FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Need Help Financing Your Project? Start Here!

We have compiled a list of various programs, rebates, grants, and incentives below to help you get started!

Retrofit/Energy Funding Programs for Faith, Spiritual, & Community Buildings

1. Save On Energy

   • Retrofit Program

   • Small Business Program for Lighting and other eligible energy-efficient equipment upgrades. Contact Doug McBeth, Ottawa representative for lighting, at dmcbeth53@gmail.com or (613) 277-7095.

   • Energy Performance Program Incentives: This Program encourages whole building energy performance improvements through incentives at a four cent per kilowatt-hour ($0.04/kWh) of savings per year for up to 3 years

2. Enbridge - Fixed Incentive Program

   • Space Heating: Air Curtains, Condensing make-up air (MUA) Units & Dock door seals

   • Ventilation: Destratification fans, Heat recovery ventilators (HRV) and energy recovery ventilator (ERV), Demand control kitchen ventilation (DCKV), Demand control ventilation (DCV),

   • Hot Water: Ozone laundry

3. Enbridge - Commercial Custom Retrofit Program

   • Boilers

   • Water Heating Systems

   • Building automation systems

   • Heat recovery

   • Variable frequency drives (VFDs)

4. Enbridge - Smart Thermostat Program: Get a $75 discount when you buy a smart thermostat.

5. IESO - Indigenous Community Energy Plan Program: Energy plan funding for Indigenous communities. Applications are now closed.

6. Hydro Ottawa - Ottawa Retrofit Accelerator
   

Gardening-Related Grants

1. TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Grant (TD-FEF): a national charity that funds environmental projects across Canada with a primary focus on environmental education and green space programs.

   • Winter Submission Deadline: January 15, 2026

   • Summer Submission Deadline: July 15, 2026

2. Community Garden Development Fund: Financial support for existing and new gardens in Ottawa

3. Communities in Bloom

4. 2 Billion Trees Program Funding: New tree planting

5. Tree Canada - Community Tree Grants

   • Edible Trees Program: Funding for edible tree planting initiatives

   • Treemendous Communities Program: Funding for a variety of tree planting initiatives

6. The Pollination Project - Daily Grant Program: Microgrants of $1000 all year round.

Community-Based Project Funding

1. Community Environmental Projects Grant Program (CEPGP): CEPGP provides funding to non-profit organizations interested in undertaking small-scale, community-based initiatives that support an environmentally sustainable Ottawa.

2. Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program: provides funding for projects that protect surface water and groundwater quality. Open until December 31, 2025

3. Ottawa Community Foundation - Community Grants Program

4. Ontario Trillium Foundation - Grants: Various grants available to communities, youth, and Indigenous groups. Here are a few relevant options:

   • Community Investment Seed Grant: Funding to support the development of new projects.

   • Community Investment Grow Grant: Funding to help advance already established projects.

   • Capital Grant: Funding for capital projects, such as purchasing equipment, building a new space, or completing renovations, retrofits or repairs.

5. Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Program

Faith-Based Funders

1. United Churches:

   United Church of Canada (UCC) Foundation

   Faithful Footprints

   Eastern Ontario Outaouais Region Funding

2. Anglican Foundation

3. Mennonite Church Canada-MC Canada Emissions Reduction Grant: This grant is to fund a project in a Mennonite Church that will reduce GHG emissions or generate renewable energy. Each applicant/congregation may request a grant to cover up to 50% of the cost of a proposed project, to a maximum of $3000.