Funding grants for a brighter future

The Port Moody Foundation routinely grants funds to registered charitable organizations. Recent changes made by the Charities Directorate of the Canada Revenue Agency does enable the foundation to make grants to unregistered organizations known as non-qualified donees and grant requests from such organizations will be considered.

The mandate of the Port Moody Foundation is to provide funds for projects that increase community capacity in arts and culture, heritage, ecology, sports and recreation, and social betterment. Projects and endeavours that support, develop, and enhance parks, as well as cultural, recreational, and community facilities in the City of Port Moody, are open for consideration, as are capital projects of a similar nature.

The Port Moody Foundation community grant process is designed to be efficient and respectful of the grant applicant’s time. The initial submission is an expression of interest only, which details the organization’s name, a description of the project being applied for, the amount of grant being requested, and contact information for the applicant.

Based on the expression of interest submissions received the foundation’s Grant Committee will develop a short list of eligible candidates, and applicants on the shortlist will be contacted to provide any further information required. This process is designed to eliminate non-eligible applicants without the need for applicants to spend a considerable amount of time on their applications.

Each year, the Port Moody Foundation opens a single community granting window. Late in the year, our website announces the acceptance of letters of interest for projects to be considered in the upcoming year. By the end of February, applicants who have expressed interest will be informed whether their project is accepted for further consideration. Successful applicants will then be requested to submit any additional required information by mid-March. The Grant Committee finalizes its decisions and releases the results at the end of March annually.

Port Moody Foundation community grants typically range from $500 to $3,500 per project or organization. The foundation is not looking to be the sole funder for any project but expects to see a project plan based on multiple funding sources, particularly for larger projects.

The Port Moody Foundation operates an expression of interest process for grant selection. Once an organization or project is chosen and granted funding, it’s expected that the funds will be utilized as outlined in the grant application. The Foundation values receiving a brief report detailing how the project achieved its intended outcomes.

Should there be any delays in project execution, the Foundation requires timely notification. In cases where a project with an approved grant is canceled, repayment of the grant might be necessary. Typically, the Foundation aims to distribute funds to successful applicants at its annual general meeting in June each year. However, if a project’s needs dictate, arrangements can be made for earlier fund disbursement.

Community grant applications are primarily assessed based on their alignment with the Port Moody Foundation’s mandate. The Foundation strives for equitable distribution of its funds, which means it’s uncommon for an organization to receive funding for consecutive years. Additionally, an organization’s history with the Foundation, including past grants and project execution, is taken into account. The entire annual community granting cycle, as detailed in question #4 regarding application deadlines, generally spans a period of three months.

Organizations are welcome to apply for multiple grants if they have several projects aligning with the Port Moody Foundation’s mandate. However, due to the Foundation’s single annual granting window for community grants, the expression of interest process, and the need for equitable distribution of limited funds, it is unlikely for the same organization to receive multiple community grants within the same year.

The Port Moody Foundation’s community granting program is an annual occurrence. Occasionally, additional funds become available, typically through specific federal or provincial government initiatives. These programs are often regional and, in the case of the Foundation, are usually implemented in collaboration with other partners or community foundations. Whenever such additional programs are active, detailed information and alternative application processes will be provided on the Foundation’s website.