The Ottawa Sustainability Fund supports local environmental projects to advance community environmental action, with a vision of making Ottawa a more sustainable city. Registered charities can receive up to $9,000.
About the Ottawa Sustainability Fund
Proposals submitted to the OSFund will be reviewed by the Advisory Committee, which is comprised of volunteers from various sectors and EnviroCentre staff. The selected project is submitted to the Ottawa Community Foundation for a second review.
In order to apply for an OSFund Grant, your organization must be registered with the Canada Revenue Agency as a charitable organization. Not-for-profit status does not qualify your organization unless partnered with a charity for this project/program for which you are applying.
The OSFund awards grants to a variety of environmental projects or programs. However, primary consideration will be given to projects and programs that:
- contribute to greenhouse gas emissions reduction and have a measurable impact
- are innovative and address evolving environmental issues and climate change
- engage partners, volunteers, and foster collaboration.
If you are unsure if or how your program/project can contribute to this objective, please contact us.
For a successful application, please download and review the following:
- Granting Guidelines (PDF)
- Budget Template (Excel)
- Workplan (Word)
- Charitable Partnership Agreement (PDF)
- Final Report (PDF)
– for reference only, final reports will be submitted online following the completion of the project/program - Application Questions (Word)
– for reference only, applications must be submitted using the online form
The Ottawa Sustainability Fund (OSFund) was created in 2006 as a philanthropic fund of the Community Foundation of Ottawa. It enables donors to support with confidence projects that foster an environmentally sustainable society in the City of Ottawa. Since 2006, the fund has contributed over $100,000 in grants to Ottawa-based community projects and organizations.
In 2015, EnviroCentre was approached to provide administrative support to the OSFund. Through a strategic partnership between EnviroCentre, the OSFund Advisory Committee, and the Ottawa Community Foundation, we will continue to fund meaningful, environmental projects and programs within the Ottawa area.
The OSFund is made possible by a team of committed volunteers and the generosity of donors. The funds are managed by the Ottawa Community Foundation. For more information and to donate, please visit their website.
Meet the Advisory Committee
John G. Hollins, Founding Member and Past Chair, Canadian Association for the Club of Rome
Paul M. Koch, Founder and Past Chair, P. Eng., Management Consultant and Civic Entrepreneur
Brandon Malleck, Committee Chair, P. Eng., Manager, Technical Services and Projects, Bentall Kennedy
Elyse McCann, Manager, Outreach and Engagement, EnviroCentre
Phillip-Clemens Nowotny, Committee Member, Manager, Data and Research, Shepherds of Good Hope
Mandy Wilson, Staff Liaison/Committee Secretary
2019 Grant Recipient
In Fall 2019, the Advisory Committee gathered to distribute $9,000 in funding to Ecology Ottawa for its project Breathe Easy Ottawa. Thank you to all who applied and congratulations to our recipient!
Past Grantees
In 2018 Parkdale Food Centre received $9,680 to fund an expansion of the Growing Futures – Solutionary Workshop Program to a broader youth audience. The outcomes of this program include: children being equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive; participants being more engaged in their communities through direct actions such as park clean ups, research projects on local environmental issues; parents changing their shopping/buying/spending habits as a result of children’s involvement with Growing Futures; youth accessing new opportunities through expanded social networks.
“The Parkdale Food Centre is so excited to be collaborating with EnviroCentre on this project. We both value creating concrete change in our community by pulling all of our neighbours together. We believe that we can make this happen, starting with our youngest neighbours, and teaching them to become Solutionaries. A Solutionary is a person who see solutions where others see problems, and we need a generation of Solutionaries.”
Elle Crevits, Parkdale Food Centre, Growing Futures Project Lead
The Fund awarded its first grant in 2009. Since then, over 15 grants have been awarded, covering themes like Education, Energy Efficiency, Living Sustainably and Renewable Energy.
https://www.envirocentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/OSFund-Past-Grantees.pdf
Contact the Ottawa Sustainability Fund
Have any questions? Want to learn more? Don’t hesitate to get in touch.
The Ottawa Sustainability Fund is hosted by EnviroCentre.
Phone: 613-656-0100
Toll Free: 1-877-580-2582
Fax: 613-562-3361
Email: grants@envirocentre.ca