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

Use Vital Signs data to inform decision-making, identify gaps in community need, and direct support where resources can have the greatest impact.

Support organizations and programs with a strong plan, vision, and ability to "move the needle" on the key issues identified by Vital Signs.

Support innovative and creative ideas that will serve as a catalyst for positive impact in Prince Edward County.

Program Details

For 2024, 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.

Purpose

Eligibility

Ineligible

Timelines

Purpose

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 2024:
Total Funding Available: $195k
Max Grant Size: $30k

Grants from the Vital Impact Fund can be applied toward project/program or operational costs (including salaries, equipment purchases, etc).

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

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
Must meet TCF’s General Granting Conditions
Must demonstrate how they will generate positive impact in Vital Signs area/s

Ineligible

Ineligible to apply to Vital Impact Fund 2024

Funding for fundraising activities for sustaining support or capital projects
Funding 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.

Timelines

Application deadline is Thursday, November 21st, 2024 @ 4pm.
Review and assessment by Granting & Community Impact Committee - 1st week of December.
Notification and funds distributed by end of December 2024.
Funds spent, project complete, and grant report submitted to TCF by end of December 2025.

2024 Webinar

The County Foundation hosted a webinar on Tuesday October 29th on the 2024 Vital Impact Fund. The webinar 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. If you are looking to put your best foot forward when drafting an application, then this webinar is for you!

How to Apply

Applications were accepted from October 17th to November 21st at 4pm.
The next round of applications for the Vital Impact Fund will take place in 2025.

Online Form

PDF Form to Print

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

Organization Profile

Budget

Annual Financials

Supplementary Docs

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.

⇒ Download the Budget Template

Annual Financials

Please submit your most recent audited financial statements as prepared by an accountant or qualified third party.

Supplementary Docs

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.

The County Foundation strives to make our grant application process as accessible as possible. If you have any accessibility needs or require additional assistance then please feel free to reach out to info@thecountyfoundation.ca or call us at 613-519-4470.

Criteria & Evaluation

Ideally we would love to approve everyone’s application for funding but we often receive more applications for funding than there are funds available for our grant programs. This is why we need an assessment criteria to apply to these applications.

Below is the criteria areas that your application will be reviewed on. Decision making will be guided by data and focus on high priorities in the community.

Alignment

Organizational Capacity

Innovation

Financials

Community Need

Merit to Other Applications

Alignment

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

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

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

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.

Community Need

COMMUNITY NEED

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.

Merit to Other Applications

MERIT TO OTHER APPLICATIONS

All applications are first evaluated based on their own merits, and then applications are evaluated within the context of other applications. Below are some of the questions that guide adjudicators in their decision-making.

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?

Adjudication Committee

The grants from the Vital Impact Fund will be adjudicated by The County Foundation’s Granting & Community Impact Committee. This is an internal committee that includes TCF Board members with a strong knowledge of Vital Signs and our grants, as well as provide their own professional insight/expertise to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of each application. The committee may engage community experts as needed as part of the evaluation process.

How is Vital Signs used as part of the Vital Impact Fund?

The County Foundation participates in Vital Signs, which is a national community-driven data program led by community foundations from across Canada. Vital Signs® data is an ongoing consolidated snapshot of the trends and most vital issues in Prince Edward County.

The 9 key issues of Vital Signs were selected by Community Foundations of Canada. Community foundations can select priorities to focus on based on their knowledge and understanding of their local community and its greatest needs. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are referenced within the Vital Signs indicators, in alignment with the work of Community Foundations of Canada and other global organizations, to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

The County Foundation uses our Vital Signs reports and data, conversations with community leaders and experts, and our grant knowledge to inform the decision-making process as part of the Vital Impact Fund.

For Grant Recipients

Branding Guidelines

All grant recipients will be expected to recognize The County Foundation. Please follow The County Foundation's Branding Guidelines.

Grant Reports

A grant report is a requirement of this grant. It must be received within one year of the grant being announced, or two months following the end of the project – whatever is sooner. See Grant Reports for forms and templates.

The County Foundation would like to recognize that the Vital Impact Fund is generously
supported by the Wynne Thomas estate, the Katherine and Douglas MacPherson estate,
and by contributions from The County Foundation's discretionary funds.