Update on Municipal Community Grants | The County Foundation

Update on Municipal Community Grants

On November 14th, Council approved a new Community Grants Policy and below we have summarized some of the upcoming changes that will be implemented in 2025.

Read the full policy in the meeting agenda. Scroll to page 2 and click “Draft Community Grants Policy” to find the relevant information.

The Municipal Community Grants program underwent an in-depth review process in 2024 led by the County’s municipal staff. The County Foundation collaborated with the municipality on this work, and we received community feedback from local organizations and community groups throughout this process.

Overview of Program Updates

Below are some of the upcoming changes to the Municipal Community Grants program that you can anticipate for 2025. We are currently busy planning for these updates and looking forward to sharing more ahead of the official relaunch of the program in the Spring.

Operational Support - In addition to providing funding in support of project expenses, the Municipal Community Grants can now be used to assist with operational costs associated with delivering programs and services that benefit Prince Edward County.
Did you know? Municipal funding represents an average of 8% of local organizations’ budgets (from PEC Organizations Survey)

Multi-Year Grants - Applicants will now be able to apply for multi-year grants for the term of Council. Applicants will be able to apply for a 2-year multi-year grant in 2025 as Council’s term ends in 2026.

In-Kind Funding - Applicants will be able to apply for in-kind funding up to $2,000 in 2025. The County Foundation will accept applications for in-kind support twice a year (Spring and Fall). Organizations and community groups that have been operating for less than a year will only be eligible to apply for an in-kind grant.

Arts Funding - Arts mandated organizations will now apply through the PEC Arts Fund. This is an arts-specific grant program that aims to support our thriving artistic community. On December 17th, The County Foundation’s Board approved the creation of the PEC Arts Fund which will be supported annually by $50k allocated from the County’s share of the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) revenue for the term of Council, and $25k in seed funding from The County Foundation. The PEC Arts Fund will be able to accept donations from individuals, families, and businesses who wish to support the arts in our community.
The Municipal Community Grants and PEC Arts Fund Grants will have a maximum grant size of $15,000.

Community Engagement & Feedback

In Feb/Mar 2024 the Municipality and The County Foundation ran a survey asking for input on municipal and TCF support of community organizations, including the Municipal Community Grants Program.

In May, municipal staff reported to Council with a summary of the survey results and a new draft policy for the Community Grants Programinformed by those results.

In Aug/Sep, the municipality held consultations on proposed Community Grant Policy changes, with the participation of The County Foundation. Representatives of community organizations gave feedback on proposed changes via 8 online sessions and email input. Participants were also given the chance to propose new ideas and additional changes to the policy. We had 28 total participants, with representation across Health/Social Services, Arts/Culture and Recreation/ Environment/Heritage sectors.

In Nov 2024, municipal staff presented the draft Municipal Community Grants policy which included additional changes in response to feedback from those consultations. This policy was approved by Council and will now guide the 2025 Municipal Community Grants program which will relaunch officially in Spring 2025.

From all of us at The County Foundation, thank you to everyone who participated in the review of the Municipal Community Grants program. We were truly grateful to participate in such an engaging process and we look forward to bringing many of these changes to life in 2025!