COMMUNITY GRANTS

HOW WE GIVE

Community Action Grants are NOW OPEN! Applications will close on December 15, 2026, 11:59PM EST.


MLSE Foundation’s grant funds are dedicated to supporting Ontario-based organizations who are using sport and recreation to build a more equitable tomorrow. The Community Action Grant enables us to grant up to $50,000 to organizations that are creating positive outcomes for youth.
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WHO WE FUND‍
Governed by the Income Tax Act, MLSE Foundation is only able to grant funds to organizations that are classified as a Qualified Donee by the Canadian Revenue Agency as follows:
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  • a registered charity
  • a registered Ontario amateur athletic association
  • a registered housing corporation in Ontario
  • a registered Ontario municipality
  • Métis, Inuit or First Nation community/Band
  • Organizations that do NOT have Qualified Donee status are still eligible to apply in partnership with a Trustee Organization who has Qualified Donee Status. Schedule a call with MLSE Foundation staff to review your options
  • Organizations performing services in Ontario
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MLSE Foundation prioritizes the following demographics:
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Primary Focus‍
  • Black youth
  • First Nations, Inuit, and Métis youth
  • Women & Girl – identified youth (in the case of gender specific programming)
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Emerging Focus
  • Newcomer youth
  • 2LGBTQ+ identifying youth
  • Youth facing low-income barriers

Read more about what we fund in the Grant Guidelines 2026.

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Step 1: Once you confirm your organization is eligible, follow the prompts to register and create an Organization Profile in our Online Portal.
○ If you have applied for a Community Action Grant in the past, your login information should be unchanged and you can skip directly to the Expression of Interest.
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Step 2: Once your Organization is accepted (1-2 days), complete the short Expression of Interest questions that will become available in your Online Portal.
○ Read the Grant Guidelines to help in completing your application. It has valuable information about how applications are evaluated.
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Step 3: Once submitted, a diverse Selection Circle will evaluate every Expression of Interest and short-list top applicants.
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Learn more about how we evaluate applications in the Grant Guidelines 2026-2027.
○ Organizations not shortlisted can sign up for a feedback call in June 2026 and will be provided feedback to improve their application for next year.
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Step 4: Shortlisted Organizations will be contacted to complete a Full Application that will become available in your Online Portal.
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Step 5: Full Applications will be evaluated by the Selection Circle.
○ Organizations not selected for a grant can schedule a call (closed) to review comments from the Selection Circle.


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The Community Action Grant team will be hosting a live webinar on November 16, 2026 at 11am - 12:15pm for all prospective applicants. Registration details will be posted in November. Register Here
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Important Dates & Timelines

        ○ Expression of Interest (EOI) Submission Opens: November 3, 2026 – December 15, 2026
        ○ Applicants notified of EOI outcomes: January 28, 2027
        ○ Full Application Submissions Open: February 2, 2027 – March 2, 2027
        ○ Applicants notified of Full Application outcomes: April 1, 2027
        ○ Final Decisions & Award Acceptance: March 17th, 2027
Please reach out to FoundationGrants@MLSE.com with any questions.