Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Anishnawbe Health Foundation (AHF)

Anishnawbe Health Foundation is an Indigenous-led charitable foundation dedicated to strengthening health and wellness for the Indigenous community in Toronto. Working closely with individual donors, families, corporations and other foundations, it raises philanthropic funds and channels them to Anishnawbe Health Toronto, an accredited Indigenous community health centre that combines Western medical care with traditional healing.

The foundation supports a range of financial needs, including capital projects such as the new Indigenous Health Centre at 425 Cherry Street and ongoing program funding that enhances primary care, mental health services, youth and family supports, and culturally grounded healing spaces. By providing this financial backbone, Anishnawbe Health Foundation helps ensure that services are delivered in a way that reflects Indigenous culture, community priorities and holistic concepts of wellness.

The foundation’s fundraising priorities centre on improving access to culturally safe health care and reclaiming traditional healing knowledge. It has played a leading role in raising millions of dollars for the purpose-built home of Anishnawbe Health Toronto, creating a permanent place of healing, ceremony and community gathering for future generations.

Another key focus is the preservation and transmission of traditional healing practices. The foundation mobilizes seed funding for initiatives such as a foundational Traditional Healing Knowledge Training program for Osh-ka-be-Wis (Traditional Helpers), developed by Anishnawbe Health Toronto in collaboration with Elders and healers. Support from partner foundations and donors is directed to these types of projects so they can be designed and led by Indigenous knowledge holders.

Through the programs and services it helps fund, Anishnawbe Health Foundation ultimately serves First Nations, Inuit and Métis people living in Toronto, many of whom experience poverty, homelessness, barriers to education and intergenerational trauma. Foundation-backed investments expand access to primary care, mental health and addictions supports, youth programming, family-oriented services and ceremonial spaces that are rooted in Indigenous identities and teachings.

Impact stories, donor spotlights and annual reports published on the foundation’s website illustrate how philanthropic contributions translate into tangible improvements in clients’ lives and community well-being. By maintaining audited financial statements and transparent reporting, Anishnawbe Health Foundation demonstrates stewardship of donated funds while continuing to advocate for equitable, culturally informed health care for urban Indigenous peoples.