Operational and Program Funding 2026

At United Way, we help people. Granting funds to local charities is one of the major ways we help solve local and regional social problems. We invest for impact and outcomes.

Funding Guidelines and Criteria

Eligibility Criteria:

• Organizations must be a Registered Canadian Charity.
• Organizations must provide programs and services in our region – Saint John, Kings and Charlotte Counties.
• Organizations must be addressing one or more of our community priorities:
  • Moving people from poverty to possibility
  • Helping kids achieve their full potential
  • Mental health support
  • Breaking the cycle of domestic violence
• Funding request must not exceed 30% of an organizations operating budget, in most cases.

• Minimum funding request is $15,000

Our Investments:

• We support the real costs associated with delivering outcomes. Therefore, we provide funding for both program and operational expenses.
• We provide multi-year grants (the majority of our funding is committed for multiple years).
• We provide funding for system change and capacity building.
• For requests that engage and benefit multiple organizations, clear ownership and deliverables are required.

Exclusions:

We do NOT provide funding for the following:

• • Arts, culture, heritage, environment, sports, recreation or animal programs that do not demonstrate clear alignment with our social mandate

• • Special events or conferences

• • Activities that are considered core government services

• • Political parties

• • Religious activities

• • Deficit funding

• • Fundraising initiatives

• • Medical or scientific research

• • Capital projects, in most cases

• • Service duplication, in most cases

As you consider applying for funding, we encourage you to contact Chelsie Nightingale, Community Impact Manager, to discuss your ideas.

Funding Principles