Unsmoke Canada Cleanups

Thank you for your interest in Unsmoke Canada Cleanups, a grant-giving program established in 2020 through a partnership between The Great Outdoors Fund and #UnsmokeCanada. Funding awarded through Unsmoke Canada Cleanups will support litter cleanup projects anywhere in Canada. From city parks to national parks, our goal is to help keep Canada's great outdoors great! Please review the following information carefully before submitting a grant application. Proposals that are incomplete or do not fall within our funding guidelines and deadlines will not be considered. All cleanup projects must be completed by no later than September 30, 2022, and only engage volunteers 19+ years of age.

Who Can Apply:

• Nonprofit organizations with a connection to nature, outdoor recreation, outdoor conservation, health and wellness, volunteer engagement, and/or community service.

• Applications from individuals or government agencies will not be considered.

What We Will Fund:

• Unsmoke Canada Cleanups will only award funding to help pay for expenses associated with organizing, hosting, and promoting the success of litter cleanup projects.

• Eligible expenses for funding from Unsmoke Canada Cleanups. Examples include trash bags (biodegradable or recyclable bags encouraged), masks, gloves, hand sanitizer/wipes, first aid kits, water, ice, food, and beverages (nonalcoholic only) to kick off and/or celebrate the completion of a volunteer work event, costs associated with trash collection and removal, rental of tools and equipment (e.g. rakes, tables, etc.), supplies for a volunteer work event (signage, etc.), or items similar to those mentioned above.

• The maximum amount of funding Unsmoke Canada Cleanups will award to provincial or local organizations is $5,000 CAD and $10,000 CAD for national organizations.

• While we do not require projects to leverage funding from other sources in addition to Unsmoke Canada Cleanups grants, it is highly recommended.

What We Will Not Fund:

• Projects outside of Canada.

• Expenses associated with general operating costs of an organization.

• Projects other than litter cleanups.

• Staff salaries or paid labor.

2022 Schedule and Deadlines:

• Grant applications will be accepted until April 29, 2022.

• Grant applicants will be notified by May 16, 2022, as to whether or not their project will be awarded funding.

• Projects must be completed by all grant recipients no later than September 30, 2022.

• Final reports from grant recipients must be submitted no later than two weeks after the completion of a project

Evaluation Process: All grant applicants will receive a confirmation email acknowledging receipt of their application immediately upon submission. All grant applicants will receive an additional email acknowledging whether their application has been accepted or declined no later than May 16, 2022. All applications will be evaluated by a grants review committee based on the following criteria: 

• Project quality — Scope of work, project costs, applicant's ability to successfully complete a project and resources available

• Impact and engagement — Estimated amount of litter to be removed and the number of volunteers to be engaged in a cleanup project

• Community support and partnerships — Capacity to make the project a success and generate support within the community

• Leveraging Unsmoke Canada Cleanups funding — Ability to make a greater collective impact by leveraging funds or resources donated from other sources

The Great Outdoors Fund and #UnsmokeCanada reserve the right to award funding and/or deny any application for any reason. The amount of funding may vary based on the strength of an application. Reporting Requirements: A reporting template will be provided to each grant recipient for the purpose of filing a final report no later than two weeks after a project is completed. Reports from grant recipients will be used by The Great Outdoors Fund for marketing and program promotion, evaluation of the overall success of Unsmoke Canada Cleanups, and to quantify successes with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

• A final report must include a full accounting of total project cost and copies of invoices and receipts, especially for expenditures against the grant fund as well as copies of or links to press coverage

• Grant recipients are required to document each project with "before" and "after" photos (video is always welcome) 

Required Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Weight of total litter/trash/debris removed by province

• Weight and/or number of cigarette butts picked-up by province

• Number of volunteers

• Number of cleanups

• Value of volunteers’ time

• Summary of publicity garnered through traditional, digital, and social media

Additional KPIs may be determined as grant recipients are awarded. Miscellaneous:

• Grant recipients are encouraged to promote their projects through traditional, digital, and social media. The Great Outdoors Fund and #UnsmokeCanada would also love to collaborate with grant recipients to promote their projects as part of the 2022 Unsmoke Canada Cleanups campaign.

• Volunteers under the age of 19 are strictly prohibited from participating in any projects funded through Unsmoke Canada Cleanups

• Grant recipients will be provided T-shirts branded with #UnsmokeCanada's logos and motto: "If you don't smoke, don't start. If you smoke, quit. If you don't quit, change." to distribute to project volunteers to wear on the day of the even, as well as a show of appreciation for their volunteerism.

COVID-19:

• The health and safety of Canadians is our top priority.

• We ask all grant recipients to follow the advice of public health officials at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels.

• New legislation and bylaws have been put in place which have not existed in the past, be sure to see how these may impact your cleanup project.

• Unsmoke Canada Cleanups will not be responsible for any fees or penalties the applicant incurs for violating government bylaws.

• Many parks and public spaces have been closed to help Canadians maintain physical distance, please continue to check government websites and social media accounts for updates on closures and restrictions in your community. 

Questions? Please contact Lori McCullough at +1 817.946.6909 or lori@thegreatoutdoorsfund.org.

Learn more and apply