Charities play a vital role in our community and are instrumental to our quality of life.
Setting aside the hospitals, universities, foundations and religious organizations, there are about 1,000 Winnipeg charities directly on the “front-line” contributing to our quality of life. In the context of COVID-19, it is particularly interesting to note that 55 per cent of these agencies describe their work as social services and a further 28 per cent are focused on health care.*
Charities rely on a mixture of government funding, earned revenue, and donations and fundraising for their survival; all of these activities have been impacted, and it has meant enormous challenges.
The new “normal” – however it emerges from COVID-19 – must include a vibrant charitable sector. From arts and culture to the alleviation of poverty, it is impossible to imagine a flourishing community without the passion and impact of hundreds of community agencies
*According to research completed by the University of Winnipeg on behalf of The Winnipeg Foundation.
COVID-19 Emergency Support
The first phase of our response has been an initial commitment of $1 million in Emergency Grants to organizations providing for basic needs of our community’s most vulnerable. Thanks to the generous people who support our community through The Winnipeg Foundation, since March 12, 2020 we have been able to make more than 100 COVID-19 Emergency Response Grants, ranging in size from $2,000 to $100,000.
For a complete list of The Winnipeg Foundation’s Emergency Response Grants, please visit our COVID-19 page.
UPDATE (May 19, 2020) – The second phase of emergency support includes $1.4 million allocated to Winnipeg-based charities by the federal Emergency Community Support Fund. Now accepting applications. To learn more, please visit our Emergency Community Support Fund page.
Stabilization Grants
Announced May 4, 2020, Stabilization Grants are the second phase of The Foundation’s COVID-19 response. This $6 million grant program will support the short- and medium-term financial needs of local charitable organizations affected by revenue loss and unexpected expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is open to all Winnipeg-based registered charities, regardless of any current or past grants from The Winnipeg Foundation.
We’ve designed this grant response to be as flexible as possible, with a simple application process. The maximum request is $50,000.
UPDATE (June 2, 2020) – Stabilization Grant application closed June 1, 2020 (decision mid-July).
To learn more, please visit our Stabilization Grants page.
For all the details of our COVID-19 Grant Response, visit our Granting page.