Apply for Niagara Prosperity Initiative

Application information

Download and print the detailed Niagara Prosperity Initiative application guidelines.

• Eligibility criteria

  To be considered for funding, applicants must meet all the following criteria:

  • Incorporated as a non-profit organization, registered charity, or be an urban off-reserve Indigenous-led organization; and have been in existence for a minimum of one year. Grassroots groups are encouraged to apply as a supporting partner within a collaborative grant application.
  • Governed by a volunteer board of directors that is democratically elected and active, with a minimum of three members not related by blood or marriage.
  • Provide financial statements signed by at least one director of the organization for the most recent fiscal year end and include comparative information for the prior fiscal year, upon request
  • Organizations with annual revenues of over $500,000 in the most recent fiscal year may be required to submit financial statements that have been audited by a licensed public accountant
  • Organizations with annual revenues between $100,000 - $500,000 in the most recent fiscal year may be required to submit financial statements that have been subjected to a review engagement by a licensed public accountant provided that an extraordinary resolution according to the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act has been passed by its members to have a review engagement instead of an audit
  • Organizations with revenues of less than $100,000 may be required to submit internally prepared financial statements that include a statement of revenues and expenses and a balance sheet for the most recent fiscal year provided that an extraordinary resolution according to the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act has been passed by its members to not appoint an auditor and to not have an audit or review engagement
  • Shall not be or have not been indebted to Niagara Region or be in default of the terms and conditions of any agreement with Niagara Region
  • Provide information that demonstrates it does not, in the absence of the grant, have the financial resources necessary to undertake the activity for which the grant is requested
  • Submit a completed application form and confirm that all information provided in the application form and related documents is true, correct and complete, as verified by an authorized official of the organization
  • Must be willing to enter into and comply with a funding agreement in the form provided by Niagara Region

  The project for which funds are requested must:

  • Focus on one of the six projects identified for investment and demonstrate alignment with the Niagara Poverty Reduction Strategy
  • Ensure equitable and inclusive service delivery to support the priority population(s) identified in the proposal
  • Provide services to Niagara residents within the boundaries of the Niagara region
  • Possess the following minimum insurance requirements:
  • Commercial General Liability Policy with coverage of a minimum of $2 million per occurrence, including Non-Owned Automobile Liability. The policy shall not contain a sexual abuse and molestation exclusion and shall provide a limit of liability for this coverage of not less than $2 million per occurrence.
  • If applicable, Owned Automobile Liability insurance (minimum of $2 million per occurrence)
  • If applicable, Professional / Errors and Omissions Liability insurance (minimum of $2 million per claim)
  • Applicants are encouraged, and may be required, to have Employee Dishonesty Coverage or a Comprehensive / Commercial Crime Policy
  • Organizations approved for funding must add The Regional Municipality of Niagara as an additional insured under the organization's Commercial General Liability Policy
  • Certificates of Insurance must be on Niagara Region's Certificate of Insurance Forms
  • Ensure that each employee of the organization working directly with, or that may come into contact with children and youth has provided a criminal record check, including a vulnerable sector screen, conducted by a police force within six months before commencing work pursuant to the proposal; and ensure that each employee or agent of the organization has provided to the organization, prior to the employee commencing work pursuant to the proposal, a signed declaration, in a form satisfactory to Niagara Region, with respect to the period since the date of the last criminal reference check. The organization shall retain all record checks and declarations and make same available to Niagara Region. This requirement shall not impose any obligation upon Niagara Region to request copies of these documents and the organization accepts full responsibility in this regard.
  • Operate in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code
  • Be compliant with all applicable rules, regulations and laws of the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario, including those which apply to the regulation of non-profit corporations
• Types of requests that will not be considered

  The following types of requests will not be considered:

  • Projects or activities that do not directly benefit residents of Niagara region and occur within the boundaries of Niagara region
  • Purchases of property
  • Financing charges, interest payments on loans, real estate fees, legal fees and costs related to easements (e.g., land surveys)
  • Requests that will be used to establish / contribute to a fund within an organization for the purpose of funding individuals and / or other organizations / projects
  • Events where competition is the focus, including awards / prizes
  • Debt retirement, depreciation or deficit funding
  • Mandated government services
  • Projects which are primarily or fully funded or delivered by municipalities, including parks and recreation, transportation and economic development
  • Existing projects that are not substantively modified to implement a change based on lessons learned that are designed to increase the impact of the project

  Requests for funding will not be considered from:

  • For-profit organizations (eligible non-profits may apply in partnership with for-profit organizations if the non-profit is the demonstrated program lead)
  • Governments, Ontario Health Teams, public health units, hospitals, libraries, police services, post-secondary institutions, municipalities, local economic development agencies affiliated with a municipality and recreational / senior centres directly supported by a municipality. Eligible non-profits may apply in partnership with these organizations if the non-profit is the demonstrated program lead.
  • Organizations that exist primarily to raise funds or act primarily as a funder of other organizations. Applications may be accepted if the organization has a clear programmatic focus and track record of program/project delivery.
  • Organizations that have a purpose related to political activity as defined by the Canada Revenue Agency
  • Organizations that require participation in religious activities as condition of service
  • Organizations that have practices or activities that could be deemed discriminatory as defined by the Ontario Human Rights Code
• Considerations when preparing your application
  • Applicants may be requested to modify their proposal at the discretion of Regional staff
  • Applications can include operational / administrative costs and capital items / equipment needed to implement and deliver the project or improve service delivery
  • Administrative costs must not exceed 10 per cent of the overall request

  The application submission must include:

  • Completed Niagara Prosperity Initiative application form with all required sections completed. Incomplete applications will be deemed ineligible.
  • Quotes (if applicable). Three quotes / prices must be provided if the submission includes capital equipment or other capital items, including computers, where the dollar value of these items total $5,000 or more.
  • Letter(s) of support (if applicable). Letters of support are required for all collaborative applications from all supporting partners, such as those who provide free space or are essential for the delivery of the project.
• Project types

  The Niagara Prosperity Initiative may support new projects or existing projects with incremental changes based on lessons learned that are designed to increase the impact of the project.

  Funding cannot be used to support projects and ongoing core operations as they exist currently, as determined by Niagara Region in its sole discretion.

  If applicants are seeking funding for an existing project, they must explain how their proposal will implement a change based on lessons learned that are designed to increase the impact of the project to be considered.

• Priority populations

  Projects must target at least one of the following populations that are more likely to experience poverty:

  • Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (2SLGBTQ+) people
  • Black and other racialized communities
  • Children and youth in care
  • Indigenous peoples
  • People who are experiencing homelessness
  • People who are involved in the criminal justice system
  • People who are living in institutions
  • People who are living in rural and / or remote areas
  • People who have emigrated to Canada
  • People with disabilities
  • People with refugee status or who are undocumented or non-status
  • Women

  As Indigenous peoples are historically underserved, we request that all projects include programming for Indigenous peoples.

• Individual and collaborative applications

  Niagara Region encourages collaborative applications that demonstrate a coordinated, integrated or collective impact approach to meet community needs.

  Collaborative applications refer to when two or more organizations with a well-defined relationship submit an application for funding to achieve a common goal, with one of the organizations taking the lead and being fully accountable for the delivery of the proposal.

  Characteristics of well-defined relationships may include mutual benefit, shared organization decision-making and accountability to partners and the communities they serve.

• Funding limit

  Applicants to the Niagara Prosperity Initiative may request between $100,000 to $300,000 per year, for up to three years.

  Funding decisions are at the discretion of Niagara Region and subject to annual budget approval by Regional Council.

• Application review

  Applications deemed eligible by Niagara Region staff based on the application guidelines will be reviewed by the Niagara Prosperity Initiative Grant Review Panel. The panel, consisting of staff, community members and subject matter experts, will make funding recommendations.

  Panel members will be selected on the basis of expertise, including lived expertise and confirmation that they do not have a conflict of interest to ensure the integrity of the process.

  Grant review panellists will use a standardized scoring matrix based on the application guidelines to review applications and will consider the potential impact of the project and other factors determined appropriate by Niagara Region.

  Applicants are encouraged to review the scoring matrix in completing their proposal to ensure that they have fully addressed the review criteria.

  Niagara Region reserves the right for staff to consider information outside of the funding application and follow-up with applicants for additional information to inform the review process, including but not limited to eligibility requirements.

• Awarding and post-award feedback

  Funding recommendations put forward by the Grant Review Panel, based on highest scoring applications, will be provided to the Commissioner of Community Services for consideration and approval. All grant applicants will be notified if their application was approved or declined for funding.

  Niagara Region shall determine the amount of funding to be distributed to applicants that are approved for funding, subject to Regional Council approval of the annual budget. We may award the entire amount of funding requested or only a portion of the amount requested, which in turn may necessitate modifications to the project, which we will negotiate with the applicant.

  Submission of an application does not constitute a guarantee of funding.

  All applicants shall be informed that they can request a follow-up meeting with staff about the outcome of their grant application. Applicants will be provided with the ability to meet with staff involved in the review process to receive feedback on their application, including the decision rationale.

  After this preliminary meeting, grant applicants who want more clarification on the outcome of their application will be provided the opportunity to escalate their concerns to the Commissioner of Community Services, who is not a member of the initial Grant Review Panel, through a secondary meeting. Decisions made by the Commissioner are final and are not subject to further review.

• Funding agreement

  Niagara Region will issue a funding agreement to applicants approved for funding. The agreement outlines the funding relationship, including the conditions of funding, the approved use of funds, targets / outcomes and reporting requirements.

  Reporting requirements include quarterly reports, an annual year-end report and any additional requirements determined by Niagara Region, including to support a public report to Regional Council on the outcome of the project.

  Niagara Region, in partnership with Brock University, plan to capture successes across all funded projects. Successful applicants will be expected to participate in interviews and an annual event as part of this process.

  Funding will only be issued when an agreement is executed. The applicant will not be reimbursed for any expenses incurred before the funding period identified in the Funding Agreement. The agreement will fully define the terms and conditions of funding.

  Funding will be flowed to the applicant after receipt of quarterly and year-end reports. The payment schedule may be adjusted based on budget reports.

  Initial pay release will be made within 30 days of receiving a signed agreement. Other payment releases will be made within 30 days of receiving the required report and invoice.

• Conflict of interest

  Applicants must avoid placing themselves in situations where their personal interests actually or potentially conflict with the interests of Niagara Region. Applicants are expected at minimum to:

  • Not take part in, or in any way influence, any Regional decision that might result in a financial or other advantage, whether direct or indirect, related to this application process and any subsequent agreement
  • Not attempt to gain an improper advantage or preferential treatment from the Grant Review Panel or Regional employees
  • Not provide any personal benefit, gifts or hospitality to employees of Niagara Region or the Grant Review Panel

  Applicants must disclose any situation that could result in an actual or perceived conflict of interest.

Niagara Prosperity In...

• Funding Areas
• Prosperity Projects