COVID-19

The Foundation is joining international efforts in 2020 to respond to the pandemic to the best of its ability and to relieve the suffering that it has caused. This is why we have adapted the criteria we use to prioritize projects, which we have outlined below.

Priority will be given to projects that best meet the needs of vulnerable people who have been affected by the crisis as well as to those that aim to mitigate the negative social and economic repercussions of the pandemic.

Projects will have to align with the Foundation’s mission and meet our usual criteria, with an emphasis on the following criteria and areas of action.

Please note that in this pandemic context, the needs are enormous and we are receiving a very large number of requests. Although we would like to be able to meet them all, our resources are limited and we are unable to respond positively to all the requests received. Thank you for your understanding.

Prioritized criteria

All pandemic-related applications must:    

  • Address vulnerable people’s needs directly connected to the COVID‐19 crisis; 
  • Help the most vulnerable people, including women, children, seniors and people with disabilities;  
  • Focus on community health measures that prevent and mitigate the short-term effects of the pandemic as well as measures for medium-term economic recovery;    
  • Promote concrete and realistic initiatives with a clear budget and activities that will have a short- and medium-term impact;   
  • Be in synergy with or complementary to other local initiatives and government programs, if applicable;   
  • Promote social justice, namely with regards to cases of COVID-19-related stigmatization.  
Priority Areas of Action

Please note that the listed projects are for illustrative purposes only. Any project that aims to mitigate the negative impacts of the health crisis will be analysed.

Drinking Water

Projects to improve community hygiene measures. For example:  

  • Providing access to drinking water
  • Installing handwashing stations  
  • Distributing soap to communities and/or families  
  • Improving sanitation facilities (washrooms, showers, pedal-activated faucet and flush systems, etc.)  

Agriculture

Projects directly related to food security. For example:

  • Planting family or community gardens  
  • Providing equipment for community kitchens or canteens
  • Livestock farming initiatives

Health

Community health projects. For example:  

  • Providing additional beds for hospitals
  • Organizing spaces for social distancing (e.g. appropriate waiting rooms)
  • Providing medical supplies to improve protection and care  
  • Awareness campaigns and training on preventing the spread of the virus

Other than these three areas of actions, we will also prioritize economic recovery projects, such as income-generating activities in agriculture, food processing, sewing, woodworking, or other economic activities that are related to one of the Foundation’s 8 areas of action.

Deadline to submit your application

The deadline for pandemic-related applications is July 15, 2020.

Please follow our 8-step process and allow some time between submitting your project idea and sending in your application.

We strongly suggest that you submit your project idea before June 1. This will give you enough time to complete your application before the deadline. 

Apply for a grant request during the pandemic

If your organization has already been accredited

You may go directly to the secure section My Projects.

If your organization is not accredited

  1. The first step is to fill the form "Submit your idea"
     
  2. If you have already submitted the form in step 1 and have received 1 access to complete an application for a grant request, click here for the next step which is to complete the application form. Don't forget to save the information as you go!
News from our partners during the pandemic

The situation across the world is changing every day, and our partners on the ground are working hard to slow the spread of the virus and take on the health, food and economic challenges posed by this pandemic

As the weeks go by, you will find on our blog testimonials of impact and solidarity, images and videos of the teams on the ground explaining the situation in their region, the challenges encountered, small hard-won successes and more.

Ability to carry out the funded project quickly

In the specific context of COVID-19, it is important that the Canadian or local partner has a strong management capacity in crisis situations and the necessary means to quickly deploy project activities (over the short and medium term), e.g. access to project sites and inputs, remote work, presence of community leaders, field team, financial management capacity, etc.