County of Brant and the Brant Community Foundation (BCF) will be accepting applications to the 2026 County of Brant Community Grant Program until 4 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2026.
In an email to the Brant Beacon, Heather Boyd, General Manager of Corporate Services, explained that the program is open to non-profit community groups that benefit the County of Brant.
“The County’s Community Grant program provides support to non-profit or registered charity, volunteer-based organizations to support projects, services, or events that enhance the quality of life for County residents,” she said. “The program assists in supporting organizations by providing funding for operation costs, events and capital projects.”
While the County has awarded community grants for many years as part of the budget process, the responsibility has more recently shifted to the Community Grants Committee to allow some separation between the budget allocation and award process, with the BCF now in its third year of participation.
The County of Brant Community Grant awards provide funding for a single budget year and do not automatically carry forward or renew in future years.
The total amount available for funding distribution in 2026 is approximately $135,000. County officials say they anticipate a high level of interest and that applications will be evaluated with consideration of the volume of submissions received.
Eligible applicants may apply for funding under the three grant streams: Operating Grants, up to $5,000; Event Grants, up to $5,000 and Capital Project Grants, up to $10,000.
Applications officially opened on January 30 and must be submitted online by 4 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2026, and only complete applications with the required supporting documents received before the deadline will be reviewed.
Given that in previous years, some applications were rejected due to being incomplete or submitted late, this year, the County and the BCF have introduced some changes to make the process more accessible and to ensure organizations have a fair opportunity to be considered.
“A recorded County Grants Application Tutorial is available online, along with other applicant resources,” said Boyd. “Topics covered during the recorded information session include County Grant guidelines, eligibility criteria, the application process, and important dates. Please visit the Foundation’s website to learn more. Those with further questions are asked to contact the Grants & Communications Coordinator at grants@brantcf.ca or 519-756-2499 ext. 202.”
In 2025, the BCF received 109 grant applications with funding requests amounting to a total of $631,831. Given that a number of applications were considered late, incomplete, or otherwise ineligible for funding, only 75 grants totaling $350,000 were issued.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
