Municipal Community Grants
Municipal Community Grants
Grants are available to not-for-profit and community-based organizations for projects which enhance the County’s quality of place and the local economy. The Municipal Community Grants Program is made possible through funding from the County of Prince Edward in partnership with The County Foundation (TCF) to augment funding and administer the program.
Purpose of the Grants
Purpose of the Grants
To improve the well-being and quality of life of the community and its residents, through financial assistance to not-for-profit and community based organizations which provide programs and services in arts & culture, heritage, recreation, environment, and health & human services. The municipal community grant intends to support projects across Prince Edward County that benefit a wide cross section of residents.
Program Details
Program Details
The Municipal Community Grants Program is open to:
- Not-for-profit organizations and community groups that support and provide programs and services in the following areas: arts & culture, heritage, recreation, environment, and health & human services.
- Places of worship that have partnerships and use space for open community activities and groups. The programming is to be non-denominational and inclusive.
- Priority will be given to projects that align with the strategies of the Municipality and The County Foundation such as Vital Signs, Community Safety and Well-being Plan, Thrive PEC Community Economies Pilot Project, and the Strategic Priorities of Council.
- Only 1 request per not-for-profit and community-based organization will be considered in a fiscal year
- School boards; for-profit businesses; service clubs; sectarian or political entities; and individuals are not eligible.
This Municipal Community Grants Program will NOT fund any projects or groups under any of the following circumstances, where:
- The funding is considered primary and/or covers operation costs for day-to-day administration of the program of more than 20%;
- Organizations receiving support through another Municipal funding program for the same project;
- Activity takes place outside of PEC;
- Grant is to fund a deficit or funding shortfall;
- Application and component pieces are deemed to be incomplete;
- Any previously granted funds are not fully reconciled and all reports received;
- The applying organization does not meet eligibility criteria;
- Annual fund drives and fundraising activities for sustaining support;
- The organization does not meet General Granting Conditions set out by TCF.
- Application deadline is Monday, March 18th, 2024 @ noon
- Review and assessment by TCF March 19th-April 16th, 2024
- Approval by Council by mid-May 2024
- Notification and funds distributed by end of June 2024
- Funds spent, project complete, and grant report submitted to TCF by end of June 2025.
Any events, programming or activities that are at no-cost to participate, everyone is welcome to
join, is for the good of the community and its members may request In-Kind use of rentable municipal spaces.
Information on criteria and how to apply is available on the Request Form. If you have further questions about in-kind use of municipal space then please contact bookings@pecounty.on.ca.
Applicants who do not qualify for in-kind use of municipal venues can include rental cost in their budget as part of their Municipal Community Grants application.
On February 20th 2024, The County Foundation hosted an informational webinar on the Municipal Community Grants which has been recorded for the convenience of those who were unable to attend. Please note the Community Grants Program is under review in 2024 and there will be changes upcoming for 2025.
Required Documents
To apply for a Municipal Community Grant, you will need to provide additional required documents along with your application. The above tabs detail what you will need to submit so you can prepare them in advance if you wish to.
*Please note that the Community Grants Program is under review in 2024 and therefore these documents are subject to change in 2025.
Applicant Profile
Attach a background of your organization. Include whether your organization is a non profit or a community organization, what it is, services you provide, details of leadership team and Board of Directors if applicable. You can also include information on any partnerships relevant to your application.
Vulnerable Sector Check: Please include your organization's current policy regarding maintaining up-to-date vulnerable sector checks for staff and volunteers as part of the Applicant Profile if relevant to your project.
Project Budget
Detail all expenses and other revenue sources that are supporting the project. This a budget specific to the amount requested - not an operating budget.
Budget Template
Copy of a budget template that you can utilize for your application. Please note that you can use your own budget documents if you would like.
Annual Financials
You must submit your most recent annual financial statements as prepared by an accountant or other qualified outside party to apply for the Over $5k Grant Stream. If you do not have annual financials prepared by a qualified third party then you cannot apply for the Over $5k Stream but you are welcome to apply for the Under $5k Grant Stream instead.
Supplementary Documents
In addition to the other required documents, you can submit up to 2 additional supplementary documents along with your applications. This can include images from your programs, an Annual Impact Report, testimonials or stories, or anything else you feel would be relevant to your application that you would like to highlight.
Community Benefit
How does your project benefit Prince Edward County? Our community is filled with incredible ideas and residents passionate about serving their community and without a doubt most applications would benefit the County in some capacity - which is what makes decision-making so difficult. Therefore, we need to have a bit of a Birdseye view perspective and examine things like: how many residents will this benefit? Does it take place in an area where less happens in the County? Would this help an underserved group? How accessible is this project?
In addition to communicating the community benefit of your project to Prince Edward County, it is beneficial to also speak to how your project aligns with the strategic goals and priorities linked above (Vital Signs, Community Safety & Well-being Plan, Thrive PEC Community Economies Pilot Project, Strategic Priorities of Council). This is where something like data could assist you in furthering your case for support in your application.
Organizational Capacity to Deliver
It is important to speak to your organization’s ability to deliver on the project you are proposing. Do you have the right resources in place? Does this project align well with programs you are currently running or is this new territory? If there is a bump in the road with weather conditions (for an event for example) or a change in public health measures (gathering limits) does your organization still have the ability to run the program or project?
Finances
Is your project 100% reliant on this grant or are there other diverse sources of revenue to support its implementation?
Knowing that a project has the capacity to deliver and other funds to help support it alongside a community grant helps to demonstrate the financial feasibility of the project. On the other hand, other considerations might include the financial need of an organization and/or the urgency of a project. For example, is this a new organization that could benefit from a boost because they have fewer revenue options than others?
Financials will also be examined in the context of evaluating organizational capacity to deliver and to evaluate the reasonability of the request when compared to the project budget.
Merit to Other Applications
After your project has been reviewed stand alone on the above criteria, your application is evaluated within the context of other applications. This is done to ensure that funding is distributed across PEC not just concentrated in one area, that it fulfills a community need and using an equity lens to look at inclusion and diversity.
Below are examples of the questions we ask the committee to consider during an adjudication:
- Has funding been disbursed across the different granting areas (health, recreation, arts, etc.) or is it weighted towards a particular sector?
- Is this a project or initiative that will fill a gap in the community? Is this a unique project or are there competing groups offering similar activities/programs/services?
- Have we funded grants from across Prince Edward County or has the funding become too concentrated to one area? How many residents will be able to benefit from this project?
- How inclusive or equitable is the project? (Does the project benefit or highlight an underrepresented group? How accessible is this project?)
For Grant Recipients
For Grant Recipients
