Community Cash Grants

To be eligible for a Community Cash Grant, organizations should:
- Be organized for a minimum of one (1) year;
- Operate as a not-for-profit or community organization under the leadership of a volunteer board of directors or executive committee, elected by the general membership, or as a Registered Charity;
- Demonstrate a benefit to residents of Waterloo;
- Hold regular board or committee meetings with recorded minutes;
- Carry public liability insurance;
- Keep accurate volunteer and participant records;
- Carry out volunteer screening and other risk management measures to help ensure volunteer and public safety;
- Demonstrate funding or revenue from at least one source other than the
City of Waterloo;
- Have less than two years equivalent operating budget in unreserved cash;
- Be in compliance with all applicable legislation, regulations and bylaws for the Government of Canada, The Province of Ontario, and the City of Waterloo. (eg. Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), Human Rights Code, Occupational Health & Safety Act);
- Submit a completed application form, providing all of the requested information and all supporting material by the application deadline ;
- Submit a status report for any Project Grant received in the previous year within the required timelines.

Here is a list of groups and requests that may be eligible for a cash grant:
- Volunteer and not-for-profit community groups
- Projects that need one-time funding, not capital funding
- Projects that can be completed within one year
- Operating funding requests that include money for rent, insurance, supplies and equipment, maintenance, employee salaries, programs and services, volunteer recruitment, recognition, training and screening

Affiliated organizations that receive Foundational Operating Grant support through an Affiliation Service Agreement are eligible to apply for project funding only.

The following are not eligible to apply for a Community Cash Grant:
- An organization that acts as a funding body, or makes grants to another
organization;
- An organization that is the responsibility of a higher level of government, education, or precluded under the Municipal Act;
- Commercial businesses or For Profit Organizations;
- Service Clubs, Educational Institutions, Political Organizations;
- Religious organizations seeking funds for activities that serve primarily their membership and/or their direct religious purposes;
- Individuals

The following may make an application ineligible for a Community Cash Grant:
- Currently in financial arrears with the City of Waterloo;
- Liabilities exceed assets for a period of two or more years;
- Operating loss for two consecutive years;
- Affiliated Organization that does not meet the requirements of their service agreement;
- Non-compliance with legislation, city by-law and/or policy;
- Submission of an incomplete application.

Grants will not be available to support the following:
- Capital expenses;
- Operating or capital deficits;
- Retroactive project expenses;
- Endowments funds;
- Charitable Events
- Expenses associated with the travel to, attendance at, or related to the registration fees for seminars, conferences, workshops, or tours.
- Projects or services that are the same as those provided by the City of Waterloo.
- Any activity related to election campaigning for federal, provincial, municipal or school board candidates, including promotional activities and advertising.

The grant application deadline is 2:00 PM Wednesday December 6, 2017.

See Supporting Documents to download the application.

Organizations requesting a grant(s) totaling $7,500 or more must provide, at a minimum, a professionally reviewed financial statement for the previous year with the grant application and must show proof of incorporation or proof of incorporation under an umbrella organization such as a provincial sport body.

If you have any further questions, wish to confirm eligibility or require help with the application please contact the appropriate staff in Contact Information.

Upon submission of your application, you will receive a receipt that will be time and date stamped. Committee recommendations will be presented at Council on March 19, 2018. Grant funds will typically be awarded in one lump sum payment.