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.
2023 Granting
How we allocated our grants in 2023
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
2023 Grantees
| Organization | Project | General Support | Sector | City | Province | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African Wildlife Foundation of Canada | Volcanoes National Park Expansion | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $29,000 |
| Banff Forum | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Vancouver | BC | $20,000 |
| Bear Valley Rescue Society | General Support | Animal Welfare | Sundre | AB | $10,000 |
| Bow Valley Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals | General Support | Animal Welfare | Canmore | AB | $55,000 |
| Brock Community Food Bank | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Beaverton | ON | $10,000 |
| BullyingCanada Inc. | Lifeline: Bullied Youth Support Network | Social and Community Benefits | Fredericton | NB | $11,000 |
| C. D. Howe Institute | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Toronto | ON | $58,000 |
| Campfire Circle | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $55,000 |
| Canadian Animal Assistance Team | General Support | Animal Welfare | Cambridge | ON | $30,000 |
| Canadian Animal Task Force Society | General Support | Animal Welfare | Calgary | AB | $50,000 |
| Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $15,000 |
| Canadian Constitution Foundation | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Calgary | AB | $11,000 |
| 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 | $137,500 |
| Canadian Museum of History | Indigenous Internship Program | Arts and Culture | Gatineau | QC | $30,000 |
| Canadian Network for International Surgery | General Support | International Development and Human Rights | Vancouver | BC | $25,000 |
| Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society | Advancing MPAs in Atlantic Canada: Charting a Course to 30x30 | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Ottawa | ON | $113,000 |
| Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan Inc. | Right to Education for Women and Girls in Afghanistan | International Development and Human Rights | Calgary | AB | $50,000 |
| Casey House Foundation | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $30,000 |
| Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation | womenmind | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $10,000 |
| Centre for Civic Engagement | The Hub: Bold Ideas for a Better Future | Public Policy Research and Education | Toronto | ON | $195,280 |
| Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources, Inc. | Building First Nation Leadership in Stewarding Lands and Waters | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Winnipeg | MB | $125,000 |
| Children's Aid Foundation of Canada | Home Base Program | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $30,000 |
| Citadel Therapy Canine Society | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Vancouver | BC | $10,000 |
| Clean Economy Fund | Core and Project Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $380,000 |
| Coast Conservation Endowment Fund Foundation | Enhancing First Nations Stewardship in the Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Vancouver | BC | $150,000 |
| Coast Conservation Endowment Fund Foundation | Great Bear Sea: Project Finance for Permanence | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Vancouver | BC | $100,000 |
| Community Food Centres Canada | Strengthening Indigenous Partnerships | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $40,000 |
| Community Music Schools of Toronto | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $17,872 |
| Community Veterinary Outreach | General Support | Animal Welfare | Kanata | ON | $67,500 |
| Concussion Legacy Foundation (Canada) Inc. | Youth Outreach & Project Enlist | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $70,000 |
| Covenant House Toronto | Anti-Trafficking Program | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $90,000 |
| Covenant House Vancouver | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Vancouver | BC | $40,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders Canada | General Support | International Development and Human Rights | Toronto | ON | $130,000 |
| Dying With Dignity Canada | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $75,000 |
| Earthroots Fund | Grassy Narrows Women’s Drum Group: Healing our Environment and our People | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $80,000 |
| Ecology Action Centre | Strong policy for Atlantic Canada's fisheries, coastal communities, and marine ecosystems | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Halifax | NS | $90,000 |
| Ecology Action Centre | Gold mining action and environmental assessment process change | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Halifax | NS | $25,000 |
| Ecotrust Canada | Climate Innovation in Indigenous Communities | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Vancouver | BC | $70,000 |
| Environment Funders Canada | Oceans Collaborative | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $70,000 |
| Equality Fund | General Support | International Development and Human Rights | Ottawa | ON | $30,000 |
| FCJ Refugee Centre | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $15,000 |
| Fordham University | Support for Fordham University Law School | Education | New York | NY | $25,000 |
| Fraser Institute | Economic Freedom Index | Public Policy Research and Education | Vancouver | BC | $150,000 |
| Fraser Institute | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Vancouver | BC | $35,000 |
| Friends of Humane Society International for the Protection and Conservation of Animals | Northern Quebec Dog Clinics | Animal Welfare | Montreal | QC | $35,000 |
| Governing Council of the Salvation Army in Canada, The | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $65,000 |
| Governing Council of the University of Toronto, The | Investigative Journalism Bureau: Indigenous Reporting and Training Partnerships | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $20,000 |
| Governing Council of the University of Toronto, The | General Support for the Ontario 360 Public Policy Project at the Munk School | Public Policy Research and Education | Toronto | ON | $65,000 |
| Governors of St. Francis Xavier University | Circle of Abundance: Amplifying Indigenous Women's Leadership | Social and Community Benefits | Antigonish | NS | $50,000 |
| Heiltsuk Tribal Council | Haíɫzaqvḷa Language Immersion: We will Rise Higher and Higher Program | Social and Community Benefits | Bella Bella | BC | $70,000 |
| Hillsdale College | General Support | Education | Hillsdale | MI | $50,000 |
| Hockey Education Reaching Out Society | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Vancouver | BC | $26,000 |
| Hot Docs | International Spectrum Program, Docs for Schools, and For Viola Screening Series | Arts and Culture | Toronto | ON | $67,500 |
| Ian Anderson House Foundation | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Oakville | ON | $20,000 |
| Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Ottawa | ON | $200,000 |
| Indspire | General Support | Education | Toronto | ON | $50,000 |
| Influence Mentoring Society | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Calgary | AB | $80,000 |
| Institute for Liberal Studies Inc. | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Ottawa | ON | $33,000 |
| Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, Education and Conservation | Conservation and Sustainable Management of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems (COSME) | International Development and Human Rights | Toronto | ON | $20,000 |
| Jessie's, The June Callwood Centre for Young Women | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $10,000 |
| Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (Canada), The | Securing Wildlife and a Sustainable Community Water Source: Support for Lewa's Conservation and Security Operations and Subuiga Water Reservoir Project | International Development and Human Rights | Toronto | ON | $99,000 |
| Macdonald-Laurier Institute, The | Centre for Advancing Canada's Interests Abroad | Public Policy Research and Education | Ottawa | ON | $60,000 |
| Macdonald-Laurier Institute, The | Strengthening Voices and Policy Discussion on Afghanistan | Public Policy Research and Education | Ottawa | ON | $45,000 |
| Macdonald-Laurier Institute, The | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Ottawa | ON | $55,000 |
| Make-A-Wish Foundation of Canada / Fondation Rêves d'enfants Canada | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $50,000 |
| MakeWay Charitable Society | Nawalakw Cultural Project: hi'ma̱nis ḵ̓aḵ̓ut̓ła̱'at̓si | Social and Community Benefits | Vancouver | BC | $60,000 |
| MakeWay Charitable Society | General Support for IndigenEYEZ | Social and Community Benefits | Vancouver | BC | $74,000 |
| MakeWay Charitable Society | Stein Nahatlatch Initiative | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Vancouver | BC | $75,000 |
| MakeWay Foundation | Support for the Northern Manitoba Food, Culture and Community Collaborative | Social and Community Benefits | Vancouver | BC | $150,000 |
| Mamas for Mamas | Fire Support | Social and Community Benefits | Kelowna | BC | $30,000 |
| Miskanawah Community Services Association | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Calgary | AB | $20,000 |
| Montreal Economic Institute (Institut Économique de Montréal) | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Montreal | QC | $158,000 |
| National Service Dog Training Centre Inc. | Service Dogs for PTSD Program | Social and Community Benefits | Cambridge | ON | $40,000 |
| Nature Conservancy of Canada, The | Indigenous Conservation Engagement | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $50,000 |
| Nature United | Great Bear Rainforest: From Summit to Sea | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $85,000 |
| North Coast Cetacean Society | Whale Sound: Tracking Cetacean Soundscapes for Conservation | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Alert Bay | BC | $27,840 |
| Nova Scotia Nature Trust | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Dartmouth | NS | $82,500 |
| Oceana Canada | Strengthening Fisheries Management and Reducing Plastic Pollution in Canada's Oceans | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $105,000 |
| Oceans North Conservation Society | Marine Conservation Outcomes that Benefit Communities: Building Resiliency for the Ecosystem and People | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Halifax | NS | $147,000 |
| Pacific Assistance Dogs Society | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Burnaby | BC | $70,000 |
| PLEDJ: Promoting Leadership for Empowerment, Development and Justice | Agents for Social Change | Social and Community Benefits | Montréal | QC | $50,000 |
| Portrait Gallery of Canada | General Support | Arts and Culture | Ottawa | ON | $40,000 |
| Prince's Trust Canada, The | Operation Entrepreneur | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $45,000 |
| Project Orbis International Inc. | Strengthening Comprehensive Eye Care for Children and Newborns in Rural Bangladesh | International Development and Human Rights | Toronto | ON | $77,500 |
| Public Policy Forum | Action Canada program | Public Policy Research and Education | Ottawa | ON | $30,000 |
| Queen's University at Kingston | Pilot study: Nutrition impact on post-surgery muscle loss | Science and Medicine | Kingston | ON | $124,320 |
| RAVEN (Respecting Aboriginal Values and Environmental Needs) | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Victoria | BC | $160,000 |
| Rights and Freedoms Advocate | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Airdrie | AB | $90,000 |
| Royal Canadian Geographical Society | Guardians of the Land: Indigenous Wisdom and Future of the Planet | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Ottawa | ON | $90,000 |
| Royal Institute for the Advancement of Learning McGill University | Donner Studentships at the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute | Science and Medicine | Montreal | QC | $107,000 |
| Salt Spring Institute for Sustainability Education & Action | Climate Solutions Reporting Project | Social and Community Benefits | Salt Spring Island | BC | $40,000 |
| Samara Centre for Democracy, The | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Toronto | ON | $45,000 |
| SecondStreet.org | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Regina | SK | $35,000 |
| Shaw Festival Theatre, Canada | General Support | Arts and Culture | Niagara-on-the-Lake | ON | $50,000 |
| Sierra Club of British Columbia Foundation | Support for Indigenous Climate Action | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Victoria | BC | $50,000 |
| Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation | Supporting 15 students from Zeke O'Connor School in Nepal | International Development and Human Rights | Toronto | ON | $15,000 |
| St. Michael's Hospital Foundation | The BARLO MS Centre | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $45,000 |
| Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada | General Support | Arts and Culture | Stratford | ON | $25,000 |
| The Dorothy Ley Hospice | Revitalization Project | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $30,000 |
| The Martin Family Initiative | Early Years Curriculum and Training Expansion | Social and Community Benefits | Montréal | QC | $25,000 |
| Trans Canada Trail Foundation | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Montreal | QC | $10,000 |
| UHN Foundation | Toronto-Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration in Emergency Medicine | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $35,000 |
| UHN Foundation | Effect of Concussion in the elderly and those with neurodegenerative disease | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $40,000 |
| UHN Foundation | Predictive Analytics at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $100,000 |
| University of British Columbia, The | FABLE: Food, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Land-Use and Energy Consortium | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Vancouver | BC | $50,000 |
| 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 |
| University of Oxford | Bodleian Libraries: Cataloguing John le Carré’s Archive | Arts and Culture | Oxford | Oxfordshire | $35,000 |
| Vancouver Humane Society | Campaign Against Rodeo Events | Animal Welfare | Vancouver | BC | $65,000 |
| Victim Services of Durham Region | Human Trafficking Prevention and Intervention | Social and Community Benefits | Whitby | ON | $55,000 |
| WaterCan (operating as WaterAid Canada) | HerWASH: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Final Phase | International Development and Human Rights | Ottawa | ON | $20,000 |
| Watershed Watch Salmon Society | Empowering Partners to Protect Wild Salmon and Reform Aquaculture in British Columbia | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Vancouver | BC | $27,840 |
| WCS Wildlife Conservation Society Canada | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $5,000 |
| We Are Young Association | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Halifax | NS | $25,000 |
| Windmill Microlending | Supporting Newcomer Women to Achieve Their Career Goals | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $95,000 |
| Winnipeg Art Gallery | Qaumajuq | Arts and Culture | Winnipeg | MB | $15,000 |
| Women's College Hospital Foundation | Trauma Therapy Program | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $10,000 |
| World Wildlife Fund Canada | Supporting Indigenous leadership within the South Coast Fjords NMCA through better understanding of species at risk and their habitats within Miawpukek territory | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $108,000 |
| Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative Foundation | Protecting the Elusive Wolverine: Large Landscape Connectivity and Conservation | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Canmore | AB | $110,000 |
| Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative Foundation | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Canmore | AB | $15,000 |
| York University | Student Award/Bursary for Single Parents | Education | Toronto | ON | $15,000 |
| York University | Indigenous Cultural Competency and Trauma-Informed Training | Education | Toronto | ON | $30,000 |