Apply for Community Priorities Grants Program (Canada)

Deadline: 15-Oct-2026

The Community Priorities Grants Program provides funding to qualified donees for projects that address emerging community needs and promote equity across Southwestern Alberta. The program is the largest granting initiative of the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta and supports a broad range of local projects benefiting residents throughout the region. More than $500,000 is awarded each year through the program. Funding decisions are made by a committee of directors and volunteers representing the diverse communities of Southwestern Alberta. Projects are assessed based on community need, equity, organizational support, collaboration, innovation, feasibility, and the breadth or depth of their expected impact. Requests of more than $15,000 may be considered when projects strongly fulfill the applicant organization’s mission and services while providing significant benefits to the wider community.

About the Community Priorities Grants Program

The Community Priorities Grants Program is designed to respond to emerging needs within communities across Southwestern Alberta. Rather than focusing only on ongoing or routine organizational activities, the program prioritizes projects that respond to current or developing community challenges. The program is funded through unrestricted gifts from donors throughout Southwestern Alberta. This flexible donor support allows grant decisions to respond to changing community priorities and enables funding for a wide range of initiatives. Grant decisions are made by directors and volunteers who represent the diverse communities of the region. Their involvement helps ensure that applications are considered from a community-wide perspective. Funding Available The Community Priorities Grants Program awards more than $500,000 each year to qualified donees. While the program supports a wide range of grant requests, applications requesting more than $15,000 are considered for projects that: - Fulfill the mission and services of the applicant organization. - Address an important community need. - Provide significant benefits to the community. - Demonstrate a strong and achievable project plan. - Show meaningful organizational investment, collaboration, or innovative approaches. Applicants requesting larger amounts should therefore clearly demonstrate why the proposed project requires the requested level of funding and how the investment will create significant community benefits. Who Can Apply? The program provides funding to qualified donees. Applicants should ensure that their organization meets the qualified donee requirements before preparing an application. The proposed project should also be connected to the organization’s mission and services, particularly when requesting more than $15,000. What Types of Projects Are Prioritized? The Community Priorities Grants Program supports a broad range of local initiatives, provided they address relevant community needs and contribute to positive outcomes for residents of Southwestern Alberta. Projects are particularly competitive when they: - Respond to emerging rather than ongoing needs. - Promote equity within the community. - Support local organizations and community capacity. - Benefit residents across Southwestern Alberta. - Offer innovative approaches to addressing community challenges. - Involve collaboration with other organizations or community partners. - Demonstrate meaningful organizational investment. - Can realistically be completed within the next year. - Have the potential for broad or deep community impact. Emerging Needs and Community Responsiveness One of the key considerations is whether a proposed project responds to an emerging need. This means applicants should clearly explain the current or developing issue their project intends to address. Applications should avoid presenting routine organizational activities as though they are new community responses.

A strong application can explain:

- What emerging need has been identified. - Who is affected by the issue. - Why the issue requires action now. - How the proposed project responds to the need. - What could happen if the need remains unaddressed. Demonstrating a clear connection between the emerging need and the proposed solution can strengthen the application’s overall case for support. Promoting Equity The program also evaluates how projects contribute to equity. Applicants should consider whether their project helps reduce barriers, improves access to opportunities or services, or responds to needs among community members who may experience disadvantages or exclusion. Projects should clearly describe who will benefit and how the proposed activities will create fairer or more inclusive outcomes. Community Impact The breadth or depth of community impact is an important consideration in funding decisions. A project does not necessarily need to reach the largest possible number of people to demonstrate strong impact. A smaller project may also be competitive if it creates meaningful and measurable benefits for the people or communities it serves.

Applicants should clearly identify:

- The people or communities that will benefit. - The problem or need being addressed. - The expected outcomes. - How the project will improve community conditions. - The scale or significance of the expected impact. Project Feasibility and One-Year Implementation Projects prioritized by the program should be well-developed and achievable within the next year. Applicants should therefore present a realistic implementation plan that demonstrates that the organization understands what needs to be done, when activities will occur, and what resources will be required.

A strong proposal should demonstrate:

- Clearly defined activities. - Realistic timelines. - Appropriate staffing or organizational capacity. - A practical budget. - Identified partners where relevant. - Achievable outcomes. - A clear connection between activities