Canadian Directory to Foundations & Corporations
About Canadian Foundations
Foundations are a type of charitable organization that primarily exist to distribute funds. Canadian foundations may give grants (donations) to other charities, they may exist to be a funding arm for another charity - such as hospital foundations - or they may carry on their own charitable activities.
Grantmaking Foundations
Foundations that give grants to support the work of other charities are known as grantmaking foundations. There are approximately 3000 grantmaking foundations in Canada that give over $1.5 billion every year to support the work of charities and nonprofit organizations.
Imagine Canada tracks and lists all Canadian grantmaking foundations in the Canadian Directory to Foundations & Corporations. Within the Directory grantseekers can find in depth details on each grantmaking foundation, including funding interests, granting region, recent granting history, and application procedures.
Public Versus Private Foundations
Foundations in Canada are categorized as either public or private. These types generally differ by their funding sources and governance structure. Common examples of public foundations are hospital and university foundations, community foundations, and United Ways. Examples of private foundations are corporate foundations, donor advised funds, and family foundations.
American Foundations
To find information on any American foundation including its 990-PF Financial Return visit the Foundation Center Foundation Finder tool. The Foundation Center is a US nonprofit service organization recognized as a national leading authority on organized philanthropy, providing nonprofits and grantmakers with tools and information.
If you are interested in finding American foundations that give grants to Canadian nonprofits or nonprofits in a particular country, we recommend using the Map of International Grants at the Foundation Center website. Simply visit the free map and click on Canada or the country of interest. You may view any listed Canadian nonprofit organization to see the US foundations providing it with grants.
Useful Links
Charities Listings, Canada Revenue Agency - The Canada Revenue Agency maintains a searchable list of Canadian charities.
Philanthropic Foundations Canada - Philanthropic Foundations Canada is a member association of Canadian grantmakers, including private and public foundations and charities.
Community Foundations of Canada - Community Foundations of Canada is the national membership organization for Canada’s Community Foundations.
The Foundation Center - The Foundation Center is a US nonprofit service organization recognized as a national leading authority on organized philanthropy, providing nonprofits and grantmakers with tools and information.
Sector Monitor - The Sector Monitor provides relevant and timely information on the issues facing charities and nonprofits, including changes to funding sources.
Did you know that there are 161,000 nonprofilts and charities in Canada?
Did you know that Canada’s nonprofit and voluntary sector is the 2nd largest in the world?
The sector represents $79.1 billion or 7.8% of the gross domestic product
The sector is larger than automotive and manufacturing. It generates $112 billion in revenues and employs 2 million people
Canadians donated $10 billion in 2007
Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick have the highest donor rates.
Canadians volunteered 2.1 billion hours in 2007
Young Canadians aged 15 to 24 are more likely to volunteer than Canadians in any other age group
One percent of nonprofits command 60% of all revenues flowing to the sector
Canadians with the lowest household incomes give a greater percentage of their income than others
Saskatchewan has the highest volunteer rate in the country, followed by the Northwest Territories and the Yukon
Those exposed to giving and volunteering activities early in life are more likely to continue those behaviours as adults
