Granting Process

Qualifying Charities

​Funding by the Foundation is limited to charities that are in good standing with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and that have a current charitable number issued by CRA.

The Stollery Charitable Foundation holds semi-annual board meetings where its directors award grants to charities.  The Foundation's spring 2020 board meeting will be held on April 18, 2020.  Letters of inquiry for consideration at the fall board meeting must be submitted by January 10, 2020. 

Inquiries

The first step in the application process is to contact Jeff Bryson, the executive director of the Foundation, to discuss potential requests and to gather information.  Grant inquiries for consideration at future board meetings may be submitted on an ongoing basis.

An emailed letter of inquiry should include:

• ​a description of the project or initiative
• an explanation of how the need was identified
• identify the amount being requested from the Foundation
• a project budget (revenue and expenses)
• a timeline for the project or initiative
• an explanation of the anticipated benefits of the project (to the agency, its clients, and/or the community)

​Applicants are encouraged to link the amount requested to a specific cost or incorporate the amount requested into a thoughtful revenue budget, rather than request an arbitrary lump-sum.

Proposals

If the executive director of the Foundation feels that the idea has merit and might be considered by the Foundation's directors, full proposal guidelines will be forwarded to the charity.  Spring 2020 proposals, if invited by the Foundation, will be due in the Foundation's office before the end of the business day on February 7, 2020.

The Foundation's proposal deadlines allow the executive director to review the request, conduct the necessary research, ask further questions, and develop a summary for the Board. This due diligence is an important part of the vetting process, so late or last-minute requests are not usually accepted.

Granting Decisions

​Decisions on the awarding of grants are made by the directors of the Stollery Charitable Foundation. Meetings of the directors are held each spring and fall.

Each year, the Foundation receives many more requests than it can accommodate with grants. Directors consider a number of factors when reviewing proposals and reaching their decisions, including pressing community needs at the time, economic indicators, and other contextual influences. Being asked to submit a formal proposal or provide additional information does not guarantee approval by the directors or signify preferred status for an application.

All granting decisions are final and there is no appeal process for requests that have been declined.

Applicant organizations are advised of the Foundation directors' decisions - both approved and declined requests - soon after each meeting.

If declined, charities must wait at least one calendar year before applying again. It is advised that applicants seek feedback about the reasons for the decision to decline before submitting a subsequent request for funding.

Funding
Cheques are usually provided at the end of October of each year, shortly after the fall meeting. If an application is approved at the spring meeting for time-sensitive projects, programs, or initiatives, early grant payments may be arranged.