Emergency Community Support Fund

Thanks to funding from the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF), led by Employment and Social Development Canada, the Canadian Red Cross made support available to community organizations across the country, as they delivered vital services to those who are most vulnerable to the health, social and economic impacts of COVID-19.

All projects focused on ensuring community-based supports to at-risk populations in Canada or addressed a pressing social inclusion or wellbeing need.

The $350 million provided by the Government of Canada was administered by three intermediaries, including the Canadian Red Cross. The Red Cross has vast experience granting to registered charities, qualified donees and non-profit organizations and is proud to have partnered with hundreds of community-based organizations for the first time.

The Canadian Red Cross received $80 million as part of the ECSF and offered two programs: a Granting Program for Non-profits and a Personal Protective Equipment and Training to Prevent Disease Transmission Program

 

Emergency Community Support Fund:  Interactive Map

Click on the map to view which organizations received support through the Emergency Community Support Fund.
 
 

Granting Program for Non-profits

• Grants of $5,000 or more were made available to non-profit organizations only. The average grant provided was $45,000.
• Through this program the Canadian Red Cross awarded more than 1,350 grants to non-profit organizations across the country. This included organizations that are:
  • Helping to bring the 2SLGBTQIAP+ community together in Saskatchewan;
  • Continuing to support young girls in their personal development and mental health in Toronto;
  • Helping a wellness centre find new ways to continue to support its community in Fort McMurray;
  • Reducing isolation among Chinese seniors in Burlington, Ontario; 
  • Supporting fathers to build their relationship skills in the Montreal, Quebec area; and
  • Utilizing tradition to support food security in Indigenous communities in the Maritimes.

Click on the link to see which organizations were reached through the Granting Program for Non-profits

 

Click on the link to see the number of projects supported by population group served 

 

Personal Protective Equipment and Training to Prevent Disease Transmission Program

• This program supported personnel of non-profit organizations, registered charities and qualified donees with appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and training on how to use it.
• Through this program the Canadian Red Cross provided more than 1,750 organizations with personal protective equipment and/or access to training.
• 70,000 personnel were reached with a 60-day supply of PPE and access to training.
• This program enabled community-based organizations to continue to safely deliver frontline services to help those impacted by COVID-19. This included:
  • A Calgary-based organization that delivers innovative and accessible health and social solutions to vulnerable residents.
  • An organization that is using personal protective equipment to limit COVID-19 transmission in healthcare facilities in Saskatchewan’s far north.
  • The Boys and Girls Club which is using PPE to keep several childcare locations safe for children to access in the Vancouver area.

Click on the link to see which organizations were reached through the Personal Protective Equipment and Training to Prevent Disease Transmission Program

These programs were made possible thanks to funding from the Government of Canada, led by Employment and Social Development Canada.
 
Click here to see which organizations could apply

The application portal is closed.

Resources for organizations