Questions and Advice Once you are ready to begin the online grant application, start by clicking the Save my Work button at the bottom of the application page. Please use this button frequently to ensure that you do not lose any work. Also, be aware that questions are located on multiple tabs so please make sure you ve answered all the questions before you submit your application, including the questions that appear in pop-up windows (such as Strategic Alignment, Project Plan, Financial Workbook and Project Description). General Information QUESTIONS For this project, please provide the key contact s information: Project contact name Project contact phone number Project contact email Provide a summary of your initiative. This is your opportunity to sum up the key elements of your project. Please provide a short, clear, compelling description of your project that explains what the initiative is about, who will benefit, where the project will take place and how the project aligns with the Grant Result you selected. Is this a collaborative or an Emerging Governance Platform? APPLICANT ADVICE 300 words max. Please note that your organization(s) can only apply for one grant per deadline. This is a high level elevator pitch or summary that describes the what, who, where, and why of your project. Clearly state what the funds will be used for: build an accessible washroom, run an after-school arts program, hire two program administrators to. Describe the program participants or population(s) who will directly benefit from the project: 25 isolated seniors in Peel region, 150 Indigenous youth ages 9 to 16, community members interested in watershed restoration. Describe how this project will enable change/benefit the populations served. Indicate the town, region or geographic location(s) where the project will occur. Please avoid acronyms and spell out the names of proposed programs, e.g. the Fit4Me program, or the names of any partner organizations. A collaborative is a group of two or more organizations - each with specific roles and responsibilities - that submit an application to achieve a common goal where there is mutual benefit, shared decision-making and accountability to each collaborative member. The lead organization of a collaborative must be an eligible organization. Emerging Governance Platforms (sometimes also referred to as an Organizational mentor or Mentoring Organization) are
arrangements by which an incorporated not-for-profit or registered charity or otherwise eligible organization provides support such as governance, administrative support, project mentoring, and financial accountability to unincorporated or low-capacity groups delivering programs, services, or projects that benefit the community. I acknowledge that the formal agreement for our collaborative or Emerging Governance Platform is in place. If yes, please provide details regarding the collaborators and planned nature of the collaboration. Write out the full name of collaborator organizations. Must check box to proceed You must confirm that a formal agreement is in place. Please check the box to confirm. 125 words max. If you are applying as a collaborative initiative or as an Emerging Governance Platform, please have in place a formal agreement with all the organizations involved. You may be required to provide this agreement to OTF at any time during OTF's assessment of your application or if approved for a grant. What is the name of the project proposed by the collaborative or Emerging Governance Platform? Will the project take place in Ontario? Yes or No Where will the primary impact of this project be? Only activities that take place in Ontario are eligible for OTF funding. If impact will occur in multiple catchments, pick the catchment where the impact is the most significant. Step #1: Select the catchment area in which this project will have its primary impact. If you are unsure of the geographic area, please view the map of Ontario for more information. Step #2: Narrow the area of your primary impact by selecting the municipality, county or district in which this project will have its primary impact. If the primary impact will occur in the City of Toronto, please select the primary Toronto neighbourhood where the project s impact will occur. Requested amount (Auto-populates) ($50,000 to $250,000 per year, to a maximum of $750,000 over 3 years) This field will populate once the OTF request amount has been entered in the Financial Workbook and the application has been saved. If a portion of this request is for renovations
or purchase of fixed equipment (e.g. furnace), please provide the location of the project. (E.g. address, name of park, etc.) Requested Term - Months (Auto-populates) This field will populate once the grant application term has been selected and the application has been saved. Please select the population that is the primary focus of your grant. (Select one, pick-list) People with Disabilities Francophones Indigenous (select one: First Nations, Métis or Inuit)* Diverse communities and Racialized Groups Women LGBTTQ+ All Populations *If Indigenous selected, select one subcategory pick list First Nations Métis Inuit Please select the community size that is the primary focus of your grant. (Select one, pick-list): Rural or Small Communities (20,000 or less) Mid-size Communities (20,001-100,000) Urban Centres and Metropolitan Suburbs (100,000+) Please select the age group primarily served by the grant. (Select one, pick-list) Children up to 12 years Youth* Please specify - Early adolescence (12-14) - Adolescence (15-18) - Early adults (19-25) - Early adults with disabilities (19-29) Adults (25-64) Seniors (+65) General population (all age groups)
Stream Information QUESTIONS Funding for Grow grants is for specific purposes. Will your project: (Select one) Launch, replicate or adapt a new, evidence-based program Scale up a program currently being delivered, thus impacting more people Improve the quality of a program currently delivered to increase impact Strategic Alignment Select the Action Area that most aligns with your project. (Will generate a Create button leading to a table of relevant Priority Outcomes, Grant Results, and Metrics) APPLICANT ADVICE Grow grants are intended to expand programs, bring to Ontario or your community programs from elsewhere (that are evidence-based), or improve the quality of existing programs. Select a Grant Result that aligns with your proposed project and estimate the impact of your project based on the Metrics provided. The Metrics relate to the Grant Result you have selected. Estimate or quantify the direct impact your project aims to achieve, such as number of new program participants, additional training sessions delivered, or percentage of participants reporting new skills acquired. Your project s alignment with a Priority Outcome and Grant Result is an eligibility requirement. To ensure eligibility, your project must demonstrate how it will contribute to or achieve the selected Grant Result. Please ensure this alignment is clear when responding to the following questions. Read more about Priority Outcomes, Grant Results, and Metrics. Some Grow Grant Results require the use of standardized OTF survey tools. These surveys help track grantees progress towards achieving their chosen Grant Results. Please review the list of Grant Results that require surveys. If you are applying for a project under one of these Grant Results, please also review the Grow Grant Survey Tools prior to applying. All approved grantees that have selected these Grant Results will be required to survey their participants using the specified tool. I confirm that the number or numbers I have entered is/are realistic, achievable and measurable, and reflects/reflect the direct impact we want to achieve with our project. You must confirm that the number or numbers you entered is/are correct, realistic, achievable and measurable, by checking the box. If not, please revise your number(s) as needed.
What is the idea, challenge or opportunity that your organization will explore in this project? 125 words max. For example, "We would like to help new Canadians by using a new-to-ontario literacy program that will improve their success in getting jobs." What is the need or opportunity in the community that this project will address? How pressing is the need or opportunity? How will you address that need or opportunity through the initiative and how does the need and project align with the Grant Result? 125 words max. Please describe the community or population the program is focused on. If appropriate, identify (ideally with numbers or percentages) any gaps in the community's well-being that this project will address. Describe how you identified this need or demand (focus groups, research, needs assessment, etc.). What will the impact of this project be beyond the life of the grant? Upload pictures or diagrams. 125 words max. Please describe long-term plans for this program to continue beyond the life of the grant, including but not limited to financial, administrative and service delivery opportunities. You may upload as many as five (5) pictures or diagrams, or provide a link to pictures, that will provide greater explanation of your funding needs. Please include a short description of each picture. If your request includes capital costs, please not that it is mandatory to upload at least ONE picture. For renovation projects, provide before pictures of the current state of the area to be renovated. Please do not upload anything other than pictures or diagrams, such as floor plans. People Describe the core team members leading and/or supporting the project and their backgrounds as related to the initiative. Process Please summarize the evidence that supports the design of your project and how it will achieve the Grant Result. 125 words max. Outline the key work experiences, educational or other related backgrounds of your team members that best positions them to do this work. Show how their skills, certifications or past work experiences will benefit your project. 125 words max. (Uploads) Your project's design (the processes you employ) should be based on good evidence that demonstrates the initiative will achieve the Grant Result you selected. Evidence may include research, successful examples of existing programs, pilots, models, etc. You must upload evidence and/or provide link(s) to the evidence that supports your project s design.
Briefly describe the key activities you will perform to complete this project and achieve the Grant Result. Anticipated start date (Select from calendar) 75 words max. Requested Term - Month 24 to 36 (Drop down) Are there other organizations that are essential for the success of this project? Yes or No If yes, please provide the names of these essential organizations. Please describe the expected contributions of these partners to the project. Status of the partnership for this project: (Select one, pick-list) Formal agreement Informal agreement In negotiations These are project partners that you have not already identified as part of a collaborative in this application. 75 words max. Contributions may be financial, time, location space, etc. It is acceptable if your organizations and partners have not yet formalized the partnership arrangement.
Financial Workbook Financial Workbook Instructions (pdf) I have read the Financial Workbook Instructions. I have completed the Financial Workbook. You must confirm that you have read the Financial Workbook Instructions. Please check the box to confirm. You must confirm that you have completed the Financial Workbook. Please check the box to confirm. I understand that quotes are required for goods and/or services valued above $10,000. OTF may request them at anytime during the assessment or if approved for a grant. I understand the importance of avoiding any conflicts of interest (or the appearance thereof) when obtaining quotes for goods and/or services. I confirm that the Financial Workbook does not include taxes, such as GST and HST, for which the organization is eligible for a tax rebate, and all other costs eligible for rebates. What is the total project cost? (Enter dollar amount) You must confirm that you understand the requirements for written quotes for goods and/or services. Please check the box to confirm. You must confirm that you understand the Conflict of Interest Policy. Please check the box to confirm. You must confirm that taxes for which the organization is eligible for a tax rebate have not been included in the Financial Workbook. Please check the box to confirm. Please include costs for the entire project, including the amount requested from OTF and all other secured and unsecured sources of funding. If your project is part of a bigger initiative, please enter the dollar amount of the bigger initiative cost. Request from OTF (Auto populates from Financial Workbook) Please indicate the amount of funding from sources other than OTF that you have secured for this endeavor. Describe the sources of secured funding and the nature of the items funded. Please indicate the amount of funding from sources other than OTF that you have not secured for this endeavor. If there are funds required beyond the OTF requested amount that you have not yet secured, what is your plan to secure the additional funds? You must enter a dollar amount. If there are no secured funds, please enter $0. 75 words max. You must enter a dollar amount. If there are no secured funds, please enter $0. 30 words max.
Project Description Provide a brief description of the project (Co-populated with template and dropdown options) Our (drop down options) would like to deliver (drop down options) and is seeking to (describe the activity in 10 words. E.g. build a community garden or repair a roof) The project will advance the Action Area of (drop down options) specifically in the Grant Result area of (drop down options) in order to have an impact on the life of (enter the number of people who will directly benefit from your project). E.g. build a community garden, repair a roof, launch a youth outreach program, expanding a literacy program to new communities. Avoid acronyms Ensure the number is realistic, achievable and measurable. Enter numeric value only (up to 99999). I confirm that the number I have entered represents the number of people who will directly benefit from our project. This number is realistic, achievable and measurable. Acknowledgements The information contained in this application and the accompanying documents is true, accurate and complete. I understand that should this application be approved, our organization will be required to enter into a formal, legallybinding agreement with the Ontario Trillium Foundation that will outline the terms and conditions of the grant. I understand that OTF will not reimburse any expenses incurred prior to being notified of grant approval. The representative with designated signing/decision-making authority for the organization has authorized this application. You must confirm that the number you entered is correct, realistic, achievable and measurable, by checking the box. If not, please revise your number as needed.
QUESTIONS PROJECT PLANNING What other projects (similar in size, cost, duration or scope) has your organization undertaken before and when? What challenges did you face and how did you address them? Describe how the evidence-based process outlined in your project will drive toward the Grant Result you are trying to achieve? APPLICANT ADVICE See Project Plan template at the end of this document. Tell us about how you plan to implement or carry out your project. The detail requested in the Project Plan must demonstrate a link with the evidence you provided, as well as how you plan to achieve your identified Grant Result. The number of project objectives OTF asks for is tailored to the level of funding you are requesting. Your Grow grant application requires the completion of a supporting Workbook that outlines the approach you intend to take to complete your endeavor. All Grow grant applications must include a Workbook. Tell us about other projects you have implemented and what you have learned from them. RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN Think about your project and what could potentially go wrong with it. What factors could prevent you from achieving your project s objectives and the Grant Result selected? Who has the power to make decisions about your project? Are they the same people or group that is accountable for delivering the project? What is the likelihood or probability this risk might occur? (Pick list, select one) Not likely Likely Very likely What would be the impact on your project if this occurred? (Pick list, select one) Low Medium High What will you do if this occurs? 75 words max. Provide details about how responsibility, accountability and authority for your project will be managed to ensure success. Over the life of your project, changes to your board, executive staff or partnerships may affect the support or implementation of your project. External factors could impact your plan and/or ability to achieve your Grant Result. 50 words max. Your project may require funding from other sources (in addition to OTF funding) to achieve its full outcomes. (If all funding sources for your project are fully secured or if OTF is the sole funder, please skip this question). If your project has multiple funding sources, its implementation, scope or schedule may be affected (or at risk) if the other funding fails to be secured.
What is the likelihood or probability this risk might occur? (Pick list, select one) Not likely Likely Very likely What would be the impact on your project is this occurred? (Pick list, select one) Low Medium High What will you do if this occurs? What actions will you take in advance to reduce the probability and/or impact of this occurring? Are there other risks or uncertainties that may impact your project? For example, risks or uncertainties related to staffing, information technology, or other factors. If so, briefly describe. 50 words max. 50 words max. What is the likelihood or probability these risks might occur? (Pick list, select one) Not likely Likely Very likely What would be the impact on your project if these occurred? (Pick list, select one) Low Medium High What actions will you take in advance to reduce the probability and/or impact of these occurring? 50 words max.
RECOGNITION PLAN If your project is approved, you must publicly recognize OTF s investment in your project. Please read OTF's Recognition Policy before completing this section. When thinking about your proposed project: What is your broad or specific objective (or aim) in publicly recognizing your OTF grant? (Pick list, select one) Broad (e.g. increased awareness of an issue) Specific (e.g. coverage of your project in the media) Briefly describe this main objective or aim. 25 words max. Which audience(s) do you want to target when recognizing your OTF grant? (Check all that apply) Your members or donors Users of your programs Government representatives Other like-minded organizations The media Other (please specify 10 words max.) How do you propose to recognize your OTF grant? In addition to a recognition event, check all activities you plan to do. (Check all that apply) Issue a media release Display an OTF recognition plaque Put OTF logo on our website Hold a press conference with local MPPs and OTF Verbally (e.g. during community events) Other (please specify 10 words max.) What key messages do you want your audiences to take away from your intended project? 25 words max.
Additional Evaluation Considerations OTF requires the use of standardized survey tools for Grow grants funded under certain Grant Results. Learn more about these Grow Grant Survey Tools (pdf). You are expected to evaluate your Grow grant in a way that is beneficial to you, in addition to tracking the Metrics you selected as part of your application. To help us assess your plan for the evaluation, please answer the following questions. What is the purpose of the evaluation? What key questions do you want to have answered through this evaluation? What are you trying to learn, test or demonstrate? E.g. strategic decision making, program improvements, sustainability of program, or to leverage resources. What questions will help you learn, test or demonstrate? Besides with OTF, how will you share your evaluation information and lessons learned with your stakeholders and the nonprofit sector overall? What are the three most important changes this program is trying to achieve and how will you know when you achieve them? Who will use the results of your evaluation? What would they want to know and how will they use the results?
Tell us about how you plan to implement or carry out your project. The detail requested in the project plan must demonstrate a link with the evidence you provided as well as how you plan to achieve your identified Grant Result. The number of required objectives is tailored to the amount of funding you are requesting. If you are asking for $250,000 (total grant request) or more, you must describe 4 or 5 key project objectives for each year of funding requested. If you are asking for less than $250,000 (total grant request), you must describe 2 or 3 key project objectives for each year of funding requested. Your answers in the Workbook section, including your project plan, should show how your project plan is viable, reasonable and appropriate for the intended project. Your workbook should: Describe how you will execute the project and define the project s deliverables, including how you plan to achieve the Grant Result (e.g. viable) Describe who will do the work, and how and where the work will be done (e.g. reasonable) Explain how this is an appropriate project for your organization to undertake, given your experience, the strength of the evidence and the project risks you identified (e.g. appropriate) PROJECT YEAR KEY OBJECTIVES MAJOR ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE/ TIMEFRAME RESOURCES AUTHORITY List the key objectives you need to achieve each year to make progress on your project, successfully implement it, and achieve the Grant Result. Please list one objective per cell. What major activities must you do to meet each key objective? What is the planned timeframe or duration to complete each activity? Estimate the type and quantity of resources (human, cash, systems, etc.) you need to complete each activity. Who is responsible for making sure the activities are completed, the key objective is delivered, and the Grant Result is achieved?
Year 1 recommended 2. 3. 4. 5. Year 2 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Year 3 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.