CFNS VISIONS Fund 2024 Update
December 17, 2024
The grantees for the 2024 CFNS VISIONS Fund have been selected.
We will be publicly announcing these recipients in January.
In its inaugural year, the CFNS VISIONS Fund received 151 applications, with total funding requests exceeding $9 million, in addition to multi-year requests. We were both thrilled and humbled by this response, and remained committed to conducting a thorough and thoughtful review of each application to ensure alignment with the intentions of our anonymous donor. Applications were reviewed by two arm’s-length committees, each focused on one of the granting priorities.
The selected grantees were contacted directly in December.
We appreciate your interest in the Community Foundation of Nova Scotia. We hope you will stay connected to our newsletter to be notified of other funding opportunities.
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.
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. The grant range is $25,000 – $75,000, for a maximum three-year request of $225,000.
- Grants will not be awarded for deficits, mortgages or to retire debt; retroactive funding; capital projects; 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
Grant Range: $25,000 – $75,000
Application Period: October 1st – November 5th, 2024 at 11:59:59 PM
Notification of Success: Early December, 2024
Fund Disbursement: December (via electronic funds transfer)
Project Timeline: Majority of funds must be spent on project/program expenses by December 31, 2025. For multi-year projects, grants will be received annually. A majority of the grant must be spent within the year that it is received.
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.
Apply
Our CFNS VISIONS grant application process is now closed for the year. We will reopen for new applications in Fall 2025.
In the meantime, we encourage you to sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Facebook or Instagram to stay updated on the latest news and announcements regarding future grants.
Thank you for your interest, and we look forward to reviewing your application next year!