This year has been devastating for many members of our community and the people they serve. Recognizing this, in March our Board approved COVID-19 pandemic response funding, increasing our 2020 granting allocation by $2 million, bringing our annual disbursements to 5% of assets. We also reallocated $1 million from our 2020 grants budget. This pool of $3 million flowed into three COVID-19 strategies – emergency response, sector-focused support, and forward-looking action – with 82 organizations listed below, receiving grants.

The Foundation provided emergency funds to 74 non-profit organizations. Needless to say, these were hard decisions. We prioritized current and past grantee partners in our Inclusive Local Economies and Performing Arts programs who were disproportionately impacted by this crisis. We placed an emphasis on organizations that have community-based constituencies, our desire to deepen our commitments to organizations that are led by racialized leaders and working on issues of racial equity, while also maintaining our placed-based focus on Toronto. Most of these grants were released by June.

We supported Imagine Canada, Ontario Nonprofit Network and Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council, with sector-focused funding. These three umbrella organizations are assisting their non-profit members by championing sector needs and issues, and helping non-profits respond to ongoing COVID-19 impacts.

We provided forward-looking funding to five organizations that are advancing a range of policy ideas and frameworks to transition to a greener, more inclusive, and resilient economy.

The new year will be upon us shortly. Unfortunately, the difficult circumstances afflicting so many of us, aren’t going away anytime soon. We will continue supporting our partners and communities in meeting these challenges, while providing essential fuel for the work of imagining and building a better future.

Emergency Response Funding

Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services
ACORN Institute Canada
Aluna Theatre
Art of Time Ensemble
Arts Etobicoke
b current Performing Arts Co.
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
Cahoots Theatre Projects
Canadian Stage
Caregivers’ Action Centre (Ontario Employment Education and Research Centre)
CCMC Music Gallery
CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals
COBA Collective of Black Artists
Crow’s Theatre
dance Immersion Ontario
East End Arts (Toronto Arts Foundation)
East Scarborough Storefront (Makeway Charitable Society)
Elizabeth Fry Toronto
Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company
Factory Theatre
FCJ Refugee Centre
FoodShare Toronto
fu-GEN Theatre Company
Hospitality Workers Training Centre (The Learning Enrichment Foundation)
Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund (Community Foundations of Canada)
Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre
Jumblies Theatre
Lakeshore Arts
Le Théâtre français de Toronto
Little Pear Garden Dance Company
Lua Shayenne Dance Company
Margaret’s Housing and Community Support Services
Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (Ontario Employment Education and Research Centre)
Modern Times Stage Company
Native Earth Performing Arts
Nightswimming
Nightwood Theatre
North York Arts
North York Community House
North York Harvest Food Bank
Nova Dance
NPower Canada
Obsidian Theatre Company
Paprika Theatre Festival
Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre
Peggy Baker Dance Projects
Scarborough Arts (28)
Sistering – A Women’s Place
SKETCH Working Arts
Small World Music Society
Soundstreams Canada
SummerWorks Performance Festival
Tapestry Opera
Tarragon Theatre
The Artists Mentoring Youth Project Inc.
The Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival
The Learning Enrichment Foundation
The Musical Stage Company
The School of Toronto Dance Theatre
The Theatre Centre
The Yonge Street Mission
Theatre Direct Canada
Theatre Passe Muraille
Thorncliffe Park Women’s Committee (Scadding Court Community Centre)
TNO – The Neighbourhood Organization
Toronto Centre for Community Learning & Development
Toronto Dance Theatre
UrbanArts Community Arts Council
Volcano Non-Profit Productions Inc.
Warden Woods Community Centre
West Neighbourhood House
Why Not Theatre
Workers’ Action Centre (Ontario Employment Education and Research Centre)
Young People’s Theatre

Sector-focused Support

Imagine Canada
Ontario Nonprofit Network (Toronto Neighbourhood Centres)
Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council (Native Canadian Centre of Toronto)

Forward-looking Action

Corporate Knights (Clean Economy Fund)
Park People
Public Policy Forum
Ryerson Leadership Lab (Ryerson University)
Smart Prosperity Institute (University of Ottawa)