The Winnipeg Foundation is proud that donors have made it possible to support 11 capital projects through its Major Capital Grants program, with more than $5 million approved for investment in initiatives that will strengthen well-being, equity, and opportunity across Winnipeg.
The grants, made possible by The Winnipeg Foundation donors, totaling $5,075,000, will support projects that align with The Foundation’s Strategic Plan and Vital priorities, including Sense of Belonging, Hunger and Food Security, Addiction, Mental Health, and Housing and Homelessness. Several of the projects also advance The Foundation’s Community Champion pillars, with a strong focus on improving outcomes for individuals and families living in the Community Area for Revitalization and Equity (CARE), and on preventing children and youth from entering Child and Family Services.
The Foundation’s President and CEO, Sky Bridges, says, “These investments respond directly to what we have heard from community about the urgent need for spaces that support well-being. Thanks to the trust and generosity of our donors, we are able to partner with organizations on projects that address both emergent issues and root causes, helping build lasting opportunity across Winnipeg and a city where community life flourishes for all.”
For this round, grants range from $125,000 to $1 million. Notably, Ka Ni Kanichihk, an Indigenous-led organization, is recommended to receive the largest grant in this funding round, reflecting The Foundation’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation. Ka Ni Kanichihk will receive $1 million to move Velma’s House into a permanent home. Velma’s House is a 24/7 safe space established in 2021 for women and 2SLGBTQ+ people who identify as women.
The projects that received funding work in several key areas, including the creation of safe spaces and housing for women and families fleeing violence, expanded mental health and addiction supports for youth, enhanced addiction services for women and families, health-focused initiatives that improve transitions from hospital to community, investments in arts and cultural infrastructure, and innovative projects at the intersection of climate action and food security.
KIDTHINK Children’s Mental Health Centre Inc. received a major capital grant to expand its clinic. Their Board of Directors Chair and Founder, Carmyn Aleshka, and Program Director, Rossana Astacio-Morice say, “This expansion will increase our capacity to deliver mental health services by adding essential infrastructure, including additional therapy offices, specialized spaces for group therapy, a dedicated space for psychological assessments, a calming sensory room, and designated areas to support clinical supervision and internship training.” Which in turn allows the organization “to create a barrier-free, trauma-informed, and sensory-sensitive environment that upholds the highest standards in child mental health care.”
The Winnipeg Foundation is committed to working closely with funded organizations as projects move forward, ensuring learning and long-term benefits for the community.
The Winnipeg Foundation is For Good. Forever. We help people give back to our shared community by connecting generous donors with causes they care about For Good. We are an endowment-based public foundation, so gifts are pooled and invested, while annual earnings are distributed back to the community Forever. Formed in 1921, we are proud to be the first community foundation in Canada.
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Media release Wednesday, February 11, 2026
BACKGROUNDER
2026 Recipients of Major Capital Grants
| Organization | Project Description | Amount |
| Artspace Inc. | Priority access, safety and renovation costs | $500,000 |
| The Bruce Oake Memorial Foundation, Inc. | Construction of Anne Oake Family Recovery Centre | $500,000 |
| Harvest Manitoba Inc. | Manitoba Food Transition Centre | $500,000 |
| Inuit Association of Manitoba | Building a new shelter and transitional housing | $500,000 |
| Ka Ni Kanichihk | Renovations to Velma’s House 24/7 safe space | $1,000,000 |
| KIDTHINK Children’s Mental Health Centre Inc. | Redevelopment of the main floor | $200,000 |
| Marymound | Construction of Prairie Tides Community Healing Home | $500,000 |
| Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre | Priority accessibility and energy efficiency upgrades. | $250,000 |
| Siloam Mission | Building a Medical Transitional Care Unit | $500,000 |
| St. Boniface Hospital Foundation | Renovating the Electrophysiology and Pacemaker Labs | $125,000 |
| Willow Place Inc. | Building a new shelter and transitional housing | $500,000 |
TOTAL $5,075,000