What's your big project?

The UFA Agricultural Community Foundation is pleased to present the 2024 Rural Communities Grant, formerly offered by the Rural Communities Foundation, which will award up to $100,000.

Communities are encouraged to apply for a minimum of $10,000, up to a total of $100,000 for projects that support recreational, educational and cultural facilities and programs. Applications will be accepted from June 14 until August 31, 2024, with the recipients announced in October 2024.

HOW TO APPLY

 

Click Here To Begin Your Rural Communities Grant Application

Download the Grant Rules

GUIDELINES

 

The UFA Agricultural Community Foundation’s Rural Communities Grant support projects that:

  • Align with one of the three funding categories of Recreational, Educational Events and Activities, or Cultural Facilities and Programs;
  • Enrich the rural life of agricultural, farming and ranching community members who live within 200 km of a UFA location;
  • Represent a capital project that will be completed within two years;
  • Are planned to be available and accessible for community use;
  • Have a demonstrated need and show positive impact within the community; and
  • Do not duplicate existing services.

Applications must be completed in full to be considered for a grant. Grant recipients must provide the opportunity for recognition and permanent signage of UFA ACF to be placed at or near the project.

Funding cannot be used for the following:

  • Program operating expenses
  • Ongoing program delivery
  • Hosting annual events/conferences
  • Advertising or marketing costs
  • Travel, accommodations and/or meal expenses
  • Fundraising activities or salaries
  • Debt retirement
  • Emergency funding

ELIGIBILITY

 

Eligible organizations operating within 200 km of a UFA location, including:

  • Federal charitable organizations registered with Canada Revenue Agency (must have valid registration number);
  • Non-profit entities formed under the Alberta Society Act, The Non-profit Corporations Act, Saskatchewan, Societies Act, BC or similar legislation;
  • Canadian-based non-profit organizations partnered with a Canadian municipal government that will accept the grant on the applicant’s behalf; or
  • Community service-oriented co-operative formed under the Cooperatives Act (Alberta) or similar.

Groups ineligible for funding include:

  • Religious or politically affiliated organizations
  • Those that do not inclusively benefit members of their community
  • Those promoting projects that will have adverse environmental impacts, to be determined by ACF in its sole discretion

APPLICATION TIPS

 

Remember to tell us your story, personalize the description of project, and be specific when describing the positive community impact your project will have.

FAQ

 

How long do we have to finish our project?

Projects must be finished within two years of receiving the money from the foundation.

Can I mail in our application?

If you are having difficulty completing the online application, please contact us at acf@ufa.com

We are not a registered charity. Can I still submit an application?

You can apply if you are a charity under the Canada Revenue Agency, or a non-profit registered with the province, municipal government or a community service co-operative.

When will we find out if our application is successful?

Follow along on our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages to keep up to date and know exactly when we will be announcing the recipients. Recipients will be announced in October.

Will we get all the money we applied for?

The $100,000 grant is divided among the top projects our judges believe best fit our mandate. If selected as a winner, you may receive the full amount or a portion of the funds available.

Can I apply for money for on-going expenses like salaries?

Sorry, our funding is for capital projects that support educational, recreational and cultural facilities.

How big does my community need to be to apply for funding?

All communities are welcome to apply regardless of size. The review committee is interested in the impact of your project rather than the size of your community.

There isn’t a UFA near me. Can I still apply?

UFA has 34 Farm and Ranch supply stores and more than 110 petroleum locations. As long as you are within 200 kilometres of a UFA location, you can apply.

We applied for funding last year, but didn’t get it. Can we apply again?

Absolutely. Each year, we receive hundreds of applications, and the judges have a tough time selecting only a few. Tweak your application and send it in again.

Should I hire a professional to help me fill out the application?

There is no need to hire a professional. No one knows your project better than you and your committee.

We have more than one project, should we put all projects under one application?

Please complete a separate application for each capital project.

Our project is only for members of a certain demographic – can we still apply?

As long as the general community can benefit from the impact of the project, you can still apply.

Will applications be accepted after August 31st?

No. We need the month of September to read all the great applications. Start the process early and you will have plenty of time.