Top Grant Programs for Non-Profits

Funding a non-profit organization is often an obstacle course. Between provincial and federal government programs, private foundations, and one-time calls for projects, the landscape of grants is vast, complex, and constantly evolving. Yet thousands of dollars are left on the table every year for lack of applicants.

This guide brings together the 15 most relevant grants for Quebec non-profits, presented during a specialized training webinar. Whether your mission touches on culture, the environment, housing, youth, families, or inclusion, you will find a program here tailored to your projects.

Core Funding vs. Project-Based Grants

It is important to distinguish between two types of funding. Core funding is often recurring and comes primarily from provincial governments and certain foundations. It is relatively stable but generally insufficient to cover the growth of the organization.

Project-based grants, on the other hand, represent the main source of funding for the majority of non-profits. They are one-time, competitive, with short deadlines — and these are the ones this guide emphasizes. They also offer the greatest potential financial leverage for specific initiatives.

1. Local Festivals — Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage — Canadian Heritage

This program is aimed at non-profits that organize a recurring cultural or heritage festival lasting 2 to 28 days. It helps cover a wide range of costs associated with organizing such an event: artist fees, stage equipment, salaries, promotion, and logistics.

Amount: up to $200,000, covering up to 100% of eligible expenses.

Key criteria: be a non-profit organizing a local festival with an arts, culture, or heritage focus, and demonstrate a capacity for delivery and accountability.

What makes this program popular: it covers the direct costs of major events and serves as an important financial lever for local cultural organizations. A non-profit that organized a storytelling festival in the Laurentians, for example, received $15,000 toward a total budget of approximately $20,000.

Annual cycle. The program operates on a regular cycle with several submission windows throughout the year. It is open for submissions at recurring intervals.

2. Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF) — Canadian Heritage

This program is intended for professional arts presenters and established festivals. It funds organizations that present professional works to their communities — performance seasons, festival programming, cultural outreach activities.

Amount: from $100,000 to $500,000, and up to $1M in exceptional cases.

What you need to know: the CAPF does not fund first editions or improvised events. It supports organizations with established activity, with a minimum of 3 distinct professional performances as part of a season or festival. Cultural outreach activities — workshops, discussions, residencies — are explicitly eligible and valued.

The program also appreciates programming that reaches beyond provincial borders. Demonstrating a genuine openness beyond the local scene is a concrete advantage when applications are assessed.

As an example, a regional presenter offering a season of 8 to 10 professional performances received $45,000 through the CAPF to cover artist fees, production costs, and outreach activities in schools.

Status: program open on a continuous basis.

3. Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) — Employment and Social Development Canada

This federal program funds projects aimed at making workplaces and communities more accessible for persons with disabilities. It targets major infrastructure projects: access ramps, elevators, adapted spaces, and specialized equipment.

Amount: from $500,000 to $1M.

Eligible expenses: professional fees (architects, engineers, contractors), construction or renovation costs, purchase or rental of specialized equipment.

Criteria: be a non-profit seeking to improve the accessibility of its facilities or services. Community centers, shelters, and employment organizations are particularly well positioned.

A social economy organization in Abitibi-Témiscamingue received $550,000 to completely modernize two floors of its premises: automatic doors, elevator, accessible washrooms, widened corridors, a hearing loop, and 12 adjustable workstations. The project helped maintain 18 jobs and accommodate 180 additional participants per year.

Important: this program operates through one-time calls for proposals. Missing the opening window often means waiting a year. Setting up grant alerts is strongly recommended to avoid missing these opportunities.

4. Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program (MARP) — Events Component — Canadian Heritage

The Events component of the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program funds community events that promote intercultural or interfaith understanding and contribute to combating racism and discrimination.

Amount: from $20,000 to $100,000.

Eligibility criteria: community organizations, municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, Indigenous governments, band councils, and tribal councils.

What makes a strong application: the event must be open to the general public, create real interactions between different communities, and be rooted in a logic of dialogue rather than simple celebration of a single culture. The participation of multiple communities is a decisive advantage. The winning angle is not "we are celebrating a culture," but "we are creating a space for dialogue and understanding between communities."

An organization in Abitibi received $22,000 to organize an intercultural day bringing together 15 cultural communities, including artistic performances, world cuisine, workshops for children, and a panel discussion on integration in rural regions.

To watch: the program now structures its submission deadlines based on the target event period. You need to aim for the right submission window depending on when the activity will take place.

5. Community Support Program (PAC) — Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI)

This Quebec program aims to facilitate the attraction, integration, and lasting settlement of immigrants in communities. It funds concrete actions: intercultural bridging, awareness, training, thematic events, anti-racism actions, stakeholder networking, and activities supporting regional settlement.

Amount: between $50,000 and $200,000, calculated based on budget, eligible expenses, the organization's own contribution, and the scope of activities.

Key criteria: be a legally constituted non-profit, active for at least 12 months, with headquarters and activities primarily in Quebec. The mission must be compatible with inclusion and lasting settlement, and the project must involve community partners.

In Saint-Jérôme, an organization received $54,000 to develop a matching program pairing immigrant families with Quebec host families, including informal French language workshops and shared cooking events.

Status: program open with a closing date of May 15, 2026.

6. EcoAction Community Funding Program — Canada Water Agency

This federal program supports projects for the protection, enhancement, and awareness of fresh water and natural environments. It targets concrete on-the-ground actions: habitat restoration, environmental education, species monitoring, and community mobilization.

Amount: from $25,000 to $100,000.

Criteria: environmental or community non-profit, project related to fresh water, concrete on-the-ground actions or community outreach. A financial contribution is generally required (often 50% of the total budget).

A watershed organization in the Laurentians received $90,000 for a 24-month project restoring riverbanks and mobilizing citizens: planting 1,200 native shrubs, workshops in 6 schools, a network of 30 riparian property owners. More than 800 metres of riverbank were restored.

Note: this program operates through one-time calls. It is important to regularly monitor openings, as cycles are not always predictable.

7. Support for Community Action for Families — Component 1 — Ministère de la Famille du Québec

This program offers core funding support to recognized community Family organizations (CFOs). It is structural, recurring funding that allows these organizations to maintain their presence and services in the community.

Amount: between $150,000 and $200,000 per year.

Criteria: be an autonomous community action organization recognized as a CFO. The program values continuity, local rootedness, and lasting impact on families.

A CFO in Nominingue has been supporting vulnerable families for 12 years with parenting workshops, play groups for children aged 0–5, a drop-in childcare service, food assistance, and home visits. Component 1 covers 55% of its annual budget and guarantees 4 permanent frontline worker positions.

Status: program open, closing April 30, 2026.

8. Support for Community Action for Families — Component 3 — Ministère de la Famille du Québec

Unlike Component 1, Component 3 does not require being a recognized CFO. It is open to any non-profit with a family mission or organizing activities for families. It funds specific projects rather than core missions.

Amount: between $100,000 and $200,000.

What sets it apart: flexibility. An outdoor recreation organization, for example, can access it if a significant portion of its programming targets families with children. An organization in Mont-Tremblant received $110,000 to develop family day camps, parent-child nature workshops, and a sponsorship program for low-income families.

Status: program open, closing April 30, 2026.

9. Youth Mental Health (Ages 12–18) — Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec

This program supports cultural projects with a positive effect on the mental health of young people aged 12 to 18. It is accessible to cultural organizations, public libraries, Indigenous organizations, and community organizations providing direct services to youth, in partnership with a professional artist or cultural organization.

Amount: up to $30,000, covering up to 75% of eligible expenses.

In Rivière-Rouge, a youth centre received $21,000 to create a music production and podcast workshop over 20 weeks. The youth wrote texts about their experiences, composed music tracks, and produced episodes on mental health, broadcast locally.

Note: this program is opening soon. Now is the time to prepare your application.

10. Affordable Housing Quebec Program (PHAQ), Component 2 — Société d'habitation du Québec

The Affordable Housing Quebec Program, Component 2, is a major program for non-profits that develop or adapt housing for people with special needs: mental health, addiction, disability, domestic violence, homelessness.

Amount: up to 80% of the total cost of the real estate project.

What matters in the application: clearly name the target clientele, demonstrate how the building is adapted to their needs, and show a partnership with existing support services (CISSS, CIUSSS, complementary organizations).

In Ferme-Neuve, a non-profit built 8 adapted apartments for persons with intellectual disabilities, in partnership with the CISSS des Laurentides. The PHAQ grant covered 60% of a total budget of $2M, i.e. $1,200,000.

Status: continuous intake.

11. Territorial Development Fund (FRR), Component 2 — Regional County Municipalities (MRCs)

This program is managed directly by the MRCs, which receive envelopes from the government and redistribute them according to their own territorial priorities. It is a particularly relevant program for regional projects aligned with local development: community spaces, structural services, revitalization.

Amount: variable depending on the MRC and announced priorities.

What makes the difference: alignment with local partners and concrete local benefits. At the Antoine-Labelle MRC, an organization received $50,000 to add 4 community low-rent housing units in an underserved rural area.

Status: open, but conditions vary from one MRC to another. It is recommended to contact your MRC directly to learn about current priorities.

12. New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) — Employment and Social Development Canada

This federal program funds community projects designed by or for seniors, with a strong volunteer or social inclusion component. It supports initiatives against isolation, intergenerational mentoring, prevention of elder abuse, and social participation of older persons.

Amount: up to $25,000.

What distinguishes strong applications: showing seniors as actors in the project, not just as beneficiaries. In Mont-Laurier, a seniors' club received $22,000 to set up volunteer home visits, collective cooking workshops, and a support call line. In one year, 65 seniors were reached regularly and 18 volunteers were trained.

Annual cycle: this program typically opens at the beginning of August.

13. Host an Intern — Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ)

This program offers a grant covering 50% of an intern's gross salary, up to $5,000 per internship. It allows non-profits to welcome a student whose internship is directly related to their program of study at an accredited Canadian institution.

Criteria: be a non-profit with a business address in Quebec. This is the most requested grant in the non-profit community, according to webinar data.

A community mental health organization in Montreal used this program to welcome a social work intern, freeing up staff time for direct user services.

Opening expected May 4, 2026.

14. Mitacs Accelerate

Mitacs Accelerate is an applied research program that funds internships in partnership between an organization, a student, and a university. It is ideal for non-profits that want to better understand their operational realities, document an issue, develop a methodology, or produce evidence-based recommendations.

Amount: $15,000 per internship (4 or 6 months), with a partner organization contribution starting at $7,500.

What makes it different: it is a genuine structured research project, requiring the collaboration of a supervising professor and an eligible university institution. It is more complex to set up than a simple internship, but the potential added value is considerably higher.

An organization dedicated to food security collaborated with a student from Toronto Metropolitan University to analyze the strengths and gaps of a regional food system, creating internal tools to guide its next strategic priorities.

Status: program open on a continuous basis.

15. McConnell Foundation — Philanthropic Funding

The McConnell Foundation is one of Canada's major private foundations. It supports structural initiatives capable of creating lasting change at scale, around three main priorities: Communities, Reconciliation, and Climate.

Amount: between $200,000 and $800,000+, for multi-year initiatives.

What sets it apart: the foundation does not fund one-time projects or isolated events. It invests in initiatives that strengthen capacity, foster equity, inclusion, and reconciliation, and that have a structural reach.

In Montreal, a climate partnership received $450,000 to coordinate technical working groups aimed at accelerating decarbonization projects: an accelerator for low-carbon buildings, replacement of fossil heating systems, and neighbourhood events.

Important: foundations are often underestimated by non-profits, mainly because they are difficult to find. Taking the time to map foundations whose mission aligns with yours, and building a relationship before sending a formal request, is a far more effective strategy than a cold approach.

The Non-Profit Method for Maximizing Your Chances

Knowing the programs is not enough. The way you build your applications makes all the difference. Here are the three key steps identified in the webinar.

Step 1 — Diagnose and Prioritize

Before submitting anything, clarify your mission and priorities. Draw up a roadmap of your needs: human resources, equipment, programs. Assess your internal capacities. Without a clear direction, grant applications miss the mark — and panels can tell.

Step 2 — Build Relationships with Funders

Particularly for foundations, a relationship is built over the long term. Take the time to understand their priorities, read their annual reports, and make yourself known before sending a formal application. Target with precision — the majority of foundations will not match your mission, and that is normal. Focus your energy on those that share your values.

Step 3 — Craft a Compelling Narrative

Foundations and government programs don't fund organizations: they fund missions that resonate with theirs. Re-read their priorities, reformulate your application using their vocabulary. Tell a story — who are you helping, what problem are you solving, what concrete impact do you expect? Numbers support the narrative but should not replace it. And prove that you are ready to deliver: a good idea alone is not enough.

Never Miss an Opening

One of the most frequent obstacles observed in the field is not a lack of relevant projects or writing capacity — it is simply missing the opening window of a program. Many organizations discover the existence of a program on the day it closes.

Setting up a grant alert system, calibrated to your organization's priorities, is now an essential practice for any non-profit serious about its funding strategy.

In Summary

Funding for Quebec non-profits rests on a dense and diverse ecosystem. Whether it's funding a local cultural festival, renovating accessible spaces, welcoming an intern, developing adapted housing, or conducting applied research, there is a program designed for you.

The key is preparation. Knowing the program before you apply, aligning your application with the funder's priorities, telling a compelling story, and demonstrating execution capacity — that is what separates funded applications from rejected ones.

The 15 grants presented in this guide are just a starting point. The complete ecosystem includes thousands of programs. The next step is to identify those that best match your reality, and to act before the next window closes.

The helloDarwin Platform

At helloDarwin, we constantly see non-profits doing more with less. Between searching for funding, managing programs, eligibility criteria, submission deadlines, and limited team time, the process can quickly become burdensome. It is to address this challenge that we developed the helloDarwin platform, to help organizations identify relevant grants, save time in their research, and structure their applications more effectively.

What truly distinguishes the platform is past acceptance data. helloDarwin accesses, through the Access to Information Act, data on who received which funds, in which sector, at what revenue level, and at what time. This data is cross-referenced with client organization information to generate acceptance probability indicators. Before investing a week building an application, it is possible to see whether the organization's profile genuinely matches the candidates who have historically been awarded this program.

The platform also integrates Charles, an AI assistant trained on helloDarwin's internal data: programs, criteria, advisor notes, and acceptance histories. Charles knows the company's profile and can recommend the most relevant programs, generate a week-by-week application timeline, help build the business case for a project, or identify eligible expenses that might otherwise be overlooked in the budget. Several clients use only Charles and the notifications. They receive alerts when a relevant program opens, build their application with the assistant, and submit without going through other tools.

On the human support side, every platform subscription includes a kick-off session with the helloDarwin team to configure the account, identify the first concrete opportunities, and calibrate priorities. Weekly group sessions then allow members to ask questions, validate a draft application, or work on the structure of a project. Adding collaborators to the account is free and unlimited in number of users, allowing multiple team members to coordinate their efforts on a single application.