Funding at the McConnell Foundation

We fund activities that are aligned with at least one of our three focus areas: Climate, Reconciliation and Communities. Innoweave offers coaching support for organizations seeking to clarify their outcomes and improve their impact. We also have a specific program for Montreal-based charities.

 

Pink, Yellow and Red circle representing the Foundation's three focus areas. 1) Climate: Contribute to Canada’s transition to a net-zero carbon economy in a way that produces sustainable and equitable outcomes for all. 2) Communities: Supporting and amplifying the leadership of equity-deserving groups to address systemic barriers to economic and social justice at a local, regional or national level. 3) Reconciliation: contribute to advance a reconciliation economy where wealth and resources are equitably shared and sustainably stewarded for this generation and those yet to come, in relationship with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

All proposals must be submitted via our online portal so that they may be reviewed by our team.

Please note that the Climate focus area is changing its approach in 2023. During this time, our application portal will not be accepting Climate funding applications. We will provide updates on reopening the portal for new Climate applications, in late 2023. Find out more 

Application Resources

Learn more about what we do and do not fund: 


Learn more about how to apply:

Virtual Office hours:
If you have additional questions not addressed here, you may book a 15-minute virtual meeting with our program staff.

Apply

Ready to apply?

Our portal is where it happens! We have three different funding streams, each with its own application process. 

 

Focus Area Funding

We fund activities focused on at least one of our three focus areas: Communities, Reconciliation and Climate. In addition to focus area alignment, we also look at national relevance and systems change potential. What does that mean?

    • National relevance: your work – even if it’s local – could be applied to other places across the country.
    • Systems change: your work tackles the root causes of complex problems. You seek solutions for deeply-entrenched systemic injustices. 

If the work for which you are seeking funding aligns with at least one of our focus areas and meets the above criteria, please submit your proposal using the “Focus Areas” application form. In this funding stream:  

    • There are no deadlines to apply.
    • There is no maximum amount.
    • Projects can span several years.
    • Financial support is typically given to registered charities, but other types of organizations may also be supported.

 

Stage 1: Short Proposal

Send a short proposal and answer 6 questions (see pages 4-6 of the Sample Application for details). At this stage, you must select a primary focus area, however, there is additional space for you to describe how your proposed work connects to other focus area(s) within the application form. Stage I is designed to take a minimal amount of time. Answers in English are limited to 250 words each. We hope to get back to you in less than a month.

 

Stage 2: Detailed Proposal

If selected to advance to stage 2 , you will be asked to submit a detailed proposal indicating the scale and scope of the proposed work, methods of evaluation, answers to specific focus area questions and a detailed budget. See the questions on page 7-10 of the Sample Application for details.  You will hear back from our team regarding this phase of your application within 2 months.


Have questions about the focus area funding process? Book a 15-minute conversation with a member of the program team.
If you have a technical question about our application portal, please contact info@mcconnellfoundation.ca.

 

 

Montreal Funding

The Foundation remains deeply committed to our Montreal roots, where we continue to support local projects as we have done since 1937. In addition to funding Montreal-based projects that advance our three focus areas, we allocate approximately $2,000,000 annually to Montreal charities. Montreal funding decisions are approved yearly in the spring.

Download our Application Guidelines to learn about eligibility requirements and assessment criteria. Applicants for Montreal funding are required to submit a short-form application along with budgetary information.

 

Innoweave

Innoweave works with organizations to learn about, select, and implement new tools and approaches. Innoweave’s coaching streams, online tools and workshops enable organizations to generate greater impact and advance their missions. Innoweave accepts funding applications three times per year.

Visit the Innoweave website to learn more.

FAQs

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Funding database

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