Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Terra Nova Fund

The Terra Nova Fund is a philanthropic fund and companion legacy endowment created by Bruce and Patricia Craig and administered through the Community Foundation of Prince Edward Island. Established around 2013, it was designed to strengthen charitable and non‑profit organizations that align with the founders’ interests but often receive less attention from traditional fundraising drives such as the United Way. The fund explicitly targets smaller or underfunded charities whose work reflects community needs and improves quality of life for Island residents.

Each year, the Terra Nova Fund awards grants and operating funds to a range of beneficiaries. Its giving portfolio centres on performing arts, environmental protection, history and heritage, human services, and peace and social justice initiatives. The sister Terra Nova Endowment is structured to continue support for selected causes after the founders’ lifetime, with notable legacy gifts such as a substantial contribution to the ACCELERANDO Classical Music Performance Fund at the Confederation Centre of the Arts.

In the performing arts, the fund focuses strongly on classical music performance and education on Prince Edward Island. It has helped establish and grow the ACCELERANDO Classical Music Performance Fund, and backs ensembles and initiatives such as the PEI Symphony Orchestra, Luminos Ensemble, Singing Strings, Debut Atlantic, and projects under the CRESCENDO initiative to build chamber music capacity and youth music programs across the province.

In the fields of history, heritage and environment, the Terra Nova Fund supports organizations like Island Nature Trust, the UPEI Departments of Music and History, and the Thomas Paine National Historical Association, combining land conservation with historical outreach and education for students and the general public.

Under human services and social justice, the fund assists groups such as the Angels of PEI for Ukrainian humanitarian relief, the Cooper Institute, the Canadian Friends Service Committee, and the UPEI campus food bank. These partnerships advance immigrant integration, human rights, peacebuilding, and direct support for people facing hardship.

The Terra Nova Fund operates as a discretionary charitable fund rather than through open calls or formal application cycles. It identifies "targeted beneficiaries" for each fiscal period and channels support either directly or via the Community Foundation of PEI as a pass‑through organization. Emphasis is placed on high‑impact, mission‑aligned projects in the arts, environment, heritage, social services and peace, often in collaboration with institutional partners such as UPEI and the Confederation Centre of the Arts.