Government grants, loans and funding for non-profits and charities

Ranked programs

Top 36 of 115 open, ongoing or intake-based programs, best score first.

1. Save on Energy Instant Discounts Program (lighting)

   IESO (Save on Energy)

   Point-of-sale discounts on energy-efficient lighting products from participating distributors for existing Ontario commercial, agricultural, industrial, institutional...

   OngoingOntarioOther incentives
   58

   Top pick

2. FedDev Ontario - Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI)

   FedDev Ontario

   Liquidity assistance and pivot-project funding for southern Ontario businesses hurt by U.S. tariffs. Non-repayable for smaller amounts, repayable for large...

   OpenFederalGrantsUp to $20M
   54

   Top pick

3. Save on Energy Retrofit Program

   IESO (Save on Energy)

   Incentives for Ontario businesses, institutions, multi-residential and agricultural facilities that cut electricity use. Prescriptive (fixed per measure) and Custom...

   OngoingOntarioOther incentives
   46

   Strong

4. Canada Community Security Program (CCSP)

   Public Safety Canada

   Time-limited funding to enhance physical security at gathering spaces of communities at risk of hate-motivated incidents and crimes, such as places of worship, community...

   OpenFederalGrantsUp to $5M
   43

   Strong

5. Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG)

   Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (federal-provincial cost-shared)

   Helps individual Ontario employers pay for short-term training for existing or new employees, with the government covering a share of eligible training costs.

   OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $15K
   42

   Strong

6. Ontario Job Grant (formerly Canada-Ontario Job Grant)

   Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (Employment Ontario)

   Helps employers pay for short-term third-party training for new or existing employees. Employer and government share the training cost.

   OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $15K
   42

   Strong

7. Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (CSRIF)

   Ministry of Sport

   $500 million cost-shared program to repair/upgrade existing sport and recreation facilities (Stream 1) and build new or signature facilities (Stream 2).

   OpenOntarioGrantsUp to $10M
   41

   Strong

8. Mitacs Accelerate

   Mitacs

   Matches partner contributions to fund research internships connecting businesses and organizations with university researchers and trainees.

   OngoingFederalGrants
   41

   Strong

9. Save on Energy Expanded Energy Management Program

   IESO (Save on Energy); industrial support from NRCan

   Funding to hire an energy manager, join strategic energy management coaching, or install an energy management information system at large Ontario facilities.

   OngoingOntarioOther incentivesUp to $250K
   41

   Strong

10. FedNor - Northern Ontario Development Program (NODP)

    FedNor

    FedNor's NODP funds community economic development, SME business growth and a municipal/First Nation economic-development-officer initiative (CIINO) in Northern Ontario...

    OngoingFederalGrantsUp to $170K
    40

    Strong

11. Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit

    Canada Revenue Agency / Canadian Heritage

    Refundable credit on salaries and wages of eligible newsroom employees of qualifying Canadian journalism organizations producing original written news content.

    OngoingFederalOther incentivesLimit $85K
    39

    Strong

12. Enbridge Gas Business Energy Efficiency Programs (UTILITY PROGRAM - not government)

    Enbridge Gas Inc. (private utility; NOT a government program)

    Natural-gas utility incentives for commercial and industrial customers: prescriptive equipment incentives, custom retrofits, new construction, audits and assessments...

    OngoingOntarioOther incentives
    39

    Strong

13. Mitacs AI Advantage (ADOPT and AI+X)

    Mitacs

    Non-competitive Mitacs offerings supporting organizations to adopt and innovate with AI through trainee-led projects: ADOPT (AI readiness to implementation) and AI+X...

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $25K
    39

    Strong

14. NOHFC Enhance Your Community Program

    Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

    Funds community infrastructure projects in Northern Ontario.

    OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $2M
    39

    Strong

15. NOHFC Rural Enhancement Program

    Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

    Funds quality-of-life projects in rural Northern Ontario communities.

    OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $500K
    39

    Strong

16. Save on Energy Energy Performance Program (EPP)

    IESO (Save on Energy)

    Pay-for-performance incentives for commercial, institutional and industrial facilities that reduce electricity use through operational and capital changes, paid per kWh...

    OpenOntarioOther incentives
    39

    Strong

17. Great Lakes Local Action Fund

    Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

    Project funding for community-based action that increases climate resilience and protects or improves water quality in the Great Lakes, including wetland, shoreline and...

    OpenOntarioGrantsUp to $100K
    38

    Strong

18. FedDev Ontario - Funding for organizations that help businesses grow (Regional Innovation Ecosystems)

    FedDev Ontario

    Funding for not-for-profit and community development organizations that strengthen regional business ecosystems and support SME growth in southern Ontario.

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $10M
    37

    Worth a look

19. FedDev Ontario - Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII)

    FedDev Ontario

    Funded AI commercialization and AI adoption projects in southern Ontario. Intake has ended.

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $700M
    37

    Worth a look

20. Mitacs Business Strategy Internship (BSI)

    Mitacs

    Matches partner funds to place students, postdocs and recent graduates in business-strategy and innovation projects at Canadian organizations.

    OngoingFederalGrantsUp to $15K
    37

    Worth a look

21. Save on Energy Peak Performance Program

    IESO (Save on Energy)

    Demand response incentives for commercial and institutional buildings that reduce HVAC loads on forecast peak electricity demand days.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentives
    37

    Worth a look

22. Celebrate Canada Funding Program

    Canadian Heritage

    Funds community activities held on National Indigenous Peoples Day, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, Canadian Multiculturalism Day and Canada Day.

    OpenFederalGrants
    36

    Worth a look

23. Conservation Land Tax Incentive Program (CLTIP)

    Ministry of Natural Resources

    Recognizes private stewardship of provincially important natural areas by exempting eligible portions of a property from property tax.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentives
    36

    Worth a look

24. SSHRC Connection Grants

    Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

    Supports events and outreach activities for short-term, targeted knowledge mobilization, often a first step toward larger and longer-term projects.

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $50K
    36

    Worth a look

25. Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (Loan Fund, Ecosystem Fund, Knowledge Hub)

    Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and regional development agencies (FedDev Ontario in southern Ontario)

    The Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) funds supports for women entrepreneurs through the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund (loans up to $50,000 via selected delivery...

    OpenFederalLoansLoans up to $6M
    36

    Worth a look

26. Commemorative Partnership Program (Community Engagement and Community War Memorials)

    Veterans Affairs Canada

    Funds remembrance initiatives and the construction, restoration or expansion of community war memorials. Several streams with year-round and fixed-deadline intakes.

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $25K
    35

    Worth a look

27. Ontario Bridge Training Program

    Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

    Ontario-funded bridge training delivered by approved providers that helps internationally trained newcomers find work matching their qualifications, through...

    OngoingOntarioGrants
    35

    Worth a look

28. Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program

    Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

    Provincially funded pre-apprenticeship training of up to 52 weeks, delivered by colleges and community agencies, with an 8 to 12 week work placement, for people who want...

    OngoingOntarioGrants
    35

    Worth a look

29. Enabling Accessibility Fund - Express Workplace Accessibility Grant (EWAG)

    Employment and Social Development Canada (Service Canada)

    Funds immediate workplace accessibility updates that support hiring, retention or continued employment of persons with disabilities. Projects can remove barriers through...

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $50K
    34

    Worth a look

30. GST/HST New Residential Rental Property Rebate and Purpose-Built Rental Housing rebate (100%)

    Canada Revenue Agency

    Rebate to landlords and builders of GST/HST paid on newly built or substantially renovated residential rental property; purpose-built rental buildings can get the GST...

    OngoingFederalOther incentives
    34

    Worth a look

31. Ontario Trillium Foundation: Grow Grant

    Ontario Trillium Foundation

    Multi-year funding for established non-profits to scale proven community programs.

    OpenOntarioGrantsUp to $200K
    34

    Worth a look

32. Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)

    Employment and Social Development Canada, delivered by employer delivery partners (e.g., Technation, ECO Canada, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Magnet)

    Wage subsidies to employers that hire post-secondary students (co-op, internship, practicum) in work-integrated learning placements. Employers apply year-round through...

    OngoingFederalOther incentivesUp to $5K
    34

    Worth a look

33. Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program (CASPP)

    Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    Cost-shared funding for projects that help the agriculture and agri-food sector seize opportunities and respond to emerging issues.

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $1M
    32

    Worth a look

34. NOHFC Community Events Program

    Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

    Funds events that promote economic development in Northern Ontario.

    OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $15K
    32

    Worth a look

35. AgriScience Program - Projects

    Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    Funds pre-commercial science, research and development in agriculture and agri-food, with a focus on climate change and environment, economic growth and sector...

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $5M
    31

    Worth a look

36. Sectoral Workforce Innovation Fund (SWIF)

    Employment and Social Development Canada

    Continuous-intake fund for industry-led workforce projects that scale proven training initiatives, build talent pipelines for national priorities, or mobilize industry...

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $10M
    31

    Worth a look

There are 79 more. Create a free account to filter the full list by your own profile.

Questions

How many programs for non-profits and charities are open right now?

Of the 228 programs for non-profits and charities in our database, 81 are open or ongoing and 34 take applications only in intake windows. The rest are closed, paused or of unknown status, so they are not ranked on this page. Counts reflect our last check on Nov 5, 2026; programs can change without notice.

What is the largest published amount among these programs?

FedDev Ontario - Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) publishes the largest figure on this page, shown as "Up to $700M". Published figures are program maximums, caps or limits, not what an applicant should expect to receive; many programs pay a share of eligible costs and amounts depend on your project and eligibility.

Which programs for non-profits and charities rank highest?

Right now the top three by our score are Save on Energy Instant Discounts Program (58, Top pick), FedDev Ontario - Regional Tariff Response Initiative (54, Top pick), Save on Energy Retrofit Program (46, Strong). The score combines the size of the published amount, how much work an application takes, how likely an eligible applicant is to succeed and how many people qualify.

Do I have to pay this money back?

It depends on the program. Grants and incentives are generally not repaid, loans always are, and some contribution agreements are partly or fully repayable, so read the terms of each program. Among the 81 open or ongoing programs here, 60 are in our Grants category, 7 are loans and 14 are other incentives such as tax credits and rebates.

Are these federal or Ontario programs?

55 of the 81 open or ongoing programs here come from the federal government and 26 from the Ontario government. Both levels can usually be combined, but many programs have stacking rules that cap total government funding for the same costs, so check them before you apply.

Is this an official government website?

No. Grants & Loans Finder is an independent research tool. Each program page links to the official source, and applications are always made with the government agency or lender that runs the program.