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Giving back to communities
RTOERO Districts can apply for grants of up to $4,000 to fund local projects. Over three decades, we’ve donated nearly $2 million for hundreds of projects across the country.
Our community grants program is designed to encourage all districts to support and partner with local organizations that are making a meaningful difference in communities and whose work aligns with our strategic goals.
All districts can apply for a community grant. Those interested will serve as the project sponsor and will submit the application either in partnership with a community organization or on behalf of the district.
Community organizations are not eligible to apply independently for these grants; they must partner with a district.
Applications open in February each year and are due at the end of May. Districts are informed of all decisions by the last week of August.
2025 deadline: Friday, May 30.
Review our rubric for a detailed breakdown of the application evaluation criteria. Please use the rubric as a guide when developing your grant application
Applications can be submitted on SurveyMonkey Apply. If you already have an account, you’ll be prompted to log in; otherwise, you will register a new account.
The Community Grants and Scholarships Committee (CGSC) will review every application to ensure they meet all criteria. Applications that meet the criteria outlined within the evaluation rubric (see the criteria and rubric section to download) will be recommended to the RTOERO Board of Directors for approval.
Applications that do not meet the criteria outlined in the rubric will not be forwarded to the RTOERO Board of Directors. In this circumstance, the CGSC will provide the district with feedback about how the application could be strengthened for the next granting cycle.
All funded projects require a final report.
Please see criteria and rubric section above to download a rubric which details the criteria used to evaluate applications.
The Community Grants and Scholarships Committee has provided some examples of high-quality answers from past applications.
Question 7 of the application asks how your district and community partner will publicize this project. Some ways this can be done include:
Community relations
Donor recognition
Media relations
Digital and social media
Member communication
Question 8 of the application asks how you will evaluate the impact and success of this project. Some ways this can be done include:
| District | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Algoma | Friends of the SSM Public Library Bookstore Outreach | $4,000.00 |
| Atlantic | Support for transitional rooms | $4,000.00 |
| Brant | Brant 40 Nature-ally | $4,000.00 |
| Bruce Grey & Dufferin | Special Olympics — Upper Grand DSB | $4,000.00 |
| City of Toronto | Expanding Connections | $4,000.00 |
| Cochrane & Temiskaming | Temiskaming Shores Seniors Housing | $3,927.00 |
| Dryden | Age Friendly Wellness | $4,000.00 |
| Etobicoke and York | RTOERODistrict 22 MeasuresUP | $3,975.00 |
| Franco-Nipissing | Passepart Bien-être / Wellness Passport | $4,000.00 |
| Frontenac Lennox & Addington | SALT Workshop Series for Seniors | $4,000.00 |
| Halton | Cycling without Age – Hamilton and Burlington Chapter Expansion | $4,000.00 |
| Hamilton-Wentworth & Haldimand | Bringing the Theatre to Patients at St. Peter's Hospital | $4,000.00 |
| Hastings & Prince Edward | Benches for Seniors in Prince Edward County Public Space | $3,100.00 |
| Huron-Perth | Kitchen Skills Program | $4,000.00 |
| Lambton | Lambton Elderly Outreach Series of Events | $4,000.00 |
| Leeds and Grenville | The Weekender Program for Kids (WP4K) | $4,000.00 |
| London Middlesex | Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of London Ontario | $4,000.00 |
| Mainland British Columbia | Choir Chimes for RPC Seniors Chime Choir | $4,000.00 |
| Norfolk | Norfolk Musical Arts Festival | $4,000.00 |
| North York | Rooted in Nature:Cultivating Native Plants for a Sustainable Garden | $4,000.00 |
| Northumberland | Wind Phone Garden at Local Community Hospice | $4,000.00 |
| Ottawa - Carleton | Educational Awareness of General Challenges of Aging Using Puppetry | $4,000.00 |
| Parry Sound | Almaguin Community Trails | $4,000.00 |
| Peterborough | Volunteer Peterborough Welcome Brochure and Launch event | $3,250.00 |
| Prescott - Russell | Lift Me Up- Safe Support for Seniors and their Caregivers | $4,000.00 |
| Rainy River | Reopening of the Rainy River Public Library | $4,000.00 |
| Renfrew | Community Paramedic Aging In Place Support Program | $4,000.00 |
| Stormont Dundas Glengarry | Glen Cairn Lodge -Warming Centre | $4,000.00 |
| Sudbury & Manitoulin | Memory Mapping: Sharing Life Expériences for Education Community Retirees | $4,000.00 |
| Vancouver Island | "Stewardship in Place" - Seed Project | $4,000.00 |
| Wellington | Special Olympics — Upper Grand DSB | $4,000.00 |
| District | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Algoma | The Kensington Conservancy | $4,000.00 |
| Bruce Grey & Dufferin | Bruce Grey Dufferin Men's Shed | $4,000.00 |
| EstaRiO | Reconnaissance de la Francophonie d'hier, d'aujourd'hui et de demain / Recognition of the Francophonie of yesterday, today and tomorrow | $4,000.00 |
| Etobicoke and York | Health and Wellness Coordinator for Etobicoke Senior Services | $4,000.00 |
| Halton | ONE Little Free Library for Book & Social Clubs | $1,270.00 |
| Hamilton-Wentworth & Haldimand | Blood Pressure Monitoring and Physical Activity for Seniors at PACE | $4,000.00 |
| Huron-Perth | Welcoming Ukrainian Immigrants to RTOERO, District 9 | $4,000.00 |
| Kenora | Kenora Community Hospice Beds | $4,000.00 |
| Leeds and Grenville | Brockville Sunday Suppers | $4,000.00 |
| London Middlesex | London Valley Consistory Club (Equipment) | $4,000.00 |
| Mainland British Columbia | Aging in Place | $4,000.00 |
| Nipissing | Play Readings With and For Seniors | $4,000.00 |
| North York | 2Choirs! Seniors and Music | $4,000.00 |
| Northumberland | YMCA Northumberland Breaking Bread Program | $4,000.00 |
| Oxford | Making Trillium Trail Fully Accessible and Entice Birdwatching | $4,000.00 |
| Peterborough | Trivia Pub Nights | $4,000.00 |
| Rainy River | Enhancing Library Access for Atikokan Seniors | $4,000.00 |
| Scarborough & East York | Commemorative Bench and Commemorative Plaque | $4,000.00 |
| Vancouver Island | Sharing with Youth and Seniors "Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults" by Monique Gray Smith promoting Environmental Stewardship | $4,000.00 |
| Waterloo Region | Gather at the Gallery for 55+ - come for the arts and stay to mingle | $4,000.00 |
| Wellington | Storytime Trail | $4,000.00 |
| York Region | Lighting Up BackStage | $4,000.00 |
| District | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Algoma | Get Moving | $4,000.00 |
| Brant | Brantford-Brant Men’s Shed Community Research Summit | $4,000.00 |
| Bruce Grey & Dufferin | Owen Sound Hunger and Relief Effort - OSHaRE - Christmas Dinner | $4,000.00 |
| Cochrane & Temiskaming | Funding to increase the Montesssori based cognitive learning materials already in use at Golden Manor Home for the Aged. | $3,901.00 |
| Dryden | Dryden Public Library - Large Print Book Collection and Lending Library | $4,000.00 |
| EstaRiO | Pet therapy sports workshops music therapy and outings | $4,000.00 |
| Etobicoke and York | Music Therapy for Developmentally Delayed Seniors | $4,000.00 |
| Hamilton-Wentworth & Haldimand | Cycling without Age Hamilton & Burlington (CWA) | $4,000.00 |
| Hastings & Prince Edward | Benches for Seniors along the East Zwick’s Park Walking Trail in Belleville ON | $3,710.00 |
| Leeds and Grenville | The Farm at Glen Elbe Connect with Nature Program | $4,000.00 |
| London Middlesex | Dorchester Accessible "Dream" Park | $4,000.00 |
| Niagara | Clarice West-Hobbs Contemplative Garden | $4,000.00 |
| North York | Supporting One Voice: Responding to Domestic Violence in Our Community | $4,000.00 |
| Northumberland | YMCA Northumberland Empowerment Series | $4,000.00 |
| Ottawa - Carleton | Canadian Martyrs Parish - Centre 507 Sandwich Club | $4,000.00 |
| Peterborough | Can You Hear Me Now? Enriching the listening experience for all at the Showplace Performance Centre. | $4,000.00 |
| Prescott - Russell | Drum Circles for Seniors | $3,860.00 |
| Renfrew | Chasing a Healthy Ottawa River Watershed | $4,000.00 |
| Simcoe County | Friendship Dinners | $4,000.00 |
| Stormont Dundas Glengarry | Just For Seniors: LOL-Laugh Out Loud | $4,000.00 |
| Vancouver Island | RTOERO District 47 "Connecting with the Homeless" | $4,000.00 |
| Wellington | Connecting Kids to Nature | $4,000.00 |
| District | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Brant | Buzz Me Bears | $2,500.00 |
| Bruce Grey & Dufferin | Bruce Grey Seniors' Centre Without Walls | $2,500.00 |
| Chatham - Kent | Imagine McGregor : A Watershed Tree Planting Project | $2,500.00 |
| Cochrane & Temiskaming | South Centennial Manor: Promote Enjoyment and Engagement in a meaningful outdoor activity for seniors with Alzheimers or cognitive impairments. | $2,500.00 |
| Dryden | Dryden Seniors Activity Centre - The Go Getters:) | $2,500.00 |
| Franco-Nipissing | Assessing the impact of companion robots on social inclusion and participation of older adults: A Northern Ontario pilot | $2,500.00 |
| Halton | LM Montgomery in Norval | $2,500.00 |
| Hamilton-Wentworth & Haldimand | Art Therapy | $2,500.00 |
| Hastings & Prince Edward | Dementia Friendly Communities HPE | $2,500.00 |
| Huron-Perth | Let's Play Together | $2,500.00 |
| Kenora | The Borrowing Cupboard | $2,500.00 |
| Lambton | LEO Christmas Gift Campaign to Isolated Seniors in Jeopardy | $2,500.00 |
| Lanark | Connect Protect Program | $2,500.00 |
| Leeds and Grenville | Brockville Cardiac Rehabilitation Program | $2,500.00 |
| London Middlesex | Childcan's Early Literacy Project | $2,500.00 |
| Muskoka | Promoting awareness of and participation in the Community Carbon Challenge | $2,500.00 |
| Niagara | Port Cares Reach Out Centre | $2,500.00 |
| Nipissing | Assessing the impact of companion robots on social inclusion and participation of older adults: A Northern Ontario pilot (two districts combined project) | $2,500.00 |
| Norfolk | Commercial Cooler/Freezer for Riversyde 83 Community Kitchen | $2,500.00 |
| North York | Respecting Urban Wildlife Challenges and Environmental Stewardship | $2,500.00 |
| Northumberland | Cornerstone’s COVID-19 Recovery | $2,485.00 |
| Oxford | Oxford Thames River Trail East End Wetlands Viewing Platform | $2,500.00 |
| Parry Sound | The Children's Garden at Tower Hill | $2,500.00 |
| Region of Durham | Looking for "Signs of Nature" - A project to bring interpretive signs to the Nonquon Provincial Wildlife Area | $2,500.00 |
| Renfrew | Arnprior Regional Health Foundation - Construction of Memory Boxes | $2,500.00 |
| Simcoe County | Seniors' DIY Crafting Program - Bradford | $2,500.00 |
| Stormont Dundas Glengarry | New Long Term Care Home Fundraiser | $2,500.00 |
| Sudbury & Manitoulin | Keeping Seniors Warm | $2,400.00 |
| Vancouver Island | CanAssist CanConnect | $2,500.00 |
| Waterloo Region | Delivering the Goods | $2,500.00 |
| Wellington | Food & Friends | $2,500.00 |
| York Region | Power Wheelchair | $2,500.00 |
| District | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Algoma | Audio books and large print for seniors at the Ontario Finnish Rest Home | $4,000.00 |
| Bruce Grey & Dufferin | 72 Hour Family Emergency Kit | $4,000.00 |
| Cochrane & Temiskaming | Villa Minto Long Term Care: Promote engagement in meaningful activities for seniors with Alzheimer’s or cognitive impairment | $4,000.00 |
| Dryden | Cycling Without Age: Ami Trishaw Bike for Seniors | $4,000.00 |
| Haliburton Kawartha Lakes | Combat Climate Crisis Poster Contest | $2,000.00 |
| Halton | Burlington Able Sail - Volunteering in the Summer Program | $4,000.00 |
| Hamilton-Wentworth & Haldimand | Good Shepherd’s Jeanne Scott Parent & Child Resource Centre | $2,000.00 |
| Huron-Perth | Camp Klahanie- (Youth Camp) | $2,000.00 |
| Kenora | N.O.W. (Nutrition on Weekends) | $4,000.00 |
| Leeds and Grenville | Days for Girls - Hybrid Kits | $4,000.00 |
| Nipissing | Reducing Barriers to Education in Cameroon Africa | $1,500.00 |
| Norfolk | Quilts for Those in Need | $4,000.00 |
| North York | Stronger Minds Make for Stronger Kids | $4,000.00 |
| Ottawa - Carleton | Kids Today! | Les Enfants d’aujourd’hui | $4,000.00 |
| Parry Sound | Community Oven Project | $4,000.00 |
| Prescott - Russell | Courtepointes Victoria's Quilts | $4,000.00 |
| Simcoe County | Days for Girls Barrie | $4,000.00 |
| Vancouver Island | Makeover of Intake Transition Room | $4,000.00 |
| Wellington | COVID-19 Survival Lifebags | $4,000.00 |
| Windsor Essex | Survive the Cold - Sleep Warm | $4,000.00 |