Closed
Source verified September 23, 2026
OTF — Family Innovations Scale Grant
Scale a proven community project for families
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Latest source updateLast Update: September 23, 2026Latest change: OTF updated the Family Innovations Scale Grant’s eligibility policy and clarified the grant term and funding details.View change
Latest source update
Last Update: September 23, 2026
Latest change: OTF updated the Family Innovations Scale Grant’s eligibility policy and clarified the grant term and funding details.
Eligibility and grant terms updated
OTF updated the Eligibility Policy for this grant, including expanded applicant capacity, ineligible activity, and Ontario-delivery requirements. The policy now requires charities and not-for-profits to have at least two years of operating or incorporation history, and it more explicitly limits personal services and individual material benefits. It also clarifies that overhead and administration costs that are not directly related to the project and that exceed 15% of the total project budget are not eligible. The Family Innovations Scale Grant page now states that the grant is awarded for 2 or 3 years. The application agreement for the mentor questions also now references OTF’s Digital Services and Data Policy, Access to Information Policy, and Privacy Statement instead of the earlier open data policy wording.
Funding available
$ 450,000
Deadline
Unspecified
Location
Ontario, Canada
Who can apply
A grassroots group that is not registered as a charity or as an incorporated not-for-profit.
See full eligibility
Overview
Family Innovations Scale Grant supports established Ontario grassroots groups led by parents, guardians and caregivers to scale projects over 2 to 3 years. Funding can deepen current projects or expand them through staffing, capacity building, and transportation.
Receipt of requests is now closed
Get notified about updates to this grant.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Increase social or community impact
- Enhance an existing program
- Improve governance or administrative structure
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 450,000 $
- Up to 15% of project cost
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Ontario
Legal structures
- Non-profit
Annual revenue
- $ 50,000 maximum revenue
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Indigenous Peoples
- Persons with Disabilities
- Other Racialized Persons
- Black Canadians
- 2SLGBTQI+
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- Social Services
- Children and Youth Organizations
- Diversity and Inclusion
Target groups
- Children & youth
- Indigenous peoples
- New immigrants & refugees
- People with disabilities
- LGBTQ+ community
- Rural / Remote communities
- Low-income individuals / families
- Minority groups
Revenue structures
- Mixed revenue (<50% earned)
Scope
- Provincial
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Availability timeline
2026
Periods: 2
Activities funded
- Enhance the quality of parents, guardians and caregivers’ experiences to deepen the impact of a current project.
- Expand a current project to impact more parents, guardians and caregivers.
Documents Needed
- Project Plan and Budget
- Organizational Mentor-Grassroots Group Collaborative Agreement
- Most recent completed financial statements
- Organization’s By-Laws
Official resources
Program guide
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- A grassroots group that is not registered as a charity or as an incorporated not-for-profit.
- An organization incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation without share capital in a Canadian jurisdiction, including a Chartered Community Council operating under the Métis Nation of Ontario and Inuit communities that are registered as not-for-profit corporations without share capital in Canada.
Who is not eligible
- Registered charities
- First Nations
- Religious entities established for the observation of religious beliefs, including churches, temples, mosques, and synagogues
- Municipalities, groups and projects based at existing organizations, and groups specifically designed to serve parents, guardians and caregivers through committees or clubs of municipalities, universities, schools, or hospitals
- For-profit organizations and businesses, individuals, and groups looking to design programming for children
Eligible expenses
- Staffing costs, including full-time and part-time staff, with livable wages and Mandatory Employee Required Costs considered
- Project transportation, honorarium, support services, project supplies and materials, project equipment, food, communications, and fees for experts or facilitators
- Hiring a consultant, community expert, and/or Elder to support learning in a specific topic area
- Learning conferences, training or event registration fees, travel, accommodations, tuition, software, online learning platforms, and online courses
- Core group team gathering expenses and participation in Youth Opportunities Fund gatherings or summits, including local travel, accommodations, meeting space, facilitators, lost wages, childcare, and local transportation
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Taxes such as GST and HST for which the Organizational Mentor is eligible for a tax rebate, and all other rebate-eligible costs
- Capital infrastructure costs, contingency costs, and general or ongoing operating costs unrelated to the project
- Political or religious activities
- Personal one-on-one professional services, including direct therapy, counselling, legal advice, and accounting advice
- Staff hired to perform project delivery roles, honoraria to volunteers, organizational infrastructure or equipment, individual wellness activities, in-person activities outside Ontario, participant groceries, household supplies, equipment, bursaries, scholarships, sponsorships, individual requests, regranting funds, and fundraising campaigns
Selection criteria
- YOF prioritizes grassroots groups that are looking to address the experiences of Indigenous and Black parents, guardians and caregivers who continue to face systemic barriers and oppression.
- The one Priority Outcome your group chooses must align with the impact you have already had on one of YOF’s primary beneficiaries.
- Your project should build on that impact in your Scale grant.
- YOF prioritizes investing in projects that positively impact parents, guardians and caregivers with these intersecting lived experiences or identities, including those in conflict or at risk of being in conflict with the law, at risk of contact or in contact with child welfare services, at risk of dropping out or have dropped out of school, living with disabilities or special needs, or who are 2SLGBTQIA+.
How to apply
- Prepare the Expression of Interest as the first step and foundation of the Grant Application.
- Prepare a Project Plan and Budget as part of the Expression of Interest.
- If your Expression of Interest is shortlisted, your group will be invited to submit the Grant Application with an Organizational Mentor.
Processing and Agreement
- The Expression of Interest is reviewed first to assess the project and the group’s eligibility.
- Only shortlisted groups are invited to submit the Grant Application with an Organizational Mentor.
- Applicants are notified of the final funding decision approximately 8 weeks after the grant application deadline.
Additional information
- All supports and resources are complimentary.
- Applicants can register for webinars to learn about the YOF program and eligibility criteria, or book coaching calls for in-depth support.
- For immediate support, contact 1 800 263-2887 or yof@otf.ca.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the OTF — Family Innovations Scale Grant Program
What is the OTF — Family Innovations Scale Grant?
Family Innovations Scale Grant supports established Ontario grassroots groups led by parents, guardians and caregivers to scale projects over 2 to 3 years. Funding can deepen current projects or expand them through staffing, capacity building, and transportation.
How much funding can be received?
OTF — Family Innovations Scale Grant Funds up to 15% of admissible expenses, capped at $450,000 per project.
Who is eligible for the OTF — Family Innovations Scale Grant program?
To be eligible for the OTF — Family Innovations Scale Grant program, you must:
The project must be led by and for parents, guardians and caregivers.
The group must have delivered core project activities for at least two years.
The applicant must work with an Organizational Mentor.
What expenses are eligible under OTF — Family Innovations Scale Grant?
Enhance the quality of parents, guardians and caregivers’ experiences to deepen the impact of a current project.
Expand a current project to impact more parents, guardians and caregivers.
Who can I contact for more information about the OTF — Family Innovations Scale Grant?
You can contact Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) by email at yof@otf.ca or by phone at 1 800 263-2887.
Where is the OTF — Family Innovations Scale Grant available?
The OTF — Family Innovations Scale Grant program is available the province of Ontario.
Is the OTF — Family Innovations Scale Grant a grant, loan, or tax credit?
OTF — Family Innovations Scale Grant is a Grant and Funding