Climate Change

The transition to a renewable, net-zero-carbon economy requires innovation and scaling of new technology and ideas. 

We support initiatives that: 

• Develop, incubate, implement, and scale technologies which reduce emissions 
• Deliver renewable energy solutions and technologies to reduce energy usage 

Healthy ecosystems have potential to sequester carbon and contribute to sustainable community livelihoods.  

We support initiatives that: 

• Protect and restore priority ecosystems 
• Support Indigenous lands and protected areas 
• Enhance natural infrastructure in our built environment 
• Decarbonize Canada’s agriculture and forestry sectors 

Buildings are a major source of GHG emissions during both their construction and operation. Reimagining the built environment offers an opportunity to reduce emissions, lower costs, promote innovation, and generate green jobs.  

We support initiatives that enable: 

• Development, adoption, and scaling of low-carbon building materials 
• Implementation of retrofits and energy efficiency measures 
• Green building skills training and workforce development 
• Efforts to ensure affordable net-zero housing 

Climate change and its effects threaten health and livelihoods, disproportionately impacting equity-deserving communities. We believe that climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience must be addressed in tandem. 

We support initiatives focused on: 

• Access to clean, affordable energy 
• Achieving the objectives of  Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy 

To be eligible to apply for funding, your organization must: 

• Employ at least one paid staff member 
• Have completed a tax return or financial audit for the previous fiscal year 
• Wait at least 12 months after an unsuccessful Expression of Interest or Full Application before reapplying 

We do not accept applications for individuals, scholarships, capital campaigns, endowments, fundraising events or galas, emergency relief efforts, government services, grantmaking intermediaries, or any activity outside of Canada.  

The Peter Gilgan Foundation accepts applications for three types of grants: 

• Project grants – Typically awarded for a single year, act as the primary entry point for first-time applicants and support specific programs or activities 
• Capacity-building grants – May be available to repeat grantees, helping organizations strengthen their internal skills, resources, or systems 
• General operating grants – May be available to repeat grantees whose mission and primary programs align with our strategy, to help cover core operating costs 

Our climate change grants typically range between $30,000 – $150,000 per year. If you have a bigger project that meets our funding priorities, submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and if our committee is interested in learning more we will be in touch.

The process begins with a short Expression of Interest submitted through our online portal. If invited to proceed, you will be asked to complete a Full Application. 

There are no deadlines for the Climate Change program. We accept Expressions of Interest (EOIs) on a rolling basis. All applications are considered equally regardless of what time of year they’re submitted. 

You can submit a new Expression of Interest through our online application portal once you have provided the Final Report for your current grant. 

If you already have a sense of the direct or scalable emissions reduction potential of your project, please feel free to provide the assumptions and calculations in your Expression of Interest. 

Otherwise, our in-house climate change experts calculate each project’s emissions reduction potential following our GHG Measurement Strategy. We base our analysis on the project activity details you provide in your application form, combined with in-house research on local contexts and opportunities. As part of our analysis, we may reach out to you to clarify assumptions or to request further details to support our calculations. 

Pick the priority that you think is best aligned, and feel free to explain the co-benefits in your application. Please note that our Climate Change grant program only funds work delivered in Canada.