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Oshawa Community Grants
The Oshawa Community Grants program accepts applications during the final quarter of each year, for funding that will be provided in the following year.
This program will accept applications in four categories:
- Arts, Culture, Heritage and Environmental – Events
- Arts, Culture, Heritage and Environmental – Development
- Strong Inclusive Communities
- Fundraising and Oshawa Significant Events
The application period for 2025 Oshawa Community Grants was November 1 to December 31, 2024 and is now closed.
Note: Applicants are asked to note that the stated amount available for each category is the total funds available to be distributed to all successful applicants. It is highly unlikely that a grant will be awarded to a single organization for the total available funds under each category.
| Evaluation and scoring criteria |
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Applicants will be scored on a scale from 1 to 5 in the following categories with 5 being the highest score.
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| The Oshawa Community Grants will not fund |
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Requirements |
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Arts, Culture, Heritage and Environmental - Events
Purpose of the Grant
To support the development and delivery of events, festivals, celebrations and gatherings in Oshawa.
Eligible projects
This grant covers festivals, events and gatherings that strengthen and develop the arts, culture, heritage, and environmental sectors through the provision of free programming for Oshawa residents and includes:
- Events
- Festivals
- Celebrations, and
- Gatherings
Eligible activities must be open to the public, specifically Oshawa residents, and free to all participants.
| Total Available Funds in this Grant Category: $100,000 | Eligible Applicants |
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There is a declining eligibility amount over four years for applicants to this grant: Year 1 - 100% Year 2 - 75% Year 3 - 50% Year 4 - 25% |
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Arts, Culture, Heritage and Environmental – Development Projects and Special Initiatives
Purpose of this Grant
To support the development and presentation of one-off activities, projects, and initiatives within the arts, culture, heritage and environmental sectors.
Eligible projects
This grant supports one-off projects and activities that enhance the arts, culture, heritage and environmental sectors in Oshawa and includes:
- Art projects in any discipline, including dance, literary, media arts, music, theatre, and visual art
- Education and public programming with arts, culture, heritage or environmental themes
- Environment preservation projects
- Cultural development projects
- Communication and marketing expenses that occur as part of the proposed project
Eligible projects must include a public presentation component to ensure work will increase access and learning opportunities for residents and visitors and be free to all participants.
| Total Available Funds in this Grant Category: $50,000 | Eligible Applicants |
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Applicants may request funding towards communication and marketing expenses that occur as part of the proposed project |
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Strong Inclusive Communities
Purpose of this Grant
To support community initiatives focused on supporting the needs of local Oshawa residents from diverse communities.
Eligible projects
This grant includes initiatives that support healthy, safe and inclusive community development, such as:
- Education and awareness campaigns or programming
- Food drives, food bank activity or community gardens
- Support services for various diverse communities
- Housing and shelter for diverse communities
Eligible projects must provide support to communities or individuals in Oshawa and be free to all participants.
| Total Available Funds in this Grant Category: $100,000 | Eligible Applicants |
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| This grant does not fund capital infrastructure |
Not for profit organizations or community groups whose mandate is to support local Indigenous communities and/or equity deserving groups and community members in need. |
Fundraising and Oshawa Significant Events
Purpose of this Grant
To provide in-kind service support for fundraising and Oshawa significant events held within the City of Oshawa.
This grant only provides in-kind support. All funds raised must go directly to a registered charitable organization, or the event must have demonstrated a significant impact on the local economy and/or position the City of Oshawa as a preferred destination.
Eligible projects
Eligible projects will cover in-kind services for utilizing City facilities and spaces for general fundraising and Oshawa significant events that support charitable organizations, including:
- Facility rental fees
- Equipment rentals
- Road closures
- Other City support
Projects falling in this grant category will include Events, Festivals, Celebrations and Gatherings.
| Total Available Funds in this Grant Category: $50,000 | Eligible Applicants |
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This grant only provides in-kind support and all funds raised must go directly to a registered charitable organization |
Incorporated not for profit organizations |
How to apply
Applications may be submitted using the online form from November 1 to December 31, 2024.
Complete an online application now
If a paper version of the Application is required, please email [email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions:
| Will grant applications and supporting documents be made public? |
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Information on applications received and grants awarded will be reported to the Corporate and Finance Committee meeting annually. The City may also choose to make grant application information available on the City’s website. Submissions of grant applications are in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.56 (“M.F.I.P.P.A.”). Access to supporting documents and other records related to the grant approval process may be requested through the City’s Freedom of Information process. All requests made through Freedom of Information must be submitted in writing and include the mandatory application fee. The release of grant applications and supporting documents is subject to the provisions of M.F.I.P.P.A. For more information, contact Legislative Services. |
| How has the City’s community grants programs changed? |
| The Oshawa Community Grants program replaced the previous programs: The Anchor Grant, Partnership Grant, Waiving of Fees, and Financial Assistance Programs which have all been discontinued. City Council has delegated the review and assessment of applications under the new program to City staff. The new program will invite applications once per year under four distinct categories. The applications will be assessed against a Council approved criteria and evaluation process, by a cross-functional team of City staff. Grant applications will no longer be submitted to Council for decision-making. |
| Why did the City’s community grants program change? |
| Staff reviewed the previous grant program and found that the programs were difficult to apply for, the awarding of grants was inconsistent and the program itself required substantial staff resources, Council review and was in need of modernization. There was a desire to continue to address the needs of the public, capture the diverse nature of the City, be more transparent, and establish a fixed allocation of funds.What are the benefits of the change?The Oshawa Community Grant program modernized the application process by developing four distinct streams of funding that align with the Oshawa Strategic Plan. Applicants are able to review the requirements of each stream on a newly created webpage and complete their application online.Are there other supports available to organizations that may no longer qualify for the program?Opportunities for funding from the City of Oshawa are limited to the Oshawa Community Grant Program. There are other regional opportunities for granting non-profit organizations, which can be accessed on the Region of Durham’s website. |
| How will funding be allocated? |
Council has approved $300,000 for the Oshawa Community Grants Program. The amount is allocated across the four grant streams as follows:
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| Is there a maximum amount of funding that can be awarded to an organization that applies to one of the grant programs? |
| Each category of grant has a maximum funding envelope to be shared among applicants. There is no maximum award to an applicant; the award will be based on the funding envelope available and number of successful applicants under each category. |
| When will applicants be notified about the status of their application? |
| It is expected that applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application 2 to 4 weeks following the application deadline. The City may contact the applicant if more information or clarification is required during the process. |
| How will applicants be notified about the status of their application? |
| The City will notify the applicant by email using the contact information provided on the application. |
| If you receive funding for the first year, are you automatically going to receive guaranteed funding for 3 more years (Specific to the Arts, Culture Heritage, Environmental Events, and the declining funding model of 100%, 75%, 50%, 25%)? |
| No, an organization will be expected to apply each year following their initial successful application. The committee will evaluate the event along the same criteria each year and apply the percentage funding if approved. The percentage will be calculated on the original amount awarded in the first year. |
| What happens if my event fits into more than one category? How do I know which one to apply for? |
| An organization may apply in more than one category if their event fits more than one. The committee will evaluate and decide which category is best if the application is successful. However, only one award will be made. |