* The McLean Foundation has updated its online application portal. You can now apply for funding here. PLEASE NOTE: If you applied for funding in our previous online portal (e.g. prior to 2024), you will need to create a new account the first time you apply in the new portal. 

 

Overview

The McLean Foundation is committed to supporting work that is not as likely to be funded by others, but that can make a positive difference.
We look for projects that show promise of improving the wellbeing of people, communities, and our environment which may initially lack broad public appeal.

Areas of Interest:

We support work within and across sectors including: Arts, Environment, Education, Social Welfare and Health.

We are flexible in the types of funding we provide. You can apply for a specific project, an existing program, or general operations. Our grants tend to be up to
$15 000. We also provide larger grants and/or multi-year funding. These types of grants often emerge from previous funding relationships.

To Apply for Funding

  • Applications are accepted through our online application portal on an ongoing basis. You can access the portal here.
  • The first step is to submit a letter of intent/preliminary application. This is not a separate letter but responses to a series of questions in the application form.
  • In the LOI, you are asked to provide the following information:
    • About your Organization: Tell us about your organization and what you are known for
    • Context/Background: Share important context and background information about the work you are doing and why it is important
    • Action Plan: Provide an overview what you will be doing
    • Benefits: Describe the benefits of the work who will benefit, what will be improved because of this work)
    • Budget: Provide a high-level budget
    • Financial Statements: Provide most recent financial statements
  • NOTE: The Preliminary proposal/LOI should be brief.  There are several questions to answer and the character counts are generous as a default. You are not expected to use the full character count.
  • We try to share the outcomes of the LOI stage within 8 weeks.
  • The Foundation will generally only review one application per organization per year. If you have already applied for funding this year, please reach out before submitting another application: info@mcleanfoundation.ca

 

Eligibility

  • Canadian registered charities, and organizations recognized as qualified donees by Revenue Canada are eligible to apply for funding. Grants are not made to individuals.
  • The Foundation receives submissions from a large number of organizations, and the funding available only enables the Foundation to assist a small portion of these. The Directors endeavor to maintain a flexible policy, with particular emphasis on projects showing promise of general social benefit but which may initially lack broad public appeal.

 

Ineligible Requests

As a general rule, the Foundation does not fund the following:

  • Capital campaigns; renovations; equipment
  • Sponsorship of events/conferences
  • General fundraising campaigns
  • Endowments
  • Scholarships
  • Projects involving strictly religious purposes or activities
  • Projects involving partisan political activities
  • Projects or organizations outside of Canada
  • International development projects
  • Purely academic or basic research
  • Reduction of accumulated capital or operating deficits
  • Operating requests for umbrella organizations

If you have any questions, please reach out to info@mcleanfoundation.ca