Grant and Funding Programs Offered by TO Live Foundation

TO Live Foundation is a registered charity created to fuel Toronto’s arts ecosystem by raising funds in support of TO Live, the municipal organization that operates Meridian Hall, Meridian Arts Centre and the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. The foundation channels private donations, sponsorships and legacy gifts into concrete support for artists, arts organizations and communities across Toronto.

According to the site, since its creation in 2018 the foundation has supported more than 1,600 artists and invested over $2 million in artists and partnerships. Its support is delivered through multiple forms of financial and in‑kind assistance, including research and explorations grants, artist residencies, commissions of new work, presentations, and access to professional rehearsal and performance spaces.

TO Live Foundation focuses on strengthening Toronto’s cultural fabric and empowering the city’s creative diversity. Priority is placed on projects and practices that reflect the city’s communities, with a particular emphasis on Black and Indigenous People of Colour and other historically underrepresented voices. Through the "Making Space" initiative and other streams, the foundation helps artists develop and scale productions, use high‑quality venues, and reach new audiences.

Beyond direct artist support, the foundation underwrites free and accessible community and outreach programs, such as workshops, drop‑in classes, school programs and subsidized tickets. This funding ensures that people of all ages and income levels can experience the performing arts, and that TO Live’s venues function as inclusive cultural hubs rather than solely commercial stages.

The foundation’s beneficiaries include individual artists, small companies, community groups and diverse audiences across Toronto. By combining grants, residencies, commissioned projects and facility access, TO Live Foundation plays a hybrid role as both a funder and enabler of programming. Donor contributions help create works that might not otherwise be produced, support local creatives at critical stages of their careers, and keep major downtown and North York venues available for community‑driven initiatives.

TO Live Foundation is overseen by a volunteer board of directors drawn from the arts, finance and community sectors, and is closely linked with TO Live’s leadership team. Staff specializing in philanthropy and sponsorship cultivate individual, corporate and legacy giving to sustain and expand the foundation’s portfolio of grants, residencies and accessible arts programming. Through these efforts, the foundation acts as a key philanthropic partner in building a better city through the arts.