Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Forests Canada

Forests Canada is a national charity focused on conserving, restoring and growing Canada’s forests to sustain life and communities. Building on more than 75 years of practical experience, the organization has developed an extensive network and infrastructure to deliver forest restoration solutions, support local jobs and economies, and improve forest health from coast to coast to coast.

The charity has invested over $90 million in Canada’s forested landscapes and has supported the planting of more than 50 million trees. Its programs channel both financial resources and in-kind support—such as subsidized seedlings and technical expertise—toward landowners, First Nations communities, municipalities, schools and community groups engaged in restoration and education projects.

Through its tree planting and forest stewardship programs, including initiatives like “Plant Trees With Us,” Forests Canada makes increasing forest cover more affordable by significantly reducing the costs of large-scale tree planting on private properties. Community programs such as Take Root give residents access to low- or no-cost native trees, while Shared Pathways provides dedicated support for First Nations communities and organizations to restore connections to land through ecological restoration.

In addition, Forests Canada delivers community engagement and education programs such as Ontario Envirothon, Forestry in the Classroom and Focus on Forests, which offer free or subsidized resources, competitions, and experiential learning activities to thousands of students and educators each year. These initiatives represent ongoing investment in forest literacy and stewardship capacity across Canada.

Over thousands of restoration projects, Forests Canada has contributed to more than a million hectares of connected forested landscapes, stored hundreds of millions of viable seeds for future use, and engaged tens of thousands of participants in education and volunteer activities. Its funding and program support primarily target landowners seeking to plant at scale, Indigenous communities, local governments, schools and community organizations that share the goal of building resilient, biodiverse forests.

The organization publishes annual impact and financial reports, providing transparency about funds received and how they are directed into restoration projects, community programs and educational initiatives nationwide.