National Funders will distribute funding to community service organizations

Today, Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre, announced the application process for the Community Services Recovery Fund is now open. The application process is managed by the three National Funders—the Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada, and United Way Centraide Canada—in order to reach a broad and diverse range of community service organizations, such as charities, non-profits and Indigenous governing bodies.

The Community Services Recovery Fund is a historic one-time investment of $400 million that will help community service organizations to adapt, to modernize and to be better equipped to improve the efficacy, accessibility and sustainability of the community services that they provide, so they can continue to support communities across Canada through the pandemic recovery and beyond.

Community service organizations are at the forefront of addressing communities’ needs, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the early phases of the pandemic, they have struggled with increased demand for their services, reduced revenues, declines in charitable giving due to the rising cost of living, and a greater need to make use of digital tools. Many of them are struggling to recover and adapt their services to the changing needs of communities across Canada.

Applications for funding can be submitted to the National Funders from now until February 21, 2023. Organizations are encouraged to complete the interactive quiz to determine where and how to apply. Additional information and resources, including an applicant guide, can be found on the Community Services Recovery Fund website. The National Funders are also holding a webinar on January 12, 2023, to help organizations understand the application process.

For more information, visit the National Funders’ Community Services Recovery Fund website. Eligible organizations can also register for the webinar through the website.

“The Government is supporting the long-term COVID-19 pandemic recovery in communities across Canada through this historic fund. This transformational investment with the National Funders supports a more inclusive model of economic growth that creates opportunities at the community level. The Community Services Recovery Fund will strengthen the ability of community service organizations, including charities, non-profits and Indigenous governing bodies, to deliver services and resources where they will have the most impact.”

– Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould

Quick Facts

• The Community Services Recovery Fund is open for applications from January 6 to February 21, 2023, through the National Funders. Funded projects will begin May 1, 2023, and will continue into 2024.
• The Community Services Recovery Fund has two funding streams: one for local or regional community service organizations serving a portion of a province or territory, and one for community service organizations serving the entire country, an entire province or territory, or multiple provinces or territories.
• Funding from the Community Services Recovery Fund will enable community service organizations to invest in their own organizational capacity under one of the three project focus areas:
• Investing in People: projects that focus on how organizations recruit, retain, engage and support their personnel.
• Investing in Systems and Processes: projects that invest in the systems and processes involved in creating the internal workings of an organization’s overall structure.
• Investing in Program and Service Innovation and Redesign: projects primarily focused on program and service innovation and redesign using information gained during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Community Services Recovery Fund builds on the successful delivery of the $350‑million Emergency Community Support Fund, where the Government funded over 11,570 projects serving vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Associated Links

• National Funders’ Community Services Recovery Fund website
• YouTube video announcement