CFNS VISIONS Fund

The CFNS VISIONS Fund (Visionary Initiatives Strengthening Inclusion & Opportunity in Nova Scotia) was established by an anonymous donor to support initiatives that make Nova Scotia a better place to live and learn. The endowed fund will grant its earned interest in perpetuity, driving continuous and impactful support for the province – forever.

The CFNS VISIONS Fund has two priorities:

• Providing financial assistance to initiatives, programs, and projects that support individuals who have encountered significant challenges in life. This includes aid for underserved and under-resourced communities, as well as those facing issues such as health problems, food insecurity, housing instability, or other substantial needs as specified by the applicant.
  
• Providing financial support to universities, colleges, or other non-traditional post-secondary organizations for innovative and creative educational programs or teaching methods across various disciplines, especially those supporting individuals who have encountered significant challenges in life.

Eligibility Criteria

• Projects must fit within the VISIONS funding priorities.
• Projects are to be delivered in the province of Nova Scotia.
• Applicants are to be a qualified donee as defined by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), other eligible group as defined by the CRA, or have partnered with an eligible organization.
• Applications must come from the governing body of the applicant or be accompanied by a letter of permission from the qualified donee.
• Projects can be new or ongoing.
• Grants may be awarded for multi-year projects (three-year maximum) provided there is a plan for ongoing evaluation and sustainability.
• Grants will not be awarded for deficits, mortgages or to retire debt; retroactive funding; sectarian, religious or political purposes; annual fund drives; fundraising activities or sponsorships.
• Non-traditional post-secondary institutions include, but not limited to, adult education centres, certificate programs, work-based training (e.g., apprenticeships), and skills-based short courses (e.g., coding bootcamps). Priority will be given to those non-traditional programs that specifically support individuals facing significant challenges in life, such as those outlined in the first priority.

What is a charitable partner?
There are many groups, individuals, and organizations whose purpose is beneficial to the community but who are not registered as charities or qualified donees with CRA.  Charities and non-charities often partner to increase their community impact. For example, a youth-serving charity may partner with a non-charity youth group to offer a summer camp. The partnership enables the charity to reach more youth and allows the non-charity to provide activities that might not otherwise be available.

Grant Details

The CFNS VISIONS Fund has a total of $459,000 available to grant in 2025. Of this, $219,000 is already committed to multi-year grants awarded in 2024. This leaves $240,000 available for new projects in 2025, across both funding priorities.

Maximum Funding Request: $40,000
Multi-year funding requests accepted: Yes
Expression of Interest (EOI) Open: September 8
Expression of Interest (EOI) Close: October 3
Applications Open for Accepted EOIs: October 8
Applications Close: October 24
Notification of Success: Early December 2025
Fund Disbursement: December 2025
Project Timeline: The majority of granted funds must be spent on project/program expenses by December 31, 2026. For multi-year projects, grants will be received annually. A majority of the grant must be spent within the year that it is received.

Please note, expressions of interest will be reviewed and considered using multiple criteria. Decisions will be based on the content of your responses but also take into account the goal of achieving a balanced portfolio of projects that represent diverse causes, regions, and beneficiaries across Nova Scotia. As such, your program’s alignment with the CFNS VISIONS Fund priorities may not be the only factor in determining which expressions of interest are accepted.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or need further information, please reach out to us at Grants@cfns.ca.

If a written application poses a barrier to submission, alternatives are available. Please contact us at Grants@cfns.ca or call 902-490-9916.