A charitable community foundation manages and invests gifts from individuals, families and other organizations. The interest earned on the investments is spent back into the community, supporting local charities through grants. Through these resources, community foundations enable donors from all walks of life improve the communities they care about through charitable giving. There are more than 160 community foundations across Canada.

The Winnipeg Foundation, Canada’s first community foundation (est. 1921), is a collection of endowment funds established by a wide range of donors including individuals, families, organizations, corporations and others. Funds are pooled and invested with the income distributed as grants to registered charitable organizations that primarily benefit the citizens of Winnipeg.

Students are selected by external selection committees at schools, community organizations, or associations. Selection is based on criteria set by The Winnipeg Foundation in consultation with the donor who established the award. In many cases, any student who meets the criteria will automatically be considered for the awards. In other cases, there is an application or nomination process.

High school students should consult with their guidance counsellor or student services staff about awards available to them.

Post-secondary students should consult the Awards and Financial Aid office at their school.

Information on other awards – such as sports scholarships, professional development support and music awards – is generally publicized by the sponsoring organization or association.

Present your award letter to the Aid and Awards office at the post-secondary school where you are registered. The post-secondary school will apply the award amount towards your tuition and then invoice The Winnipeg Foundation. The amount will go directly into your student account at the post-secondary school. If you are having trouble, contact the .

Contact the to arrange payment. The Winnipeg Foundation will work with the post-secondary school on your behalf to arrange payment. In the event that payment cannot be processed this way, a cheque will be issued directly to you. In this case, you will need to provide the Foundation with proof of registration.

If you are not using your award in the year you received it, contact the . Generally, you can request to defer your award for one year, but you must submit your request in writing to The Winnipeg Foundation. Some awards cannot be deferred so be sure to contact the Foundation to find out the conditions of your award.

Most awards will be pro-rated based on the number of credit hours. This means you can still claim the award but not for the full amount. For example, if you are taking 60% of a full course load, you will receive 60% of the award amount. The remainder will not be carried forward. Contact the for more information.

The Foundation does not make grants or loans to individuals. As a community foundation, it can only provide grants to organizations that are registered charities.

Only registered charities are eligible for grants from the Foundation. Non-profit organizations who do not have a charitable registration number can be sponsored by a registered charity with which they have a formalized partnership through a written agreement, a history of collaboration, and a similar mission and vision. The application must be submitted by the registered charity, and must include Confirmation of Written Agreement Between a Registered Charity and a Non-Profit Organization.

Organizations may submit a grant application to the Foundation once in the calendar year. Please note:

• Organizations that have an outstanding multi-year commitment for the calendar year will be considered as having an application submitted for that year.
• This guideline applies equally to charitable organizations that are applying as sponsors for non-profit agencies.
• In the case of a collaboration among a group of registered charities, one organization in the group may step forward as the applicant without risking the opportunity to apply for its own projects.

Organizations with special circumstances that may require a second application within the calendar year should contact the Foundation to discuss their situation with the Director of Community Grants at 944.9474 or .

There is no minimum or maximum amount that organizations can apply for, and every project is unique. However, it is helpful to know that the average grant from the Foundation is approximately $15,000, and 90% of the Foundation’s grants are less than $30,000.

Please note that if your grants request is $100,000 or greater (including multi-year projects where the total request is $100,000 or over) you will require an in-person pre-consultation with a member of the Foundation’s community grants staff. Pre-consultation appointments are available on a continual basis throughout the year and can be arranged by contacting our office at 944.9474 or .

Grants are not made to projects or programs that will be completed before the grant decision takes place, and we cannot retroactively cover costs. Please review our grant application deadlines to ensure you apply at the appropriate deadline.

Your application will not move forward until all required attachments have been received.

Submit the most recent audited financial statement that you have available. Make a note in your application that the more recent audited financial statements will be available soon. Once they are completed, you can forward them to the Foundation office.

This is your Registered Charitable Number assigned to your organization by the Canada Revenue Agency. It is a nine digit number ending in RR0001. i.e. 123456789RR0001

No signature is required. However, as part of the eligibility quiz we ask, “Has the Board of Directors of your organization authorized this application?” This is our confirmation that your Board has approved your submission.

The eligibility quiz is designed to help you determine if your project meets the Grant Application Guidelines of the Foundation. If you have answered the questions, and are unable to access the application, it is likely that your project does not meet the requirements for funding. However, if you feel that your project would be eligible for funding under our guidelines, please email or call 944.9474 to discuss your proposal with a staff member.

Enter only your expense budget number.

On the last page of the application you will be asked to attach a number of documents to complete your submission. Select from the drop down menu which attachment you will be uploading, and then click the "Browse" button. This will allow you to select a file on your computer to upload. Once you have selected the proper file, click the "Upload" button. Files with "exe", "com", "vbs", or "bat" extensions cannot be uploaded. Most other file types are acceptable. The maximum size for all attachments combined is 25 MB. If your attachments are larger than 25 MB combined, please email or contact the Community Grants Administrator at 944.9474.

Grant applicants are asked to make every effort to provide all required attachments in electronic form. If you do not have the required documents in electronic form, please forward them to the Community Grants Administrator at the Foundation by mail. Clearly mark all attachments with organization name, contact person and application date. Please send the attachments only; do not send the entire application.

No. However, creating an account allows you to have online access to your applications. You will be able to return to in-progress applications to finish later, and access previous online applications for five years. Also, applicants who have an account will receive an email confirming that your application has been successfully submitted.

When you create an account you receive an automatic email with a link to the account log-in page. You may use that link to log-in and access your saved application, or you may follow this link: https://www.GrantRequest.com/SID_550

You will be asked to provide your email address and password. If you cannot remember your password, follow the prompts.

Once you click submit, a message will appear thanking you for your application and prompting you to create an account.

We strongly encourage all grantees to create an account. Applicants who have an account will receive an auto email confirming that your application has been successfully submitted. This email will include a summary of your grant application and a five digit tracking number. Please save this email for your records.

Within two business day you will receive an email from the Community Grants Administrator detailing your assigned grant number (i.e. 20080123) and specific details of when the application will be considered by the Board of The Winnipeg Foundation.

The Winnipeg Foundation – a community foundation – offers a wider variety of fund options for a donor to choose from, ensuring they can have as much or as little involvement as they wish in the granting process. Also, The Winnipeg Foundation has local, professional staff available to provide personalized assistance in the areas of giving, community knowledge and expertise.

Establishing a fund at The Winnipeg Foundation is simpler and more cost-effective than establishing a private foundation. The ongoing administration of a private foundation is typically more costly and time-consuming than having a fund at The Winnipeg Foundation, which handles all administrative requirements. For a detailed comparison, click here.

The Winnipeg Foundation works closely with all types of professional advisors, including lawyers, accountants and financial planners. We can help you design a charitable giving plan that is customized to meet your clients’ needs. We offer assistance with your research questions, sample language for estate plans and fund agreements. We can also make tailored presentations for you and your colleagues on giving strategies, and if requested, we are able to personally meet with you and your clients.

For some initial information on charitable gift option ideas and access to introductory information visit our Donor & Gift Services or For Professional Advisors sections. There are a wide range of resources available online that may help you begin. You can also contact The Winnipeg Foundation’s Donor Relations staff, by or call 944.9474, to discuss gift options and different fund types that best fit your clients’ charitable interests and financial situation. A client may establish a named fund with an initial gift of just $1,000 or more.

The Foundation works with several investment managers to direct its pooled consolidated trust. The investment objectives for this fund are to protect the purchasing power of contributed capital through capital appreciation and provide an income return to fund our charitable activities. For details of the operation of the trust fund, click here.

The Foundation’s administrative fees are the same regardless of the type of fund that a donor establishes. The Winnipeg Foundation charges 0.5% per fund to help offset the cost of administration. This includes investment management fees, custodian, audit, etc. – there are no other charges or fees.

No. The Winniepg Foundation’s staff welcomes the opportunity to discuss a custom-tailored charitable giving plan for your clients at no charge.

The Foundation will work closely with you and your clients to help facilitate planned gifts of all types. Establishing an endowment fund to support the community – either by specifically identifying a charity or having the flexibility for a fund to be used where it may be needed most – is one of the most philanthropic acts an individual or family can consider in their estate plans. We have the expertise to assist with all aspects of charitable giving, including letters of intent around planned gifts.

No. Foundation policy does not allow us to act as an executor. We recommend donors appoint a qualified and capable organization or individual to administer their estate. We can work with you and your clients to develop a letter of intent as to how such a planned gift will be used.

No. Foundation policy does not allow for us to serve as a trustee in either the case of a charitable remainder trust or an annuity. We recommend donors appoint a trust company or an individual as trustee. In the case of an annuity, we would recommend working with an insurance company. We can work with you and your clients to develop a letter of intent as to how such a planned gift will be used.

The Foundation strongly encourages family philanthropy. Our Director of Family Philanthropy is available to answer your questions and meet with you and your clients to help them through their philanthropic process. We can help you create a philanthropic plan tailored to your clients’ priorities and preference with no obligation to establish an endowment fund at the Foundation and there is no fee for this service. For more information, visit our Family Philanthropy section.