Apply for a grant

The Entente Foundation grant application process consists of four stages:

Letter of Intent (LOI): Applicant will be asked to provide a project summary, some details regarding outputs and knowledge sharing, as well as the project’s budget and duration. A submitted LOI will be evaluated based on adherence with the Foundation’s objectives and funding criteria. Among those that meet the Foundation’s requirements, a limited number of the highest-ranked LOIs will be invited to submit a full proposal.

Proposal: Applicant is responsible for completing and submitting all the required details of their project proposal on or before the stated deadline. Applicants will also be asked to complete a detailed budget and work plan.

Committee review: Our Peer Review Committee and Community Reviewers will assess proposals and make recommendations for funding.

Final approval: Funding recommendations are brought to the Entente Foundation board of directors for final approval.

Applicants are encouraged to review our FAQs and most recent Call for Proposals in detail prior to submitting a letter of intent.

Please note: Although we very much encourage applications from Francophone organizations and researchers, the application platform is only available in English. Applications must therefore be submitted in English. We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us and we will do our best to help.

Any questions? Contact us at hello@ententefoundation.ca

The Entente Foundation operates one granting cycle per year in the fall. Grant proposals are accepted only during the application period.

Accepting Letters of Intent: September 8, 2026

Deadline to submit Letter of Intent: September 18, 2026, at 5:00pm ET

Invitations to submit full proposal: September 25, 202

Deadline to submit proposal: October 23, 2026, at 5:00pm ET

Approved applicants contacted: Early January 2027

Please note: the Foundation does not provide feedback on submissions that are not accepted.

The Entente Foundation will only consider applications from registered Canadian charities or other qualified donees as identified by the Canada Revenue Agency. Eligible applicants must have a Canadian registered charitable number (also known as a Business Number or “BN”) which is a 15-character code ending with RR0001.

A non-profit group working in partnership with a registered Canadian charity may also apply. Only projects that meet eligibility criteria and adhere to our requirements in our call for proposals will be considered.

The Foundation will not consider proposals to fund the following:

• capital costs
• conferences or event sponsorship
• endowment
• emergency appeals
• general fundraising campaigns
• partisan political activities
• projects outside Canada
• reducing a capital/operating deficit
• religious activities
• retroactive funding

View our current Call for Proposals here

Successful applicants will be required to enter into a grant agreement with the Entente Foundation, outlining requirements related to communication, accountability, reporting and evaluation, including:

• securing ethics approval if required (typically for academic research projects)
• commencing project within six months of approval
• spending of funds for intended purposes as outlined in applicant’s proposal and budget
• notifying the Foundation of any expected or unforeseen delays that require an extension to the project’s timeline
• recognizing the Entente Foundation in project materials, publications, etc.
• making key project staff available for discussion or interview for Foundation marketing and communications materials (newsletter articles, webinars, etc.)
• submitting an interim report, final report and outcomes report

Before continuing, please ensure you have reviewed all the information on this page, including the Call for Proposals and the FAQ section below, to determine if you are an appropriate candidate for funding from the Entente Foundation.

New applicants will be asked to create an account with a username and password. Work can be saved at any point to return and complete/submit at a later date.

The Foundation grant application is an entirely online process. Submissions made via mail or email will not be considered.

Any questions? Contact us at info@ententefoundation.ca.

1. Who is eligible for funding from the Foundation?
   The Entente Foundation will only consider applications from registered Canadian charities or other qualified donees as identified by the Canada Revenue Agency.
   • Eligible applicants must have a Canadian registered charitable number (also known as a Business Number or “BN”) which is a 15-character code ending with RR0001.
2. Do you accept applications from individuals?
   An individual must be partnered with an institution/organization with a registered charitable number in order to submit an application.
3. Is our project eligible for funding?
   Please review in detail all the information posted above, including our current Call for Proposals, to determine if your organization is eligible for funding.
4. Does the Foundation fund projects that are already completed?
   The Foundation will not retroactively fund any project.
5. We have received a previous grant from the Foundation. Can we apply again?
   Past grantees may apply for another grant from the Foundation after a duration of 2 years (24 months from the completion date of previous grant).
6. Are we eligible to reapply if we have been previously declined by the Foundation?
   We encourage any applicant whose project was declined to resubmit the proposal or submit a different proposal during a future granting cycle.
7. How long will it take to get a response to our application?
   Timing varies based on the number of applications we receive. In general, you can expect a response approximately three months after the application deadline.
8. Are there any reporting requirements for accepted proposals?
   All accepted projects will be required to submit three reports:
   • Interim report: midway point between project start and completion
   • Final report: within three months of project completion
   • Outcomes report: 12 to 18 months after project completion

1. How do we apply for a grant?
   Submissions to the Foundation must be submitted through our secure online grant portal.
2. Can we submit our application by mail and/or email?
   Only applications made via the online portal will be considered.
3. Do you accept applications in languages other than English?
   Although we very much encourage applications from Francophone organizations and researchers, the application platform is only available in English. Applications must therefore be submitted in English.
4. Can one organization submit multiple proposals?
   We only consider one proposal per organization per granting cycle. If an organization submits multiple proposals, we will only review the one that is submitted first. We will accept multiple applications from an institution (e.g. university or hospital) if the applications are from different departments. However, within a single granting cycle we will not fund more than one project from a single institution.
5. Can we save our application as a draft and return later?
   The letter of intent and/or proposal can be saved at any time to be edited and/or completed at a later date.
6. Can we print a copy of our application?
   When the final application is submitted, you will receive a PDF copy of the application that you may save and print for your records.
7. What happens if we made an error on an application that has already been submitted?
   We treat submitted applications as final. No edits or additional information will be accepted.
8. Do we have access to our application after it has been submitted?
   A PDF copy of your final application will be attached to the confirmation email, but you will not have access to your application through the online portal.
9. What should we do if we experience technical issues with the application portal?
   Technical issues should be directed via email to the Foundation at hello@ententefoundation.ca.
10. Can I call or meet with the Foundation for advice on my proposal?
    In order to ensure a fair process, we are not able to offer advice or coaching on individual applications.
11. How can I get in touch with the Foundation if I have additional questions?
    Questions for the Foundation should be directed via email to our general inbox at hello@ententefoundation.ca.
12. When will the next granting cycle take place?
    The Foundation typically operates one granting cycle per year in the fall.
    • To be notified of future dates and receive RFPs, please email Deanna Byrtus at dbyrtus@ententefoundation.ca to have your name added to our distribution list.

View our current Call for Proposals for the 2026 granting cycle.

Call for Proposals

1. What is a reasonable amount to request for our project?
   Only project budgets that range from $20,000 to $50,000 will be considered for funding.
2. Can we include salaries in our project budget?
   We understand that high-quality staff are an essential component of any successful project. Within the project budget, a line item(s) for personnel is acceptable if those funds are for direct costs (i.e. used to cover staff salaries directly related to the project and only during the project period).
3. Can we include capital costs in our project budget?
   We do not provide funding for capital costs, which include, but are not limited to, buildings (purchase or renovation), office equipment, vehicles, lab equipment, computers, printers, etc.
4. Are there other restrictions on what can be included in our project budget?
   We do not provide funding for indirect costs (i.e. expenses not directly or readily assignable to the proposed project). These may include but are not limited to office/workspace rent, utilities, administrative staff salaries (e.g. accounting, human resources, information technology), cell phone plans, etc.
   Eligible Expenses Guideline

1. How many grants will be approved in a granting cycle?
   The number of grants we approve per granting cycle is based on the budgets of each approved project ($20,000 to $50,000 range) as well as the total pool of funds available for that particular granting cycle ($150,000 to $250,000 range).
2. How are successful applications selected?
   Successful projects are selected through a multi-stage process. If a letter of intent meets our basic criteria, the applicant will be invited to submit a full proposal. Proposals are assessed and recommended for funding by the Foundation’s Peer Review Committee and Community Reviewers. These proposals are then brought to the Foundation’s board of directors for final approval.
3. Do you provide feedback on proposals that are declined?
   The Foundation does not provide feedback on proposals that are not accepted.
4. What are the most common reasons for a proposal being declined?
   The reasons for declining a proposal vary widely, but the most common feedback from our Peer Review Committee include:
   • Innovation & originality: the Foundation’s funding is intended to act as catalyst funding for new and emerging ideas. Proposals that lack a clear innovative element, rely primarily on established approaches, or do not demonstrate the potential to generate new knowledge, test a promising concept, or inform future practice may be less likely to receive funding.
   • Proposal quality: poorly written, unclear and/or excessively academic. Reviewers should not have to read through the proposal multiple times in order to grasp what is being communicated.
   • Outputs: poorly communicated, with insufficient detail. Multiple outputs are a good thing, and output type can vary (tangible, intangible, etc.), but at least one should be tangible, practical and widely sharable.
   • Scope & scale: while we do fund projects that focus on smaller, local communities, we look favourably on projects that have a wider scope and/or the potential to be scaled up after the initial project period.
   • Budget: not enough detail and/or unrealistic (i.e. activities/outputs seem too ambitious for the amount being requested). While the Foundation appreciates ambition, we also want to ensure that the funding we provide will produce high-quality results.

5. If our application is successful, when can we expect to receive the funds?
   Successful applicants must sign a grant agreement with the Foundation which outlines expectations for reporting, communications, etc. Upon receipt of the signed grant agreement, interim report and final report, direct deposits will be made to the organization covering the total amount of funds awarded by the completion of the grant.