The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) Seed Grant aims to empower non-profit organizations to build resilience, enhance program delivery, and prepare for future initiatives.
Before diving into the intricacies of a successful application, let’s recap the fundamentals of the Seed Grant:
- Interested applicants must operate within one of four sectors: sports and recreation, arts and culture, environment, or human and social services.
- Your organization must have a proven track record of delivering community-based programs within one of OTF’s 16 geographic catchment areas in Ontario.
- Demonstrating financial and organizational capacity is crucial, ensuring you can effectively manage OTF funds and bring your proposed project to fruition.
What does a successful OTF Seed Grant submission include?
1. Demonstrate that you meet the eligibility criteria
Successful submissions should clearly demonstrate how they align with OTF’s eligibility criteria.
- Present a clear understanding of your community’s needs and propose innovative solutions that your organization is in a unique position to implement.
- Ensure your organization operates within one of the designated sectors and geographical catchment areas.
- Demonstrate your financial and organizational capacity, showcasing your readiness to manage OTF funds effectively.
2. Articulate your impact
You know that the work you do helps to build healthy and vibrant communities, but explicitly aligning it with the funding framework is vital to a successful submission.
OTF has specific goals through this funding stream, seeking to fund projects that:
- Foster physically active lifestyles
- Help people build stronger connections and a deeper sense of belonging in their community
- Enrich lives through arts, culture and heritage
- Support youth to develop stronger social, emotional and leadership skills
- Support participation in the conservation and restoration of the environment
- Enable economically vulnerable people to meet their basic needs and/or strengthen their financial stability
Make sure to clearly articulate how your proposed project directly addresses one or more of the community needs listed above.
3. Provide a detailed and feasible project plan
A robust project plan serves as your roadmap to success. A successful submission should demonstrate your strategic approach by clearly outlining:
- Timelines
- Milestones
- Deliverables
The project plan, feasibility and budget make up 60% of what OTF evaluates in your submission. So, ensuring you include a compelling and realistic project timeline, bolstered by a clear budget, is paramount. This is where Laridae can help!
How Laridae can help make your project a reality
Navigating the OTF Seed Grant application process can be daunting, but with the right support, your organization can increase its chances of success.
We can help you 1) navigate the application, then 2) help you deliver on your project and maximize your impact.
Laridae offers a range of support that aligns with OTF’s funding goals. Our support is designed to empower non-profits and maximize their impact across a range of budgets. Over the last 10 years we’ve supported many organizations who have gone on to receive OTF funding and deliver impactful projects for their communities.
If your objective is to “Create or adapt organizational strategy to build resilience and capacity to deliver programs and services”…
- Consulted-led Strategic Planning: We have guided over 100 non-profit organizations through the strategic planning process, helping to clarify focus, deepen trust, and re-energize commitment to their purpose. Our consultants have achieved decades of combined experience developing strategic plans and have developed a time-tested strategic planning process and methodology, grounded in best practices, which we adapt to the needs of each organization.
- Strategy Academy: An innovative take on strategic planning for smaller non-profits, Laridae’s Strategy Academy equips non-profits with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate strategic planning independently. Through our unique, cohort-based online program, organizations learn to engage with their community, staff, and partners while developing lasting planning skills.
If you have your sights set on a project that seeks to “Enhance staff and/or volunteer skills to deliver programs and services”…
- Management Training Program: Our Management Training Program is designed specifically for non-profit managers, offering practical, in-depth education to develop fundamental skills and leverage essential tools for success. With remote instruction and expert facilitation, managers can enhance their capabilities and drive organizational growth. 98% of our Management Training Program graduates report that they have received the training they need to perform well as leaders within their organizations.
Ready to craft a compelling submission, with our support?
By leveraging Laridae’s expertise and support, non-profit organizations can develop compelling OTF Seed Grant applications that align with the grant’s goals, demonstrate capacity building, and ultimately increase their chances of securing funding.
Book a 15-minute call with our Client Care Manager, Jen, to learn more about how Laridae can support your submission to this grant cycle.