Nature is at our doorstep no matter where we live, and it provides us with unlimited benefits that are essential for a healthy life. Yet it’s so easy to forget as we spend so much of our time indoors. The more we experience nature, the more we understand how it needs our help. When nature thrives, so do we.
When Canadians Go Wild, their impact grows beyond a single act. They inspire deeper connections to nature that can transform future actions and decisions. Whether it’s planting native plants or protecting species at risk, monitoring or training, celebrating or solving, leading or inviting climate-change solutions, we want you to Go Wild and help nature thrive.
Go Wild Community Grants, presented by TELUS, awards grants ranging from $1,000 – $7,000 to support creative ideas from Canadians on how to protect, restore, monitor, educate and celebrate nature.
Please note that our Summer 2016 round of Go Wild Community Grants is now closed.
Do you have an idea on how to help nature thrive in your community? Stay tuned this fall for your next opportunity to Go Wild with WWF-Canada and TELUS.
You’re invited to share your best ideas for getting your school community more involved in helping nature thrive. Whether it’s a group, classroom or school-wide project, we want to hear from you for your chance to be selected for a microgrant!
The next round of Go Wild School Grants launches in Fall 2016. Make sure you don't miss any updates by signing up for WWF’s Schools for a Living Planet newsletter here.
Previous Go Wild Community Grants winners have initiated inspiring and creative projects. How will you Go Wild?
Richmond, B.C., McNair Secondary — Eco-Marlins Rookery Project
The restoration of nesting habitats through community backyard habitat workshops and the installation of 150 bird and bat homes.
Petty Harbour, Nfld., Petty Harbour Mini Aquarium — Marine Discovery Lab and Coast-to-Coast Classroom Program
A coast-to-coast marine touch-tank discovery lab will connect and teach students in British Columbia and Newfoundland classrooms about marine life and sustainability solutions.
Annapolis Royal, N.S., Clean Annapolis River Project — Youth Leading Environmental Change
Hands-on education of rural youth on how to monitor species at risk and the restoration of degraded aquatic habitats. Youth will lead the project as environmental ambassadors.
Dartmouth, N.S., Christine Ward-Page, Maynard Lake — Give it a chance!
Painting storm drains and installing educational signs will help Maynard Lake, the dumping grounds for paint cans and garbage, to thrive. The impact will be celebrated with a nature event and supported through weekly lake monitoring.
Capreol, Ont., Wahnapitae First Nation — Build-A-Bat-House program
With the decline in bat populations on the reserve, community awareness and action will be created for three endangered bat species through build-a-bat-house day and education to help in community reporting for a longitudinal study.
Peterborough, Ont., Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre — Returning baby turtles to the wild program
Treating over 800 turtles each year, Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre will celebrate and educate the public while inviting everyone to join as they release the turtles at two locations.
Toronto, Shoresh Jewish Environmental Program — Bela Farm Bee Sanctuary
Across 20 acres, this Toronto bee sanctuary will help to restore Ontario’s native pollinator populations with the public planting of over two million native plants over a three-year period.
Sainte-Flavie, Que., Parc de la rivière Mitis — Awareness and nature restoration program
The project will carry out an inventory of River Mitis Park and Mitis Bay species with the help of the community.
Ville-Marie, Que., Organisme de bassin versant du Témiscamingue — Adopt a River activity
After adopting a local river, youth will get outside and hands-on by studying the fish community. These activities will allow kids to reconnect to nature and foster even more desire to protect it.
Regina, Sask., Wascana Centre Authority — Wascana Centre’s Pollinator Paradise
Creation of native prairie pollinator garden and educational materials, welcoming public and school nature walks.
Lillooet, B.C., St'át'imc Government Services – Citizen Science Collects Backcountry Recreation Use Data
Citizen scientists will map out human recreational spots to improve planning to help reduce conflicts with threatened grizzly bears.
Thank you for your interest in Go Wild Community Grants and for wanting to connect your community to nature! The Summer 2016 round of Go Wild has closed. Do you have an idea on how to help nature thrive in your community? Stay tuned this fall for your next opportunity to Go Wild with WWF-Canada and TELUS.
The deadline for Summer 2016 applicants has passed.
Projects selected for funding will be notified by end of June 2016. Only projects selected for funding will be contacted.
Successful applicants will have until October 31, 2016 to complete projects and reporting requirements.
We are looking for the best ideas on how to connect people to nature in their community. Go Wild Community Grants support action-oriented projects and we invite you to be as creative as you can. Every community is different, so we want to hear what you think are the best ways to make this happen where you live.
We are looking for ideas that:
Protect or restore: Activities directly related to restoring, rehabilitating or recovering natural ecosystems
Practice or monitor: Activities directly related to introducing new practices that reflect the value of nature in the community
Celebrate or educate: Activities that enhance the importance of healthy natural ecosystems as fundamental to a healthy community
We’re looking for you to tell us what "connecting to nature" means to you. Every community is different. And while it might not seem like it, there’s nature all around us. For example, we all live in a watershed. Nature isn’t always a far-off place or pristine wilderness. Experiencing nature doesn’t always require a long car ride, a map or the right gear. Nature is something we already experience and benefit from in our daily lives. It’s in our backyards and parks. So we invite you – even in the most urban setting – to seek out the pockets and surprises of nature near you.
WWF-Canada together with TELUS will award
The grants, ranging in size from $1,000 to $7,000 each, are to help bring your ideas to life. Hard costs and fees associated with the proposed activities in your idea are appropriate expenses. These could include (but are not limited to): equipment and field costs such as rental of equipment to complete the project; materials, communications or promotional costs, costs associated with documenting the project; permits; and facility or vehicle rental fees if necessary. Cost for personnel and overhead can also be included, but cannot exceed 50 per cent of requested funds.
Please note: Go Wild Community Grants do not provide funding for food gardens.
Yes, we encourage you to apply. If you are a teacher of Grade 9 – 12, you have two options. You can apply for a Go Wild Community Grant for projects that connect with the wider community or a Go Wild School Grant for projects at your school. If you are a teacher of Kindergarten to Grade 8, you can apply for a Go Wild School Grant. Go Wild School Grants open for applications in the fall.
Yes. Whether it is a new project proposal or an extension of your past project, we encourage you to apply again.
We encourage you to apply again. If you are resubmitting your project proposal, please note the project and submission guidelines have changed and a new application form should be downloaded and completed.
You can apply as many times as you want, but we will only grant to one of your project ideas.
Absolutely.
The ideas will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on the following criteria:
At this time, WWF-Canada does not have capacity to review or vet proposals before they are submitted. We encourage detailed answers that demonstrate that the project budget and implementation plan have been thoroughly researched and can be fully delivered to your community.
For questions regarding Go Wild Community Grants, please email gowild@wwfcanada.org. We cannot accept phone calls at this time or review ideas before they are submitted.
Ideas that qualify for granting must:
By accepting a Go Wild Community Grant from WWF-Canada, you are agreeing to:
*Please note that Go Wild Community Grant winners are required to execute/sign a standard WWF-Canada grant agreement.
Go Wild Community Grants will contribute between $1,000 – $7,000 CAD to support practical, hands-on projects that connect people to nature and help nature thrive in their local community in one or more of the following ways:
Protection or restoration: Activities directly related to restoring, rehabilitating or recovering natural ecosystems
Practice or monitoring: Activities directly related to introducing new practices that reflect the value of nature in the community
Celebration or education: Activities that enhance the importance of healthy natural ecosystems as fundamental to a healthy community
Hard costs and fees associated with the proposed activities in your idea are appropriate expenses. These could include (but are not limited to): equipment and field costs such as rental of equipment to complete the project; materials, communications or promotional costs; costs associated with documenting the project; permits; and facility or vehicle rental fees if necessary. Cost for personnel and overhead can also be included, but cannot exceed 50 per cent of requested funds.
Honoraria, capital expenditures or any other fees not directly related to the proposed activity are not eligible expenses.
The submission period for Summer 2016 Go Wild Community Grants is now closed. Projects selected for funding will be notified by end of June 2016. Only projects selected for funding will be contacted.
Successful applicants will have until October 31, 2016 to complete projects and reporting requirements.
All projects will be assessed using the following criteria. Following each criterion is a list of considerations that the Go Wild Community Grant Selection Panel will consider when evaluating each proposal.
Successful applicants are responsible for identifying and obtaining any permits, licences or other approvals required in order to begin and/or complete the project.
This call for proposals is not intended to be a formal legally-binding procurement process.
WWF-Canada reserves the right to seek clarification and supplementary information from any applicant.
WWF-Canada may elect not to consider a proposal containing misrepresentations or any inaccurate, misleading or incomplete information.
Once a project proposal has been submitted, it cannot be modified or changed.