Sector Grant Application Questions

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Step 1: Organization Information and High-level Project Information

• Organization Information
• High-level Project Information

Step 2: Detailed Project Information

Step 1: Organization Information and High-level Project Information

Organization Information

Question: Is your organization's Signatory Contact an existing contact for your organization? Yes/No

• If "no" is selected: Provide the following details about your Signatory Contact:
  • Name
  • Position
  • Email
  • Phone

Question: Provide the following details for your Organization Contact:

• Name
• Position
• Email
• Phone

Checkbox: I have read and agree that this organization will comply with OTF's Anti-Discrimination Policy. 
 

Checkbox: I have read OTF's Digital Services and Data Policy, Access to Information Policy and the Privacy Policy, and understand that data provided throughout the application may be shared with other funders and/or may become public.
 

Question: Select your organization type:

• A charitable organization or public foundation registered as a charity by the Canada Revenue Agency
• An organization incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation without share capital in a Canadian jurisdiction
• A First Nation
• A municipality with a population 20,000 or less, or their cultural and recreational agencies, including public libraries and museums

Question: Provide the following details about your organization:

• Legal name
• Operating name
• Preferred language of correspondence
• Incorporation number (for not-for-profits)
• Year of incorporation (for not-for-profits)
• Charitable registration number (for charities)
• Year of registration (for charities)
• 9-digit Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Business Number. Learn more about submitting your business number.
• Address:
  • Street Address/RR or PO Box #
  • City
  • Province
  • Postal code * format (X1X 1X1)
  • Phone
  • Website
  • If your organization is active on social media, provide the social media platforms (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and handles you operate under.

Question: Provide your mission statement. Max 200 words.

Question: Tell us about your typical activities, services or programs. Max 200 words.
 

Question: What sector does your organization operate in? Select the option that best fits.

• Arts/Culture
• Environment
• Human and Social Services
• Sports/Recreation

Question: How many people does your organization serve annually?
 

Question: Does your organization offer programs and/or services in both official languages? Yes/No.

• If "yes" is selected: How is your organization mandated to offer bilingual programs and/or services? Choose one of the following:
  • Agency designated under the French Language Services Act
  • Area designated under the French Language Services Act
  • Mandated by Board of Directors and/or Funder
  • Non-mandated but serving Francophone population

Question: Is a percentage of the selected population your organization serves Francophone? Yes/No.

• If "yes" is selected:
  • What % of people served by your organization are offered programs and/or services in French? (100%, 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%)
  • What % of your organization's programs and/or services are offered in French? (100%, 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%)

Question: On average, how many paid staff did your organization have over the last 12 months, regardless of full-time or part-time status?
 

Question: On average, how many volunteers did your organization have over the last 12 months, regardless of the number of hours volunteered?
 

Question: For each category below, select the population that your organization serves

• Language of population served:
  • Bilingual (French/English) 
  • Francophone (and offered services in French)
  • Other Language excluding English or French
  • General Population
• Gender of population served:
  • Non-binary
  • Trans-Men/Trans-Women
  • Men/Boys
  • Women/Girls
  • General Population
• Lived-experience of population served:
  • People living in low income 
  • People who are newcomers/refugees 
  • People living with disabilities
  • People living with mental health challenges/addiction
  • General population
• Identity of population served: 
  • Black
  • Indigenous
  • 2SLGBTQIA+
  • Other racialized groups
  • General Population

Question: Does your organization’s leadership and/or decision-making entities (Board, executive team, senior leadership etc.) reflect the language, gender, lived-experience or cultural identities of the communities served by your organization?  

• Yes 
• Somewhat 
• No 
• Unsure  

File upload: Upload your organization's most recent completed financial statements and surplus or deficit information, if required.

Question: Does your organization have an accumulated surplus or a deficit that requires an explanation or plan? Yes/No

• If "yes" is selected: Upload a document explaining the reason for, and your plan to resolve, your surplus or deficit.

Question: Does your organization have a minimum of three active board members (active terms as of the grant application deadline date), with at least 50% of board members at an arm's length relationship to each other? Yes/No 

• If "yes" is selected: We need your most current board list including their:
  • First name  
  • Last name
  • Term start date
  • Term end date  
  • Position
  • Arm’s length (yes/no)

Question: Select the option that best describes your organization:

• My organization has no paid staff
• My organization has paid staff, some of whom report directly to the board
   

Question: Do you have staff who are directors or at a higher level? 

• If "yes" is selected: Provide details about your organization's senior staff (Director level and above):
  • First name  
  • Last name  
  • Position
  • Decision-Making (Yes/No)
  • Arm’s Length (yes/no) – in relation to other senior staff and board members 

File Upload: Upload your organization’s By-Laws. 

Checkbox: I confirm that the organization has financial management and conflict of interest policies in place.
 

Checkbox: I confirm that all the organization information provided is correct, up-to-date and complete.

High-level Project Information

Question: Will the project activities funded by OTF take place in Ontario? Yes/No

Data Collection

The following question is for data collection and will not be used to assess your grant application.

Question: What OTF supports did you use to prepare your application? Select all that apply. 

• Support Centre  
• Website
• Webinar
• Coaching call
• None of the above 

Application Requirements

The following questions will be used to assess your grant application.

Question: Select your anticipated project start date. 

Question: Select the requested term.

• 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 years

Question: Select one project objective.

• Create or adapt tools and approaches that will strengthen the capacity of the non-profit sector to respond to changing community needs or opportunities. 
• Improve how data is collected, shared and used to build capacity across the non-profit sector.
• Build understanding of diverse and non-traditional funding and strengthen the non-profit sector’s capacity to access it.

Question: Describe how the project will achieve the selected objective. Max 250 words.

Question: Describe the need or opportunity the project aims to address within Ontario’s non-profit sector. Also detail why it is important and timely. Reference supporting data, research, or feedback from the sector to demonstrate the need for the project. Max 250 words.

Question: Who within the non-profit sector will benefit from the project? This can include organizations, networks, community groups, and others working for the public good. Max 100 words.

Question: Engaging relevant stakeholders throughout implementation is key to delivering a successful project. How and when will you engage these stakeholders? Max 100 words.

Question: Select one or more project outputs. These are tangible tools, resources, frameworks and other supports you plan to create or strengthen. 

• Shared tools or platforms
• Shared systems or infrastructure
• Sector-wide frameworks or standards
• Workforce or training systems
• Data, learning, or evaluation infrastructure
• Funding readiness or sustainability supports
• Other shared sector-level resources

  • If "Other shared sector-level resources" is selected, briefly explain this output. Max 20 words.

Question: Is this a collaborative application? Yes/No

• If "yes" is selected: Add the names of the organizations listed in your Collaborative Agreement in the table provided.

Question: Step 1 of the grant application requires you to identify one to three project deliverables. Provide one deliverable per field.

If the project meets the requirements for a Sector grant, you will be invited to submit a full application. Your deliverables will be carried forward to Step 2, where you will complete the full Project Plan.

Sector stream grants also need to include the following two OTF deliverables as part of the Project Plan: 

1. Engage stakeholders relevant to the project
2. Measure project success

Enter the project deliverables:

• Project deliverable 1: Applicant’s deliverable 
• Project deliverable 2: Applicant’s deliverable
• Project deliverable 3: Applicant’s deliverable
• Project deliverable 4: Engage stakeholders relevant to the project
• Project deliverable 5: Measure project success

Question: Complete a preliminary Project Budget by entering the total requested amount for each budget category. These category totals will be used to calculate the total amount of funding requested.

If the project meets the requirements for a Sector grant, you will be invited to submit a full application. In Step 2 of the Sector grant application, you will provide detailed budget line items for each category and an explanation for the requested amounts.

• Sector grants range from $50,000 to $900,000. 
• You can request between $50,000 and $300,000 per year, for 1, 2 or 3 years. 
• Only include the amounts that you are requesting from OTF. Your amounts will be rounded up to the nearest hundred. 

Acknowledgements

Checkbox: The information contained in this application and the accompanying documents is true, accurate and complete.

Checkbox: A representative with designated signing/decision-making authority for our organization has authorized this application.

Step 2: Detailed Project Information

Question: Provide additional information that you want to share related to your project objective. Max 100 words. 

Question: Based on the need or opportunity the project addresses, what sector-level change do you aim to achieve, and how will this benefit the non-profit sector in Ontario? Max 250 words.

Question: Based on the sector-level change you aim to achieve, how will the project strengthen the capacity of non-profits to improve how they deliver their programs and services? Explain the pathway from sector-level change to community-level benefit. Max 250 words.

Question: To help OTF better understand the anticipated impact of the project, select one metric from the list below that is relevant to the project. Also, provide the number for that metric and how you arrived at this number. Max 100 words. 

1. How many organizations are expected to use the project outputs? 
2. How many networks are expected to use the project outputs?
3. How many people are expected to use the project outputs?

• Provide a custom metric that reflects a key outcome or impact of your project.
  • Describe the custom metric. Max 100 words.
     

Question: OTF requires Sector stream grantees to measure the progress and success of the project. Drawing on the key tasks from the project plan, expand to include indicators or data that will be collected and anticipated targets. Max 250 words.

Question: How will the project outputs, such as tools, resources, frameworks and other supports, continue to benefit the non-profit sector beyond the term of the grant? Max 250 words.

Question: Upload your Collaborative Agreement.

Question: What potential risks do you anticipate during the implementation of the project, and how will you mitigate the identified risks? Max 200 words.

Question: Complete the Project Plan by outlining the key steps, timing, and resources needed to successfully deliver the project.

The deliverables identified in Step 1 of the application have been carried forward below. The plan must address all listed deliverables, including the two mandatory OTF deliverables for Sector stream grants:

• Project deliverable 1: Applicant’s deliverable 
• Project deliverable 2: Applicant’s deliverable
• Project deliverable 3: Applicant’s deliverable
• Project deliverable 4: Engage stakeholders relevant to the project
• Project deliverable 5: Measure project success

Question: Complete the Project Budget by outlining all project-related costs required to deliver the project, including a detailed breakdown of the cost for each budget item.

Question: Do you plan to purchase non-fixed equipment for your project? Yes/No

• If "yes" is selected:
  • Upload at least one photo of the non-fixed equipment you plan to purchase. Include a maximum of 5 files and a short description for each.
  • Upload your quotes or estimates.

Checkbox: I understand that a minimum of one quote or estimate (preferably two or more from different suppliers) needs to be uploaded with this application for all goods and services valued above $5,000. I also understand that multiple sub-contracts with a supplier on the same project will be considered as a cumulative total. This means if the total of these goods and services exceeds $5,000, a minimum of one itemized quote or estimate (preferably two or more from different suppliers) needs to be uploaded.
 

Checkbox: This application:

• Requires quotes and estimates and they have been uploaded
• Does not require quotes or estimates 

Examples: Goods and/or services under $5,000 per supplier

Examples: Goods and/or services over $5,000 per supplier

Additional funds needed to complete the project

If this funding request represents a component of a larger project, applicants must demonstrate that the OTF-funded activities can be completed independently or that other funding sources have been secured. If this is not part of a larger project, you do not need to answer the remaining questions about amounts and sources of funding.

Question: Are additional funds needed to complete this project, outside of the OTF grant request? Yes/No 

• If "yes" is selected:
  • What is the total project cost?
  • How much funding have you secured from sources excluding OTF?
  • List the sources of secured funding for this project and indicate how the funds will be used.
  • If applicable, what is your plan to obtain any unsecured funds required for this project?

Question: To complete your project description, describe your project in 20 words.

[Grantee Operating Name] will use a $XX Sector grant over XX months to [describe your project up to 20 words].

Acknowledgements

Review OTF’s Policies and confirm that your organization and this project comply with OTF's requirements.

Checkbox: I have reviewed OTF’s policies and I confirm that my organization and this project comply with OTF’s requirements.

Checkbox: The information contained in this application and the accompanying documents is true, accurate and complete.

Checkbox: I understand the importance of avoiding any conflicts of interest (or the appearance thereof) when obtaining goods and/or services.

Checkbox: I understand that should this application be approved, our organization will be required to enter into a formal, legally binding agreement with the Ontario Trillium Foundation that is based on the information in this application and includes the terms and conditions of the grant.

Checkbox: A representative with designated signing/decision-making authority for our organization has authorized this application.

Checkbox: I understand that if this application is approved, my organization may be required to submit updated organization information at any time throughout the life of the grant.

Checkbox: I understand that once I submit my application, it is final and cannot be changed.