Funding Opportunities & Guidelines

United Way of Calgary and Area is committed to making our city better. We come together with partners to meet our city’s emerging needs and drive long-term social change.

One of the ways we do this is by providing funding to organizations to address policy, systemic or individual change. Funding decisions are made by a committee of United Way staff and experienced volunteers based on community need and guided by the Community Impact Framework. The amount of funding available from year-to-year is dependent on the dollars raised in the community.

United Way funds agencies and organizations in the social sector which are committed to mobilizing the community to make lasting change. We welcome inquiries and applications from organizations whose work aligns with our focus areas:

• • Socioeconomic Well-being
  • Mental Health
  • Social Inclusion
  • Healthy Relationships

Please note, while we provide funding to some registered non-profits and charities, we are not able to provide funding for hospitals, political parties and religious activities.

Sign up below for our mailing list to learn more about our funding opportunities as they become available.

A list of agencies currently funded by United Way of Calgary and Area can be found here.

United Way provides a number of different funding opportunities:

• Multi-year funding: Multi-year funding offers stability and allows agencies to plan and implement activities with a longer-term perspective, ensuring continuity and reducing the uncertainty that can come with year-to-year funding. We are not anticipating any new significant multi-year funding opportunities in the 2025 granting cycle, as we have not seen an increase in unrestricted revenue since our last granting cycle. More information will be available on our website in mid-September 2024.
• Grassroots and Innovation funding: Grassroots funding supports local, community-driven initiatives, while innovation funding fosters new ideas and solutions with the potential for significant impact. Please note: Innovation funding is only available to funded agencies. A quarterly application cycle for these funds will start in 2025. Check back soon for more information on these opportunities.
• One-time funding: On occasion, funding is available to address emergent issues and/or emergency response. These opportunities are limited and vary from year-to-year.

United Way is committed to an equitable funding process. Please review the Community Impact Framework: Investment Strategy Guide to gain insight into United Way’s learnings and understandings of emerging trends and non-profit sector needs, as well as our commitment to create lasting change for people through positive outcomes.

Use the fillable box below to learn more about our funding opportunities as they become available. If your agency currently receives funding from United Way, you are already on our mailing list and do not need to sign up.