Grants & Bursaries

Grant Recipients Marketing & Communications Requirements

 

Scroll down this page for information on the following grants and student awards as follows:

  1. Maple Leaf Community Fund – applications closed April 1, 2025.
  2. OCF Student Awards – applications closed April 1st, 2025.
  3. OCF Fall Granting – open Wed, Aug 27, closes Tues, Sept 30, 2025.

Questions?  Please contact Jennifer Weicker, Office & Grants Administrator at info@oxfordcommunityfoundation.org or 226-667-6404

 

OCF FALL GRANTING

ABOUT THE GRANTS:  

OCF community grants are made possible by the many generous donors who have contributed to legacy and community funds. A total of $71,200 is available for granting. Grants are typically between $500 – $10,000.

Community funds are powerful tools for local impact. Built on the belief that the people who live in a community are best equipped to shape its future, these permanent funds grow over time to provide steady, reliable grants for local priorities—today and for generations to come.

Because communities thrive when all aspects of community life are supported, OCF invests in a wide range of needs and opportunities through our fall granting program. This includes celebrating arts and culture, advancing education, protecting the environment, preserving heritage, fostering sports and recreation, strengthening health and wellness, and caring for those in need through social services.

APPLICATION GUIDE:

This application guide contains information to assist you in preparing and submitting your request to the Foundation.  The guide contains information about:

  1. Who can apply
  2. Types of eligible projects and initiative 
  3. Grant amounts and categories available
  4. Timeline
  5. How to apply

Link to:  OCF Grant Application Portal

Examples of past grants made can be found on our website under the Grants & Bursaries “Past Recipients” tab and in our annual reports found under the “News & Media” tab.

IMPORTANT DATES for 2025 Fall Grant Program:

 

  1. August 27 -> September 30, 2025 at 4 p.m. – Applications Accepted
  2. November 17 -> December 12, 2025 – Notification of funding, execution of agreements and disbursement of funds
  3. November 30, 2026 – project complete & report due

OCF/LCF MAPLE LEAF COMMUNITY FUND
In Honour of Harvey and Erma Beaty

Maple Leaf Foods is a national corporation with local roots. The company’s rich history traces back more than 100 years through the amalgamation of some of Canada’s most notable food companies. Maple Leaf Foods has always been a champion for food security.   This fund honours the late Harvey and Erma Beaty.

Harvey founded Cold Springs Farm in Thamesford in 1949 and shepherded Cold Springs’ growth from a small farm to a major agri-food enterprise, which eventually became part of Maple Leaf Foods. A respected figure in Thamesford and beyond, Harvey not only employed hundreds but also served as a township councillor and actively supported the community’s arts, culture, and education sectors. He believed in empowering his employees to better themselves and their communities, establishing this fund to ensure their continued involvement long after his passing. This Donor-Advised Fund and to this day, employees and retirees participate in the grantmaking process. Since its inception in 1994, the fund has awarded more than $485,000 to local charities in Oxford County.

Through this fund, $50,000 is available to support the capital-related needs of food security programs that promote dignity and build individual and community capacity. This includes:

  1. Food Literacy– providing people with the information, understanding and skills to provide healthy food for themselves and their families, e.g. nutrition/food safety/meal planning.
  2. School & Other Nutrition Programs– promoting, educating and allowing people to access healthy meals, e.g. School breakfast/lunch/after school programs; nutrition and fitness programs.
  3. Sustainable Initiatives Beyond Conventional Food Bank Models– initiatives that establish a reliable supply of nutritious food and promote self-sufficiency, e.g. social enterprises that support food security; community gardens; social profit enterprises with a focus on food security including training programs for unemployed, at-risk youth and single parents.

Important dates:

  1. Accepting applications until April 1, 2025, 2 p.m.
  2. Successful applicants will receive their grant by mid July 2025 and must use the funds as intended by January 31st of the year following the granting year
  3. A report must be submitted on the project by the end of February of the year following the granting year.

The funding is available to both Oxford and Middlesex counties (Ontario, Canada); therefore London Community Foundation and Oxford Community Foundation partner on the application intake and vetting process.  We are utilizing London Community Foundations application system for applications.  
To apply, go to:  Maple Leaf Community Fund Application

NOTE: Organizations whose mission substantially involves alignment with political campaigns (candidates); religious organizations; individual or for-profit businesses; or lobbying/advocacy groups are ineligible to apply.

 

STUDENT AWARDS

Thanks to caring and generous donors, awards will be distributed to Oxford County graduates as follows:

  • Joland Family Fund Bursary
  • WDDS Rosemary George Bursary
  • Oxford Manufacturers Skills Development Bursary
  • Lorna & George Roberts Bursary
  • Pat & Barry Smith Bursary
  • Tyler Arts “Athletic” Spirit Award (IDCI)
  • Laurie Hawkins Memorial Bursary (IDCI)
  • Cassandra Hawkins Memorial Bursary (St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School)
  • Klosler Family Fund Bursary

Dates: March 1st to April 1st, 2025.   

Criteria: 2025 Students Awards Criteria

Application: 2025 Students Awards Application

For questions or information, please contact us at info@oxfordcommunityfoundation.org or see your School’s Student Services Department.

 

Questions?  Please contact:   

 

 

Jennifer Weicker, Office & Grants Administrator
Oxford Community Foundation 

226-667-6404
info@oxfordcommunityfoundation.org
447 Hunter Street, Woodstock, ON  N4S 4G7

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