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OTF — Community Building Fund - Operating Stream

Supports operating viability for Ontario community-serving organizations

Offered by
Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF)
Official source: otf.ca

Source change captured

Funding available
$ 10,000 - $ 250,000
Up to 80% of project cost
Deadline
Unspecified
Location
Ontario, Canada
Who can apply
Charitable organizations or public foundations registered as charities by the Canada Revenue Agency
See full eligibility

Overview

Provides up to $250,000 to help eligible organizations continue operating facilities and delivering public experiences or programs in Ontario. Funding supports operating viability and adaptations such as meeting public health requirements and new ways of working due to COVID-19 impacts.

At a glance

Funding available

Maximum funding
$250,000
Minimum funding
$10,000
Maximum share of project costs
80%
Financing goals
  • Increase performance through digital transformation
  • Increase social or community impact
  • Improve governance or administrative structure

Eligible candidates

Location
  • Ontario
Eligible Industries
All industries
Annual revenue
All revenue ranges
Organisation size
All organization sizes
Audience
  • Indigenous Peoples
  • Persons with Disabilities
  • Language Minorities
  • Newcomers to Canada
  • Other Racialized Persons
  • Black Canadians
  • 2SLGBTQI+
  • Canadians
  • Women
Legal structures
Non-profit

Receipt of requests is now closed

Get notified about updates to this grant.

Availability timeline

2026
Periods: 1

Latest changes

OTF eligibility and statement rules updated

OTF updated its eligibility policy and financial statement requirements, including revised applicant categories, new capacity and governance conditions, and a new allowance for some organizations with fewer than two completed fiscal years to submit one full year of statements.

See more

OTF’s Eligibility Policy now requires charities and non-profits to have been registered or incorporated for at least two years, and it revises which municipalities, First Nations, county library boards, local services boards, and collaboratives may apply. The policy also adds clearer capacity, governance, Ontario-benefit, and ineligible-activity rules, including new exclusions for direct personal or individual material benefits and personal one-on-one professional services. OTF also updated its Financial Statement Requirements guide so organizations that have operated for at least two years but do not yet have two completed fiscal years of statements may submit one full fiscal year of financial statements. The guide’s application instructions were also updated to reflect the revised financial-statement reference material.

Official source: otf.ca
September 27, 2026

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

  • Charitable organizations or public foundations registered as charities by the Canada Revenue Agency
  • Organizations incorporated as not-for-profit corporations without share capital in a Canadian jurisdiction
  • A First Nation / Métis / Inuit or other Indigenous community
  • Organizations with a significant presence in the arts and culture, heritage, tourism, sport and recreation sectors

Who is not eligible

  • Municipalities or municipal agencies
  • Conservation authorities
  • An unincorporated branch or chapter of a registered charity or incorporated not-for-profit organization
  • For-profit organizations
  • Universities, colleges, hospitals, schools, and agencies of one of these organizations; agencies of the provincial or federal government; organizations outside Ontario

Eligible expenses

  • Salaries, mandatory employment related costs and employee benefits for staff positions
  • Innovation and web/virtual costs involved in the delivery of products, programs and experiences
  • Equipment to meet the changing needs of the organization, its programs and services, and to adapt to new ways of working
  • Rent or lease costs for office or programming space
  • Operational expenditures such as utilities, telephone and communication services

Ineligible Costs and Activities

  • Operating expenses incurred before the approval of the Community Building Fund – Operating stream grant application
  • Any expenses not directly paid by the recipient organization
  • Harmonized Sales Tax or refundable expenses, legal, audit, insurance or interest fees, mortgage payments, and translation services
  • Fixed capital assets, in-kind contributions, pre-existing budget deficits, and long-term debt financing
  • Any expenses covered by another funding source

Eligible geographic areas

  • Ontario (expenses must be incurred in Ontario)

Activities funded

  • Transform operations to meet public health requirements.
  • Maintain short- and medium-term viability to operate facilities and/or deliver experiences or programs.
  • Ensure long-term sustainability to operate facilities and/or deliver experiences or programs.
  • Adapt to new ways of working and meet changing program/service delivery needs.
  • Enhance visitor and participant experiences.

How to apply

  • Visit the grant application deadline page
  • Once the online application portal opens, begin the application

Documents Needed

  • Most recent completed financial statements with comparative information for the prior fiscal year
  • A separate explanation if the organization has an accumulated surplus greater than 12 months
  • An explanation, a deficit reduction plan, and the current year’s operating budget if the organization has an accumulated deficit greater than 10%

Selection criteria

  • Significance of organization in the arts and culture, heritage, tourism, sport and recreation sectors and in its community (20%)
  • Organization supports diverse, under-represented, and/or vulnerable populations (10%)
  • Impact of COVID-19 on organization (35%)
  • Strategy supports the viability of the organization (35%)

Processing and Agreement

  • Applications are assessed as part of OTF’s grant application review process, including an assessment of financial health based on submitted financial statements.
  • Grants are awarded in full or declined (partial funding is not provided).
  • If approved, the organization must enter into a formal, legally binding OTF Grant Contract signed by the organization’s authorized Signatory Contact.
  • The approved grant term starts once the signed OTF Grant Contract has been signed and submitted back to OTF.

Additional information

  • Only one application per organization per granting stream deadline is permitted.
  • Applicants must comply with OTF’s Anti-Discrimination Policy and acknowledge OTF’s Open Data Policy (application data may be shared and/or become public).
  • Applicants must avoid conflicts of interest when obtaining goods and/or services.
  • Approved organizations must publicly recognize the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Trillium Foundation (Recognition Policy).

Contacts

support@otf.ca
1-800-263-2887

Official sources

Community Building Fund - Operating Stream

Program guide

Eligibility PolicyFinancial Need and Health of Applicants PolicyFinancial Statement Requirements

Application form

Community Building Fund - Operating stream

Supporting document

Collaborative AgreementExamples of internally prepared financial statementsFinancial Position Calculator
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Frequently Asked Questions about the OTF — Community Building Fund - Operating Stream Program

What is the OTF — Community Building Fund - Operating Stream?

Provides up to $250,000 to help eligible organizations continue operating facilities and delivering public experiences or programs in Ontario. Funding supports operating viability and adaptations such as meeting public health requirements and new ways of working due to COVID-19 impacts.

How much funding can be received?

OTF — Community Building Fund - Operating Stream Funds up to 80% of admissible expenses, capped at $250,000 per project.

Who is eligible for the OTF — Community Building Fund - Operating Stream program?

To be eligible for the OTF — Community Building Fund - Operating Stream program, you must: Ontario public-facing facilities/programs Significant presence in eligible sectors Eligible non-profit/charity or Indigenous community

What expenses are eligible under OTF — Community Building Fund - Operating Stream?

Salaries, mandatory employment related costs and employee benefits for staff positions Innovation and web/virtual costs involved in the delivery of products, programs and experiences Equipment to meet the changing needs of the organization, its programs and services, and to adapt to new ways of working Rent or lease costs for office or programming space Operational expenditures such as utilities, telephone and communication services

Who can I contact for more information about the OTF — Community Building Fund - Operating Stream?

You can contact Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) by email at support@otf.ca or by phone at 1-800-263-2887.

Where is the OTF — Community Building Fund - Operating Stream available?

The OTF — Community Building Fund - Operating Stream program is available the province of Ontario.

Is the OTF — Community Building Fund - Operating Stream a grant, loan, or tax credit?

OTF — Community Building Fund - Operating Stream is a Grant and Funding