Need Funding? Find it with Grant Connect
Does your school need new computer equipment? Does your youth camp need to build a dining hall? Does your church group want to help establish safe village wells in the third world? Does your arts organization need to create a kickass website? Does your community group want to start a sports program for local kids?
Grant Connect, a "social enterprise" of Imagine Canada, can help you find sources for funding charitable and non-profit ventures. Previously known as the Canadian Directory to Foundations and Corporations, its online version is a bilingual database with detailed, searchable information on thousands of major funders. Whether your organization is small or large, whether you need hundreds or thousands of dollars, Grant Connect can help you identify philanthropists with money to give.
You can access Grant Connect free of charge through all full access computers at any Toronto Public Library branch. From the main screen choose Articles & Online Research. Go to C listings for Canadian Directory to Foundations:
Start with the Dashboard:
Use the Funder Search to find organizations that are most likely to fund your project. Filter by type of project and geographic location.
Use Gift Explorer to see who funded and how much has been awarded recently to projects like yours.
Use People Seeker for info on particular people who are prominent gift givers.
Need guidance on your funding search and grant applications?
Explore additional resources, including tips from fundraising and
foundation professionals:
Grants are available for charities and non-profits in many sectors: arts, literature, environment, education, religion, sports, health, international development, science. Visit your local library, and start your proposal now.
6 thoughts on “Need Funding? Find it with Grant Connect”
Very clear and helpful. Would not have realized that the directory had a name change without this.
Thanks Cynthia. Name changes can always be problematic, but this really is a new and improved version of a very useful product.
Hi,
Thank you for the helpful how-to.
I am having trouble accessing Grant Connect – I am using one of the full access computers at Bloor/Gladstone, but I keep receiving this message:
“An error occurred while processing your request.
The error has been reported to the administrator.”
Any advice?
Thank you
Hi Robyn–so sorry you were having trouble last night. I’ve checked with our IT department, and Grant Connect is now working in all branches. For another time, it’s good to talk to branch staff, and they can call IT on the spot to do any troubleshooting.
Hi there,
I was wondering if I can access it online from home instead of coming to the library.
Sorry Amani,
This is one of the licensed databases that is only available when you’re at a computer in one of our branches. But there are 99 of them throughout the city. Here’s the list, with hours: http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/branches/