Raising funds for a new playground or any other recreational improvement for your community is hard work and can take time. With ABC Recreation’s help, you will not have to postpone your new playground due to lack of funding. We can assist you in the application process and help answer any questions you may have.
In addition to the opportunities listed below, we also encourage you to look into any funding that may be available through your municipality (i.e. community foundations) or local recreation organization. If you have any questions or need help with an application, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Looking at the financial hurdle you must overcome to build or modify a play space in your community can be daunting, but fundraising doesn’t have to be a chore – it can be fun, rewarding and a great opportunity to rally your community together for a shared cause. We developed this fundraising resource to help guide you through the process as you take the first step on this exciting journey. This guide includes:
Recommended steps to help you establish your playground plan before you start fundraising
Helpful tips on what to look for when choosing your playground manufacturer
Suggestions for how you can spread the word about your project
Fundraising ideas and creative ways to acknowledge your supporters
Legacy of Play Contest (Opens in August Each Year)
One winning Kiwanis Club will receive US$25,000 in playground equipment. Plus, any club that enters and continues its project plans with Landscape Structures will receive a complimentary OmniSpin® Spinner valued at US$8,500.*
https://www.kiwanis.org/clubs/member-resources/events/legacy-of-play
*Terms of contest subject to change each year.
Community Foundations of Canada
Matching grant for up to $15,000 please visit the Community Foundations of Canada website for eligibility requirements and to find a Community Foundations of Canada location near you.
https://communityfoundations.ca/
Richardson Foundation
Through the Richardson Foundation, Richardson International and its various divisions support many different community initiatives, such as splash parks, playgrounds, sports fields, arenas, community halls and volunteer fire departments.
https://www.richardson.ca/supporting-our-communities/
KABOOM! Grants
Since 1996, KABOOM! has collaborated with partners to build, open or improve more than 16,700 playgrounds across the country. We build playspaces in partnership with child-serving nonprofits and municipal agencies. Our projects are an incredible opportunity to build new and exciting places for kids and teens to play.
https://kaboom.org/grants#open
Aviva Community Fund
The Aviva Community Fund invests in charitable community initiatives across Canada to strengthen the local community. There are two levels of funding for this grant, less than $50,000 and $50,000-$100,000.
https://www.aviva.ca/en/tools/acf/aviva-community-fund/
Enabling Accessibility Grant
The Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) provides funding to eligible capital projects that increase access for people with disabilities to Canadian communities and workplaces, which in turn creates opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in community activities or access employment opportunities.
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/enabling-accessibility-fund.html
Canadian Tire Jumpstart
Accessible grants that support the capital costs of construction and renovation projects aimed at helping kids of all abilities enjoy sport and play.
https://jumpstart.canadiantire.ca/pages/community-development-grants
Honda Canada Foundation (HCF)
The HCF is dedicated to enhancing the lives and social well-being of Canadian communities by investing responsibly in organizations that share their vision and values. By helping charities registered with the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA), HCF’s goals include:
https://www.hondacanadafoundation.ca/apply-for-funding
Canada Community Revitalization Fund
The Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) is a two-year, $500 million national infrastructure program to revitalize communities across Canada. Not-for-profit organizations, municipalities and other public institutions, and Indigenous communities can apply for funding for projects that aim to:
Projects funded under the CCRF could receive a maximum contribution of up to $750,000 or $1 million (depending on project location), with funding to cover up to 75% of the total project costs. Indigenous community projects may qualify for funding to cover 100% of total project costs. All contributions will be non-repayable.
https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/icgc.nsf/eng/07732.html
Canada Healthy Communities Initiative
The Canada Healthy Communities Initiative (CHCI) is providing up to $31 million in existing federal funding to support communities as they deploy new ways to adapt spaces and services to respond to immediate and ongoing needs arising from COVID-19 over the next two years.
https://communityfoundations.ca/initiatives/canada-healthy-communities-initiative/
Medavie Active Living Grant
Within the area of Active Living, our goal is to strengthen access to physical activity with a focus on supporting increased participation across a population.
https://www.medavie.ca/en/community-impact/active-living/
Canada Community-Building Fund
The Canada Community-Building Fund is a permanent source of federal funding for local infrastructure. Funds are provided to communities up front, twice a year, and can be strategically invested across 18 project categories to address local priorities.
https://www.buildingcommunities.ca/about-the-fund/agreements/eligible-categories/recreation
Canada Post Community Foundation
The Community Foundation awards grants to Canadian schools, charities and community organizations that make a difference in the lives of children and youth, up to the age of 21.
FCC AgriSpirit Fund
Do you have a capital project that will enrich lives in your rural community? The FCC AgriSpirit Fund may provide between $5,000 to $25,000 to projects that qualify in a city or town of fewer than 150,000 people or an Indigenous community.
https://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/community/giving-back/agrispirit-fund.html
Inclusive Community Grants Program
The Inclusive Community Grants Program helps ensure local governments and community organizations consider Ontarians of all ages and abilities at every stage of community planning and development.
https://www.ontario.ca/page/inclusive-community-grants
Parks and Recreation Ontario Funding Opportunities
View funding opportunities offered by Parks and Recreation Ontario.
https://www.prontario.org/resources/funding
Ontario Trillium Foundation
The Community Building Fund – Capital stream provides support for non-profits, Indigenous communities and Municipalities in the community sport and recreation sectors. The fund will help strengthen communities by supporting the repair, renovation or retrofitting of existing sport and recreation facilities to address:
https://www.otf.ca/our-grants/community-building-fund/community-building-fund-capital-stream
Community Recreation Capital Grant
This program assists in the development of small scale indoor and outdoor capital recreation projects, less than $25,000.
https://cch.novascotia.ca/community-recreation-capital-grant
Sports and Recreation Funding Programs
Sport and Recreation leads government efforts and collaborates with communities to improve the quality of life of Nova Scotians through sport and recreation. It supports the sector to develop an effective and integrated system of high-quality opportunities and supports for Nova Scotians to live actively.
https://cch.novascotia.ca/investing-in-our-future
Early Learning and Child Care Initiative – Outdoor Play Space Grant
These initiatives are focused on strengthening the social service system, enabling the government to improve outcomes for Nova Scotia’s youth, families, and communities.
Recreation Facility Development Grant
This grant is available for community groups, municipalities and other ‘not-for-profit’ organizations to develop facilities in order to increase public participation in sport and physical recreation.
https://cch.novascotia.ca/recreation-facility-development-grant
Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador
Recreation NL has collected a variety of grants and funding opportunities that will assist communities in providing quality recreational/physical activities and special event for their community.
https://www.recreationnl.com/funding-opportunities/
Funding Programs Through the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
https://www.gov.nl.ca/tcar/funding-programs/
Recreation New Brunswick Funding Opportunities
Choose from 13 different funding categories.
https://www.recreationnb.ca/funding-opportunities
Tourism, Heritage and Culture Funding Opportunities
Browse a variety of Provincial and Local/Regional grant opportunities.
https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/thc/Sport/Content/funding-opportunities.html
Inclusive Community Recreation Infrastructure Fund
The Sport and Recreation Branch has developed the Inclusive Community Recreation Infrastructure Fund. The main goal of this grant is to support community recreation efforts that improves inclusion and access to recreation for populations that face constraints to participation.
Active Communities Grant
This Program provides support for initiatives that raise awareness of the importance and enjoyment of physical activity and provide new or expanded opportunities for New Brunswickers to be active.
Sport & Recreation Organization Provincial Grant
Support is provided to assist with the growth and development of New Brunswick provincial organizations whose mandate includes the development of sport, recreation or active living opportunities.
Cotton Trust Fund for Public Parks
The R.L. Cotton Trust Fund for Public Parks provides funding to support community organization with rural beautification and public recreation areas across Prince Edward Island.
Wellness Grant Program
The Wellness Grant program has been designed to support local efforts to enhance community-based resources, systems, and networks that can positively influence health outcomes and make healthy choices easier for all Islanders. The program provides support for active engagement and collaborative approaches to addressing the social determinants of health and preventing chronic disease.
