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
2022 Grantees
| Organization | Project | General Support | Sector | City | Province | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African Wildlife Foundation of Canada | Volcanoes National Park Expansion | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $20,000 |
| Amistad Canada | Support for Patronato Pro Niños de San Miguel de Allende A. C. | International Development and Human Rights | Toronto | ON | $13,000 |
| Banff Forum | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Vancouver | BC | $10,000 |
| Bear Valley Rescue Society | General Support | Animal Welfare | Sundre | AB | $10,000 |
| British Columbia Mobility Opportunities Society | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Vancouver | BC | $20,000 |
| Brock Community Food Bank | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Beaverton | ON | $5,000 |
| BullyingCanada Inc. | Empowerment and Mental Health Support Network | Social and Community Benefits | Fredericton | NB | $10,840 |
| C. D. Howe Institute | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Toronto | ON | $58,000 |
| Calgary Catholic Immigration Society | Support for Influence Mentoring | Social and Community Benefits | Calgary | AB | $80,000 |
| Campfire Circle | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $55,000 |
| Canadian Animal Assistance Team | General Support | Animal Welfare | Cambridge | ON | $25,000 |
| Canadian Animal Task Force Society | General Support | Animal Welfare | Calgary | AB | $35,000 |
| Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $10,000 |
| Canadian Constitution Foundation | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Calgary | AB | $186,000 |
| 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 | $177,500 |
| 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 | $115,000 |
| Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan Inc. | Sustained Global Response to Human Rights Crisis for Girls and Women in Afghanistan | International Development and Human Rights | Calgary | AB | $50,000 |
| CARE Canada | Ukraine Crisis Response | International Development and Human Rights | Ottawa | ON | $125,000 |
| Casey House Foundation | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $40,000 |
| 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 | $186,000 |
| Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources, Inc. | Building First Nations Leadership in Stewarding Lands and Waters | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Winnipeg | MB | $125,000 |
| Chester Theatre Council Society | Rebuilding the Chester Playhouse | Arts and Culture | Chester | NS | $25,000 |
| Children's Aid Foundation of Canada | Home Base Program | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $40,000 |
| 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 | $333,032 |
| 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 |
| 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 | $15,099 |
| Community Veterinary Outreach | General Support | Animal Welfare | Carp | ON | $67,500 |
| Concussion Legacy Foundation (Canada) Inc. | Team Up and Project Enlist | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $70,000 |
| Council for Canadian American Relations | General Support | Arts and Culture | New York | NY | $60,000 |
| Covenant House Toronto | Anti-Trafficking Program | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $95,000 |
| Covenant House Toronto | Employment Program | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $15,000 |
| 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 | $170,000 |
| Dying With Dignity Canada | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $25,000 |
| Earthroots Fund | Grassy Narrows Women's Drum Group: Healing our Environment and our People | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $70,000 |
| Ecology Action Centre | Strong policy for fisheries and ecosystems; Blue economics for vibrant communities | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Halifax | NS | $90,000 |
| Ecotrust Canada | Carbon Finance Pathways in Indigenous Communities | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Vancouver | BC | $70,000 |
| Environment Funders Canada | Oceans Collaborative | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $40,000 |
| Equality Fund | General Support | International Development and Human Rights | Ottawa | ON | $35,000 |
| FCJ Refugee Centre | Prevention, Protection & Awareness: Supporting Victims & Survivors of Human Trafficking | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $10,000 |
| Feeding Canadian Kids Society | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $5,000 |
| Fordham University | Fordham University Law School Support | Education | New York | NY | $25,000 |
| Fraser Institute | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Vancouver | BC | $35,000 |
| Fraser Institute | Economic Freedom of the World | Public Policy Research and Education | Vancouver | BC | $150,000 |
| Friends of Humane Society International for the Protection and Conservation of Animals | Northern Dog Clinics and Trauma Rehabilitation Centre | Animal Welfare | Montreal | QC | $10,000 |
| Governing Council of the Salvation Army in Canada, The | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $105,000 |
| 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 |
| Governing Council of the University of Toronto, The | Investigative Journalism Bureau at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $20,000 |
| Governors of St. Francis Xavier University | Circle of Abundance | Social and Community Benefits | Antigonish | NS | $50,000 |
| Harvard University | Ariadne Labs: Creating a Roadmap for Families Navigating Dementia Care | Social and Community Benefits | Boston | MA | $60,000 |
| Heiltsuk Tribal Council | Haíɫzaqvḷa Language Immersion: We will Rise Higher and Higher Program | Social and Community Benefits | Bella Bella | BC | $70,000 |
| Hot Docs | International Spectrum Program, Docs for Schools, and For Viola Screening Series | Arts and Culture | Toronto | ON | $57,500 |
| Humanity First | Aman Lara Ukraine Operations | International Development and Human Rights | Concord | ON | $50,000 |
| 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 | $160,000 |
| Indspire | General Support | Education | Toronto | ON | $50,000 |
| 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 | Empowering Communities to Lead Climate Action in Uganda | 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 | $25,000 |
| Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Foundation | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Newmarket | ON | $2,000 |
| Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (Canada), The | Protecting People and Wildlife by Providing: Real-Time Data via Earth Ranger and a Sustainable Water Source for Local Communities | International Development and Human Rights | Toronto | ON | $110,000 |
| Macdonald-Laurier Institute, The | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Ottawa | ON | $55,000 |
| 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 |
| MakeWay Charitable Society | Nawalakw Cultural Programs: hi'ma̱nis ḵ̓aḵ̓ut̓ła̱'at̓si | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Vancouver | BC | $60,000 |
| MakeWay Charitable Society | Stein Nahatlatch IPCA Initiative | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Vancouver | BC | $50,000 |
| MakeWay Charitable Society | General Support for IndigenEYEZ | Social and Community Benefits | Vancouver | BC | $70,000 |
| MakeWay Foundation | Support for the Northern Manitoba Food, Culture and Community Collaborative | Social and Community Benefits | Vancouver | BC | $150,000 |
| Montreal Economic Institute (Institut Économique de Montréal) | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Montreal | QC | $130,000 |
| Mount Allison University | Physics Department Support | Education | Sackville | NB | $10,000 |
| 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 | $69,518 |
| Nature United | Great Bear Rainforest: From Summit to Sea | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $115,000 |
| Nightwood Theatre | General Support | Arts and Culture | Toronto | ON | $5,000 |
| North Coast Cetacean Society | BC Whales Hydrophone Website and Outreach Project | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Alert Bay | BC | $50,000 |
| Northern Policy Institute | Northern Reconciliation: The Shared Economy | Public Policy Research and Education | Thunder Bay | ON | $20,000 |
| Nova Scotia Nature Trust | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Dartmouth | NS | $75,000 |
| Oceana Canada | Strengthening Fisheries Management and Reducing Plastic Pollution in Canada's Oceans | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $110,000 |
| Oceans North Conservation Society | Marine Conservation Outcomes that Benefit Communities: Building Resiliency for the Ecosystem and People | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Ottawa | ON | $150,000 |
| Pacific Assistance Dogs Society | Service Dogs for PTSD Program | Social and Community Benefits | Burnaby | BC | $35,000 |
| Pelee Island Bird Observatory | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Windsor | ON | $5,000 |
| Prince's Trust Canada, The | Operation Entrepreneur | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $45,000 |
| Project Orbis International Inc. | General Support | International Development and Human Rights | Toronto | ON | $10,000 |
| Project Orbis International Inc. | Strengthening Comprehensive Eye Care for Children and Newborns in Rural Bangladesh | International Development and Human Rights | Toronto | ON | $70,000 |
| RAVEN (Respecting Aboriginal Values and Environmental Needs) | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Victoria | BC | $160,000 |
| Royal Canadian Geographical Society | Indigenous Guardians: Keepers of the Land | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Ottawa | ON | $70,000 |
| Royal Institute for the Advancement of Learning McGill University | Donner Studentships at the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute | Science and Medicine | Montreal | QC | $80,000 |
| Salt Spring Institute for Sustainability Education & Action | First Nations Forward | Social and Community Benefits | Salt Spring Island | BC | $50,000 |
| Samara Centre for Democracy, The | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Toronto | ON | $45,000 |
| Sandgate Women's Shelter of York Region Inc. | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Sutton West | ON | $6,000 |
| SecondStreet.org | General Support | Public Policy Research and Education | Regina | SK | $35,000 |
| See You In - Canadian Athletes Fund Corporation | General Support | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $12,000 |
| Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology | Student Bursary Fund | Education | Toronto | ON | $10,000 |
| 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 |
| St. Michael's Hospital Foundation | The BARLO MS Centre | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $45,000 |
| Stephen Lewis Foundation | City of Joy V-World Farm | International Development and Human Rights | Toronto | ON | $47,000 |
| Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada | General Support | Arts and Culture | Stratford | ON | $25,000 |
| Teach For Canada | General Support | Education | Toronto | ON | $47,500 |
| Thrive, CYN St. John's, Inc. | Coalition Against the Sexual Exploitation of Youth | Social and Community Benefits | St. John's | NL | $20,000 |
| Toronto Art Therapy Institute | Online Art Therapy Clinic | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $45,000 |
| UHN Foundation | Effect of Concussion in the elderly and those with a neurodegenerative disease | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $57,500 |
| UHN Foundation | Predictive Analytics | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $85,000 |
| UHN Foundation | Toronto-Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration in Emergency Medicine | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $35,000 |
| University of British Columbia, The | FABLE: Food, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Land-Use and Energy Consortium | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Vancouver | BC | $49,010 |
| 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 |
| Victim Services of Durham Region | Human Trafficking Prevention and Intervention | Social and Community Benefits | Whitby | ON | $10,000 |
| WaterCan (operating as WaterAid Canada) | HerWASH: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights - Final Phase | International Development and Human Rights | Ottawa | ON | $25,000 |
| Watershed Watch Salmon Society | Empowering Partners to Protect Wild Salmon and Reform Aquaculture in British Columbia | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Vancouver | BC | $50,000 |
| WCS Wildlife Conservation Society Canada | Wolverine Conservation and Recovery in Ontario | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $30,000 |
| Windmill Microlending | Supporting Newcomer Women to Achieve Their Career Goals | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $80,000 |
| Winnipeg Art Gallery | Qaumajuq | Arts and Culture | Winnipeg | MB | $15,000 |
| Women's College Hospital Foundation | Trauma Therapy Program | Science and Medicine | Toronto | ON | $5,000 |
| Woodgreen Foundation, The | Homeward Bound | Social and Community Benefits | Toronto | ON | $10,000 |
| World Wildlife Fund Canada | Supporting Indigenous-Led Marine Protection Goals in Labrador; Building a Blue Carbon National Policy Framework and Community of Practice | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Toronto | ON | $110,000 |
| Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative Foundation | General Support | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Canmore | AB | $15,000 |
| Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative Foundation | Protecting the Elusive Wolverine: Large Landscape Connectivity and Community Engagement | Environment and Wildlife Preservation | Canmore | AB | $130,000 |
| York University | Indigenous Cultural Competency and Trauma-Informed Training | Education | Toronto | ON | $30,000 |
| York University | Student Award/Bursaries for Single Parents | Education | Toronto | ON | $10,000 |