Vital Impact Fund
Vital Impact Fund
The Vital Impact Fund is the signature fund of The County Foundation (TCF), bringing together the work of our Vital Signs data and our grants to better serve the needs of the Prince Edward County community.
Goals of the Vital Impact Fund
Goals of the Vital Impact Fund
Program Details
Program Details
For 2025, the Vital Impact Fund will be accepting applications for projects related to ALL of the key issues of Vital Signs including: Community, Economy, Education, Environment, Food Security, Health, Housing, Safety, and Transportation.
The Vital Impact Fund will use Vital Signs data to address community needs in Prince Edward County and direct grants where they will have the greatest impact. The needs of the community will continue to evolve and change, and the Vital Impact Fund will be responsive and shift priorities as needed. Therefore, each year of the Vital Impact Fund could look different in order to adapt and support the needs of the County and its residents.
For 2025:
Total Funding Available: $180k
Max Grant Size: $60k
Grants from the Vital Impact Fund can be applied toward project/program or operational costs (including salaries, equipment purchases, etc).
Organizations are limited to submitting 1 application for funding, unless they are part of a collaborative project which must be approved by The County Foundation in advance of submitting. The collaborative project must also be distinct from any individual application ensuring applications are clearly defined.
Organizations that have never received funding from The County Foundation are only eligible to apply for up to $10,000.
The adjudication committee has the discretion to approve a grant for an amount exceeding the maximum limit if they identify a particularly strong application with a collaborative and innovative approach to tackling a community need.
Eligibility of Applicants & Projects for Vital Impact Fund 2024
- Must be a Qualified Donee as defined by the Income Tax Act
- Must benefit Prince Edward County residents
- Must meet TCF’s General Granting Conditions
- Must demonstrate how they will generate positive impact in Vital Signs area/s
Ineligible to apply to Vital Impact Fund 2024
Projects/programs/services that are already supported by The County Foundation’s public grant programs (including the Municipal Community Grants and the Huff Family Fund).
- Funding for fundraising activities for sustaining support
- Funding solely for research or development
- Funding to cover deficits or retire debts
- Funding for sectarian, religious, or political purposes
*Places of worship can apply for support through the Vital Impact Fund for non-denominational and inclusive projects.
- Application deadline is Monday November 3rd, 2025 at 4pm
- Review and assessment by Granting & Community Impact Committee - mid to late November
- Notification and funds distributed by end of December 2025.
- Funds spent, project complete, and grant report submitted to TCF by end of December 2026.
New in 2025 - Impact Training
New in 2025 - Impact Training
The County Foundation is thrilled that for 2025 we will be offering Impact Training for all grant recipients of the Vital Impact Fund. In addition to receiving funding, grant recipients will attend a training session on how to better measure and report on their impact. The session will be led by Janeen Halliwell of People Minded Business and take place on either Thursday February 12th or 26th. If you plan to apply then please note that attending this session will be a condition of receiving funding.
Why are we offering this? We believe this is helpful for both recipients and for us as funders. This builds the skills of the organization, assists them to collect and analyze data in meaningful ways, and can increase their chances of attracting future funding.
Janeen Halliwell is a passionate changemaker, facilitator, and founder of People Minded Business. She is known for her unwavering commitment to inclusive collaboration and driving meaningful change in the non-profit and public sectors. With over two decades of experience championing and teaching impact evaluation, Janeen has helped countless organizations not only measure what matters but also use evaluation as a powerful tool for learning, accountability, and transformation. Her work is grounded in WITHology™, a human-centred, co-design approach that reflects her belief that the best solutions emerge when people with lived experience are at the heart of the process. Janeen brings both heart and strategy to every initiative, sparking innovation that makes organizations and communities stronger and more inclusive.
People Minded Business (PMB) is a purpose-driven consulting firm that works with clients in health, human, and community sectors to co-create meaningful change. PMB's work spans a wide range of supports - organizational future proofing/ transformation, strategic planning, human-centred codesign, creative problem-solving and training in a wide variety of related areas. All projects include impact evaluation to ensure change efforts are not only effective but measurable and grounded in the experiences of those most affected. PMB’s signature approach, WITHology™, reflects their commitment to equity, inclusion, and the power of collaboration.
2025 Webinar
2025 Webinar
The County Foundation will host a webinar on Wednesday October 1st at 11AM on the 2025 Vital Impact Fund.
Below is the webinar from 2024 which reviewed the new fund and how it was established, tips for how to best approach the application process, and discussed the grant program in more detail including eligibility, criteria for evaluation, required documents, and the timelines for 2024. Please note there will be changes in 2025.
PDF printed applications can be emailed to info@thecountyfoundation.ca, mailed or dropped off at The County Foundation at 35 Bridge St. Suite 107, PO BOX 24, Picton, ON, K0K 2T0.
Applying for a grant is a competitive process and we often receive more grant applications than there is funding available. Past funding commitments should not be interpreted as a guarantee that future requests will be approved.
Required Documents
To apply to the Vital Impact Fund, 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.
Organization Profile
Please upload a brief profile of your organization. Include leadership team and any key staff involved, any community partnerships related to the request, and describe what services/programs you provide in the community.
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 Organization Profile if relevant to your application or work.
Budget
Please upload your budget for this initiative including total expenses and revenues. Be specific about where the grant money requested will be used.
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
Please submit your most recent financial statements. It is preferable that the financials have been prepared by an accountant or other qualified third party if available. Financial statements will show the overall financial status of your organization, including income and expenses.
Supplementary Documents
In addition to the other required documents, you can submit up to 2 additional 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.
ALIGNMENT
Does this application align with the purpose of the Vital Impact Fund and address at least 1 of the key issues identified by Vital Signs? Will supporting this application direct resources where they can have the greatest impact? Does it address a gap in the needs of the community? Will this improve life in Prince Edward County?
ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY
Has the applicant demonstrated that they can carry out the plan as outlined? Do they have a proven track record with an achievable plan? Would supporting this request benefit the sustainability of the organization and its work in the community?
INNOVATION
Is this an innovative application that would positively impact the key Vital Signs issues? Is this a unique opportunity or a creative solution to addressing the needs of the community?
FINANCIALS
Is the budget and request reasonable? Have they shown additional funding that will assist with their objective? Would the applicant benefit from this grant in particular because there is less funding available for this type of request? (For example: unique ideas = limited funding opportunities).
While it is common for charities to face occasional financial challenges, it can be a concern if an organization struggles with ongoing cash flow issues and becomes dependent on the success of a grant for their ongoing operations.
Does the application target a particularly high need area identified by Vital Signs data? Does this application aim to address a chronic or systematic challenge in our community? Is there more urgency needed to act?
For the Vital Impact Fund, spreading funding across the Vital Signs categories is less essential than examining COMMUNITY NEED and DIRECT IMPACT.
- Based on Vital Signs, have we identified the applications that will have the greatest impact on addressing the highest priority needs of the community?
- Are there applications showcasing a strong collaborative and coordinated approach to addressing an issue?
- Is this a unique project or innovative approach to tackling the County’s needs?
- Have we been able to strengthen local organizations that align with the key areas of Vital Signs and have a positive impact in our community?
- Does the project or organization have access to other funding sources, or is this an application that would specifically benefit from this grants program?
For Grant Recipients
For Grant Recipients
supported by the Wynne Thomas estate, the Katherine and Douglas MacPherson estate,
and by contributions from The County Foundation's discretionary funds.
