Useful information

In order to understand all the steps involved in a grant application review, please click here.

The Roncalli International Foundation never awards grants to private individuals.

The Foundation only gives funding to organizations that realize projects at the international level in developing countries.  

Here are the eligibility requirements.

1. The Foundation works with Canadian organizations that are recognized by the ministère du Revenu du Québec or the Canada Revenu Agency as a Canadian Registered Charity and that have a registration number.
   • Only Canadian organizations or Canadian religious communities that work at the international level are eligible for funding from the Fondation;
   • Organizations that do not work in developing countries are not eligible for funding from the Foundation;  
2. The Foundation also works with local organizations in the countries we help if they are endorsed by one of the followings:  
   • A Canadian organization recognized by the Canadian government;  
   • A Canadian religious community recognized by the Canadian government and our Foundation; 
   • An organization in our international network; 
   • The Foundation, if you have realized a project in the past with us and its final report and results are positive. 

Not in a hurry?

You may submit your application at any time of the year. 

Do you need an answer as soon as possible? 

To ensure that your request is processed more quickly, please submit your application on one of the following dates: 

• January 31st
• July 15th

Why should you follow these application dates? 

If you submit your application on these dates, your application will be processed in a more structured manner. 

Grant applications are presented to the Board of Directors, reviewed by our committees for final approval. We meet four times a year at each trimester. 

Please note that:

• All application received after July 15, will be put on a waiting list, according to the date of reception.
• It takes 4 to 6 months to process a grant application, from the submission of the application form and the required documents to the final decision about the application. 
• We can process your application more quickly if it is complete when we receive it. 
• Having access to the application form does not guarantee that your application will be approved.  
• The availability of funds at the Foundation changes during the year. 
• The Foundation approves requests based on the availability of funds. 

We would love to meet you at our office!  

Please contact us to schedule a meeting.  

Before scheduling a meeting, we recommend that you prepare your grant application, providing as much information as possible and a letter of intent. This way, we can set aside an appropriate time for our meeting. 

When reviewing grant applications, the Roncalli International Foundation gives priority to project proposals that: 

• Are presented by a religious community or an organisation; personal requests are not eligible
• Will be implemented in a developing country helped by the Roncalli International
• Have goals that are appropriate for the area;
• Guarantee continuity and multiplier effects; 
• Have the potential for increased participation, participant empowerment and auto-evaluation by the community; 
• Empower women;
• Draw on resources and services from the area and other organizations;
• Are achievable within a set timeframe;  
• Show a relationship between the value and importance of the project and its implementation and administration costs;  
• Are submitted by an organization that is recognized by a Canadian partner or a collaborator of the Foundation; 
• Show clear benefits, if the proposed project is connected to a religious community; 
• Are relevant to our mission;
• Describes, if relevant, the experience gained during a previous project with the Foundation and the evaluation of the project by Foundation members. 

The Roncalli International Foundation does not usually provide grants for the following:  

• New building construction 
• Large-scale projects (with some exceptions, such as after a natural disaster)  
• Vehicle purchase or repair
• Study grants or school fees
• Seminars and trainings of future priest (in principle)
• Personal expenses
• Recurring fees (such as for a project that takes place over several years)  
• The operating costs of an organization 
• Salaries
• Travel expenses (e.g. airfare) 
• Projects that are not implemented in a developing country  
• Student internships and international cooperation internships
• Endowment funds or an organization's reserve funds  
• Capital accumulation or the creation of a foundation
• Emergency humanitarian aid 
• Request of aid without a known agent of the Foundation
• Debt financing
• Activities of political content
• Countries at war
• Refugee camps
• Man-made disasters 
• Exploration of water bodies

Click here, in order to get the list and all the details of the documents that must be included with your grant application.

A Canadian agent must be a Canadian international cooperation organization that is recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency as a registered Canadian charity with an official registration number. 

The agent agrees to act as the liaison between the local organization that is seeking funding and the Roncalli International Foundation.

Here are the agent’s main duties:

• Following up on the project and be involved in the elaboration of the project idea and the grant request
• Transferring the grant from the Foundation to the local organization;
• Ensuring the successful implementation of the project
• Ensuring that the final report is submitted to the Roncalli International Foundation when the project is completed. 

For a list of recognized organizations, we recommend that you visit the following website (French only): Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale 

The Foundation pays special attention to:

• Concrete activities and services provided by the organization to support poor people or local communities in developing countries. 
• The effectiveness and relevance of the work within the community.  
• Whether the organization is stable (if it has been in operation for at least 3 years). 
• The organization’s determination to broaden its funding sources, to be well governed and to succeed. 
• The description of the organization’s financial contribution or local participation to the project. 

Yes, we will only review one or two grant applications per organization per year (unless otherwise agreed). You must submit one project proposal at a time. 

The Foundation sets this limit based on the availability of funds and the recommendations of its Board of Directors. The Director may reserves the right to revise this number. 

Grants are not automatically renewed each year. You must submit a new grant application at Roncalli Admission.

For more access

If you present us with a complete and accurate final report at the end of your project, you will be more likely to secure other grants from the Foundation. 

Trust is very important to us! 

Here at the Roncalli International Foundation, our goal is to help implement projects with a human focus that create enduring change for vulnerable populations.

Due to rampant inflation and loss of purchasing power in most developing countries in the last few years, starting in 2021, the Foundation will grant a maximum amount of $35,000 Canadian dollars per project over a period of 12 months.

This way, organizations that implement projects can increase the number of people who directly benefit from a project, improve the project evaluation and reporting process and achieve lasting results.

The Roncalli International Foundation prioritizes projects that receive funding from other partners and highlight the contribution of local resources.

See an example of grant request budget

Here is an example of the maximum funding amount in the local currency of several countries that receive support from the Roncalli International Foundation. The exchange rate used when an application is submitted may vary.

See an example of maxium contribution in local currency.

First of all, congratulations!

You will receive an official letter from the Director confirming the approval of your project, the official granted amount as well as an official project number. 

Before launching your project, please wait for an official letter from us. 

As soon as the Canadian agent that was named in your application has transferred the grant to you, we will require a proof of payment. 

Remember that you must keep a record of receipts that support your expenses. You will use this record to complete the final report once the project has been realized.  

You will receive further instructions to this effect.

You must implement the project as it was presented in the grant application you submitted. You must also upload the bank statements that support your expenses in the FILES section of the final report. This document is mandatory in order to FINALIZE your final report. We may ask you to provide an interim report for a major project.  

Within a few months of completing the project, you must fill out an online final report and attach all receipts that support project expenses. You must complete the final report of your project as submitted within one year after the Foundation’s official approval of your request. 

Please note that the Foundation is required to monitor all projects to which we grant funding. The Foundation reserves the right to visit the site, hold telephone interviews and/or request additional information if we deem it necessary. If, after monitoring a project, the Foundation deems that the funding granted for the project was not used for the purposes stated in the application, the Foundation reserves the right to demand a written explanation for the discrepancy, and/or to be reimbursed the amounts granted in part or in full.

Attestation of completeness and accuracy of information

Don't forget: it is your responsibility to provide accurate and complete information at all times about your project idea.

Here are some factors that may influence our final decision:

• Some of the requested amounts may not fit within the Foundation’s funding parameters, for example, wages, recurring fees, honorariums, living expenses, etc.   
• Exchange rates based on the stock market may have changed between the time you submitted your application and the time the grant was awarded. This might influence the final amount that you receive. Our grants are always given in Canadian dollars. The Foundation will not adjust the amounts awarded nor will it consider any change in exchange rate when awarding a grant. 
• The availability of funds might have a bearing on whether or not your project was fully or partly funded. 
• If the Foundation does not award the full amount that you requested for your project, we recommend that you request funding from other partners or a local organization. 

The Foundation is only able to award a limited amount of grants each year. The amount of funding it provides also depends on economic conditions. 

Subsequently, the Foundation may decline requests for funding from organizations that merit support. Please understand that the Foundation’s decisions are based on the availability of funds, and do not mean to discredit projects that have not been selected.

Yes, you may submit a new application.

However, a project that has been declined will not be considered again.  

When contacting us about your grant application, please provide the exact title of the project, the country in which it will take place and the local project manager that you have named on your application.    

Please contact us for more information.