Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Circle of Life Endowment Fund
Overview of Available Grants and Funding
Circle of Life Endowment Fund is a charitable endowment created in partnership with The Winnipeg Foundation to improve lifelong outcomes for young children and enhance quality of life for the elderly in Winnipeg and Manitoba. Investment income is used for grantmaking to innovative, research‑informed community projects and organizations serving these vulnerable groups. View Circle of Life Endowment Fund's website for more information.
About Circle of Life Endowment Fund
What is the mission of Circle of Life Endowment Fund?
Circle of Life Endowment Fund aims to improve lifelong outcomes for children and enhance the quality of life of older adults by using endowed capital to support innovative, research-informed community projects and organizations focused on these vulnerable groups.
What type of organization is Circle of Life Endowment Fund?
Circle of Life Endowment Fund is a Foundation.
When was Circle of Life Endowment Fund founded?
Circle of Life Endowment Fund was founded in 2011.
What is Circle of Life Endowment Fund's official website?
Circle of Life Endowment Fund's official website is https://circleoflife.site/.
What else should I know about Circle of Life Endowment Fund?
Role of Circle of Life Endowment Fund in the funding ecosystem
The Circle of Life Endowment Fund is a donor-created charitable fund established in partnership with The Winnipeg Foundation. Its purpose is to channel long-term, investment-based funding to improve lifelong outcomes for children and to enhance the quality of life of older adults, particularly in Winnipeg and across Manitoba. Gifts to the fund are invested by The Winnipeg Foundation, and the annual income generated is used for grantmaking that supports organizations and projects aligned with these priorities.
The founders focus on two highly dependent and often under-served populations: the very young and the elderly. Rather than running programs directly, the fund strengthens existing community initiatives by contributing financial resources to projects that demonstrate innovation, empathy, advocacy and a solid grounding in research.
Funding themes and typical projects
The fund concentrates on two broad thematic areas:
- Early Years: initiatives that reflect scientific knowledge about early childhood development and aim to level the playing field for young children, including support for nurturing environments, learning, and long-term health.
- Aging and elder well-being: projects that address isolation, ageism, inadequate programming or environments in care settings, and that promote dignity, engagement and community connections for seniors.
Examples of supported projects include the long-running Grandma and Grandpa Swim Program of the North Centennial Seniors Association, where Circle of Life funding helps provide social events and celebrations that bring together inner-city preschool children and senior volunteers. The fund has also participated financially in the Google Nest Hub Project, topping up a government grant so that more voice-activated devices could be deployed in long-term care facilities to reduce loneliness and boredom among residents. Another instance is a $10,000 commitment to the Convalescent Home of Winnipeg’s courtyard and garden redevelopment, improving outdoor space and quality of life for residents.
General approach to grantmaking
Circle of Life operates as a discretionary fund within The Winnipeg Foundation framework. The founders work with Foundation staff and community partners to identify needs and opportunities where relatively modest but well-targeted funding can have a meaningful impact. They favour projects that:
- benefit either young children or older adults, or foster intergenerational connection between the two groups;
- are grounded in current research on child development, aging, or seniors’ well-being;
- feature innovative or creative approaches to reducing vulnerability, isolation or inequity;
- are led by established community organizations or care institutions with the capacity to deliver.
Because the fund is endowed, its capital is preserved while investment returns create an ongoing stream of funds for grants year after year. This model allows Circle of Life to support both one-time initiatives and longer-term projects as needs evolve.
Publics served and impact
The fund’s support ultimately reaches a diverse set of beneficiaries, from preschool children in inner-city neighbourhoods to residents of long-term care and personal care homes across Manitoba. By backing intergenerational and elder-focused programs, Circle of Life seeks to combat the “three plagues” of institutional aging—helplessness, loneliness and boredom—while also promoting positive early childhood experiences that influence health and resilience across the life course.
Through its partnership with The Winnipeg Foundation and collaboration with universities, sector associations and community organizations, the Circle of Life Endowment Fund plays a niche but meaningful role in Manitoba’s philanthropic ecosystem, targeting grant dollars where science, lived experience and compassion intersect.