Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Roncalli International Foundation

Roncalli International Foundation is a Catholic-inspired Canadian foundation dedicated to supporting vulnerable populations in developing countries. Named in honour of Pope John XXIII (Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli), it finances community-based initiatives that act as a catalyst for local empowerment and sustainable improvements in living conditions. The foundation typically supports around one hundred projects per year, with individual contributions of up to CA$35,000, reaching millions of people across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Roncalli works with a large network of partners: more than 200 Canadian organizations and over 1,200 local partners in countries of intervention. Eligible applicants are legally registered non-profit organizations, including NGOs and religious congregations. Projects must align with the foundation’s mission and values, fit within its fields of action, and take place in one of its approved countries of operation.

The foundation structures its financial support around eight main fields of action: income-generating activities, pastoral activities, agriculture, women’s empowerment, water and sanitation, education, health, and resilience to climate change. Within these themes, it funds a wide variety of community initiatives such as agricultural training and irrigation systems, basic health infrastructure and equipment, women’s economic empowerment and leadership programs, education and school rehabilitation projects, and access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Roncalli also responds to specific needs through training, small-scale infrastructure and support in situations of crisis or recovery, such as earthquakes or pandemics. In addition to its annual campaign for “small, human-scale projects”, the foundation administers dedicated funds in partnership with religious congregations and other organizations that wish to continue their charitable works abroad.

To be financed, a project must originate from local needs, involve community participation, and clearly present objectives, expected results, activities, budgets and accountability mechanisms. The requested contribution must not exceed CA$35,000, project duration is normally limited to 12 months, and local or complementary contributions are strongly encouraged. Environmental sustainability, gender equality, and long-term viability are important cross-cutting considerations.

The foundation uses a two-stage process for new partners: submission and internal analysis of a short project idea, followed by a full application if the idea is accepted. Active partners that have received funding within the last five years may submit a complete application directly. All submissions and follow-up reports are managed through an online platform that also supports financial and narrative reporting for approved projects.

The mission of Roncalli International Foundation is to manifest God’s Providence by supporting the most disadvantaged populations worldwide and strengthening the autonomy of communities. Its work is guided by values of compassion, respect, equity and solidarity. Since 1980, it has invested tens of millions of dollars in more than ten thousand community projects with local partners, leveraging additional co-funding to bring the total investment to several hundred million dollars and impacting millions of people each year.