundation of Canada | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $ 3,000 |
| York University | Student Bursary for Single Parents | Education | Toronto | ON | $ 10,000 |
| Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative Foundation | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Canmore | AB | $ 125,000 |
| Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative Foundation | Protecting the Elusive Wolverine: Large Landscape Connectivity and Conservation | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Canmore | AB | $ 110,000 |
| World Wildlife Fund Canada | Supporting Indigenous leadership within Miawpukek territory through the South Coast Fjords NMCA and Conne River IPCA designation processes | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $ 67,000 |
| WoodGreen Foundation, The | WoodGreen’s Newcomer Services: Income Transition Project Phase III | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $ 25,000 |
| Windmill Microlending | Supporting Newcomer Women to Achieve Their Career Goals | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $ 80,000 |
| We Are Young Association | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Halifax | NS | $ 25,000 |
| WCS Wildlife Conservation Society Canada | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $ 5,000 |
| WaterCan (operating as WaterAid Canada) | Sexual Health and Reproductive Education Program (SHARE) | International Development and Human Rights | Ottawa | ON | $ 10,000 |
| Victim Services of Durham Region | Human Trafficking Prevention and Intervention | Social and Community Benefits | Whitby | ON | $ 15,000 |
| Vancouver Humane Society | Anti Horse-drawn Carriage Campaign | Animal Welfare | Vancouver | BC | $ 5,000 |
| Vancouver Humane Society | Anti-rodeo Campaign | Animal Welfare | Vancouver | BC | $ 15,000 |
| UHN Foundation (formerly the Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation & Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Foundation) | Centre of Excellence in Aortic Disease at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $ 21,500 |
| UHN Foundation (formerly the Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation & Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Foundation) | Effect of Concussion in the elderly and those with neurodegenerative disease | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $ 40,000 |
| UHN Foundation (formerly the Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation & Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Foundation) | Predictive Analytics at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $ 75,000 |
| UHN Foundation (formerly the Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation & Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Foundation) | Toronto-Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration in Emergency Medicine | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $ 33,000 |
| The Dorothy Ley Hospice | Outreach to underserved communities - expanding access to Hospice services | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $ 25,000 |
| Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada | General Support | Arts and Culture | Stratford | ON | $ 20,000 |
| St. Michael's Hospital Foundation | The BARLO MS Centre | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $ 45,000 |
| Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation | Support to Zeke O’Connor School | International Development and Human Rights | Toronto | ON | $ 5,000 |
| Sierra Club of British Columbia Foundation | Support for Indigenous Climate Action | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Victoria | BC | $ 45,000 |
| SecondStreet.org (formerly the Cartwright Centre) | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Regina | SK | $ 15,000 |
| Samara Centre for Democracy, The | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Toronto | ON | $ 40,000 |
| Salt Spring Institute for Sustainability Education & Action | Climate Solutions Reporting Project/Ontario Ice Roads | Social and Community Benefits | Salt Spring Island | BC | $ 40,000 |
| Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning McGill University | Joseph Donner Jr. Research Bursary | Education | Montreal | QC | $ 135,000 |
| Royal Canadian Geographical Society | Guardians of the Land: Indigenous Wisdom and Future of the Planet | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Ottawa | ON | $ 66,000 |
| RAVEN (Respecting Aboriginal Values and Environmental Needs) | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Victoria | BC | $ 160,000 |
| Public Policy Forum | Action Canada program | Public Policy Research and Education | Ottawa | ON | $ 10,000 |
| Pacific Assistance Dogs Society | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Burnaby | BC | $ 45,000 |
| Oceans North Conservation Society | Marine Conservation Outcomes that Benefit Communities: Building Resiliency for the Ecosystem and People | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Halifax | NS | $ 115,000 |
| Oceana Canada | Strengthening Fisheries Management and Reducing Plastic Pollution in Canada's Oceans | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $ 100,000 |
| Nova Scotia Nature Trust | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Dartmouth | NS | $ 60,000 |
| Nature United (formerly TNC Canada) | Great Bear Rainforest: From Summit to Sea | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $ 20,000 |
| Nature Conservancy of Canada, The | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $ 45,000 |
| Nature Conservancy of Canada, The | Indigenous Conservation Engagement | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $ 15,000 |
| Mount Allison University | Support for University Observatory and Physics Student Enrichment Fund | Education | Sackville | NB | $ 30,000 |
| MakeWay Charitable Society (formerly the Tides Canada Initiatives Society) | Stein Nahatlatch Initiative | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Vancouver | BC | $ 75,000 |
| MakeWay Foundation (formerly the Tides Canada Foundation) | Support for the Northern Manitoba Food, Culture and Community Collaborative | Social and Community Benefits | Vancouver | BC | $ 150,000 |
| MakeWay Charitable Society (formerly the Tides Canada Initiatives Society) | Nawalakw Cultural Project - hi'ma̱nis ḵ̓aḵ̓ut̓ła̱'at̓si | Social and Community Benefits | Vancouver | BC | $ 60,000 |
| MakeWay Charitable Society (formerly the Tides Canada Initiatives Society) | General Support for IndigenEYEZ | Social and Community Benefits | Vancouver | BC | $ 74,000 |
| Macdonald-Laurier Institute, The | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Ottawa | ON | $ 17,500 |
| Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (Canada), The | Conservation Research and Wildlife Protection | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $ 139,000 |
| Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, Education and Conservation | General Support | International Development and Human Rights | Toronto | ON | $ 6,000 |
| Influence Mentoring Society | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Calgary | AB | $ 37,500 |
| Indigo Love of Reading Foundation | The Empathy Library | Education | Toronto | ON | $ 20,000 |
| Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Ottawa | ON | $ 185,000 |
| Indigenous Friends Association | Support for First Languages AI Reality (FLAIR) | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $ 65,000 |
| Ian Anderson House Foundation | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Oakville | ON | $ 25,000 |
| Humanitarian Coalition | Palestinian Relief Effort | International Development and Human Rights | Ottawa | ON | $ 10,000 |
| Hot Docs | General Support | Arts and Culture | Toronto | ON | $ 67,183 |
| Hockey Education Reaching Out Society | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Vancouver | BC | $ 15,000 |
| Heiltsuk Tribal Council | Hailzaqvla Language Immersion - We will Rise Higher and Higher Program | Social and Community Benefits | Bella Bella | BC | $ 70,000 |
| Governors of St. Francis Xavier University | Circle of Abundance - Amplifying Indigenous Women's Leadership | Social and Community Benefits | Antigonish | NS | $ 22,000 |
| Friends of Humane Society International for the Protection and Conservation of Animals | Northern Dogs Clinics in Quebec and Alberta | Animal Welfare | Vaudreuil-Dorion | QC | $ 34,100 |
| Fraser Institute | Economic Freedom of the World | Public Policy Research and Education | Vancouver | BC | $ 65,000 |
| Environment Funders Canada | Oceans Collaborative | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $ 65,000 |
| Ecology Action Centre | Shifting Gears: Creating resilient, modernized fisheries and implementing strong policies | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Halifax | NS | $ 85,000 |
| Earthroots Fund | Grassy Narrows Women’s Drum Group: Healing our Environment and our People | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $ 80,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders Canada | General Support | International Development and Human Rights | Toronto | ON | $ 130,000 |
| Covenant House Vancouver | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Vancouver | BC | $ 58,000 |
| Covenant House Toronto | Anti-Trafficking Program | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $ 110,000 |
| Community Music Schools of Toronto (formerly Regent Park School of Music) | New Music School in Jane Finch | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $ 75,000 |
| Community Food Centres Canada | Indigenous-led and Indigenous-benefitting Community Food Centres | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $ 26,000 |
| Coast Conservation Endowment Fund Foundation | Supporting Equity in Stewardship Capacity in the Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Vancouver | BC | $ 55,000 |
| Clean Economy Fund | Core and Project Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $ 275,030 |
| Citadel Therapy Canine Society | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Vancouver | BC | $ 14,100 |
| Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources, Inc. | Building First Nation Leadership in Stewarding Lands and Waters | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Winnipeg | MB | $ 120,000 |
| Centre for Civic Engagement | Public Policy Research | Public Policy Research and Education | Toronto | ON | $ 85,398 |
| Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society | Advancing MPAs in Atlantic Canada: Charting a course to 30x30 | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Ottawa | ON | $ 115,000 |
| Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (operating as Humane Canada) | National Centre for the Prosecution of Animal Cruelty and the Canadian Violence Link Coalition | Animal Welfare | Ottawa | ON | $ 79,500 |
| Canadian Constitution Foundation | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Calgary | AB | $ 5,000 |
| Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking | Rewarding Excellence: Empowering Staff Through Performance Bonuses | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $ 25,000 |
| Canadian Animal Assistance Team (CAAT) | General Support | Animal Welfare | Cambridge | ON | $ 14,100 |
| Campfire Circle (formerly Camp Ooch & Camp Trillium Corporation) | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $ 25,000 |
| Bow Valley Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals | General Support | Animal Welfare | Canmore | AB | $ 25,000 |
| Banff Forum | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Ottawa | ON | $ 15,000 |
| ALUS Canada | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $ 25,000 |
| Miskanawah Community Services Association | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Calgary | AB | $ 37,500 |
| Therapeutic Paws of Canada | General Support | Animal Welfare | Hawkesbury | ON | $ 5,000 |
| Dying With Dignity Canada | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $ 33,818 |
| Thrive, CYN St. John's, Inc. | Coalition Against the Sexual Exploitation of Youth | Social and Community Benefits | St. John's | NL | $ 15,000 |
| Progressive Animal Welfare Services Inc. | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | London | ON | $ 15,000 |
| University of Delaware | Radio America Production of Educational Audio and Video Materials for the UD Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship | Public Policy Research and Education | Newark | DE | $ 100,000 |
| Sinai Health Foundation | Centre for Mature Women's Health | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $ 10,000 |
| Operation Freedom Paws Canada Society | General Support | Animal Welfare | Fanny Bay | BC | $ 20,000 |
| Toronto Art Therapy Institute | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $ 20,000 |
| Bethesda-House of Mercy (Bowmanville) | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Bowmanville | ON | $ 25,000 |
| University of Guelph | Research on the Childhood Vaccination Schedule | Science and Medicine | Guelph | ON | $ 82,614 |
| Queen's University at Kingston | Skeletal muscle research project | Science and Medicine | Kingston | ON | $ 100,000 |
| PLEDJ: Promoting Leadership for Empowerment, Development and Justice | The Solidarity Dialogues | Social and Community Benefits | Montréal | QC | $ 40,000 |
| Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning McGill University | Donner Studentships at the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute | Science and Medicine | Montreal | QC | $ 120,000 |
| Ottawa Fringe Festival | Ottawa Fringe Festival's 2024 Programs | Arts and Culture | Ottawa | ON | $ 30,000 |
| Right to Learn Afghanistan (formerly Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan Inc.) | Advocacy for the Right to Education for Women and Girls in Afghanistan: An Advocacy Program of Action | International Development and Human Rights | Calgary | AB | $ 25,000 |