Green Communities Canada's Living Cities Canada Fund supports local equity-embedded green infrastructure projects.

Green infrastructure projects utilize native plants and other natural or engineered features with a goal to:

- Increase stormwater infiltration, reduce localized flooding, reduce stormwater pollutants;
- Cool urban areas, provide shade, improve local air quality, increase canopy cover;
- Increase access to green space, connections to nature, and create a sense of belonging;
- Sequester carbon, enhance biodiversity, support pollinators, create habitat for species at risk; and/or
- Address issues of food security, install fruit-bearing trees or bushes, re-establish cultural or medicine plants on the landscape.

Green infrastructure projects are often developed and designed alongside community and site hosts to meet local priorities, but may include strategies such as: depaving of under-utilized asphalt, and/or installation of rain gardens, pollinator gardens, micro prairies, mini forests, community garden plots, etc.

If you meet the following eligibility criteria, please fill out this form.

Eligibility: If your organization is a community-based nonprofit, municipality, school, or academic institution, and you are planning a green infrastructure project on a public or publicly accessible site, you are eligible to fill out this form.

Note that priority will be given to community-based, registered non-profit organizations whose projects have a strong equity focus. Your proposed green infrastructure site must be located within Canada to be eligible.

All fund recipients will be required to provide proof of insurance in the amount of $5 million for general commercial liability and $2 million in non-owned automobile, and list Green Communities Canada as an additional insured party prior to their green infrastructure planting event.

This intake form is meant to help capture information from prospective partners who would like to install green infrastructure projects in their community. Intake submission does not constitute a partnership commitment or promise of funding from Green Communities Canada.

Please note we are no longer accepting project proposals for 2024, but are leaving this intake form open for projects starting Spring 2025.

Criteria for project selection
On an annual basis, there are typically five to six funders that support the Living Cities Canada Fund. Green Communities Canada strives to fund as many projects annually as possible. Please note that some of our funders have specific requirements for projects, which could include: defined geographic regions; defined type of projects (e.g., Miyawaki forests; rain gardens; pollinator gardens, depaving initiatives etc.), and/or acknowledgement through logos or review of communication materials. Green Communities Canada therefore matches projects to funding in consideration of funder requirements and equity criteria.

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* 1. Organization Name

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* 2. Organization Location (City, Province)

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* 3. Project Lead (name, title)

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* 4. Project Lead (email)

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* 5. Project Lead (phone)

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* 6. Does your organization have $5 million in general commercial liability, and $2 million in non-owned auto insurance coverage?

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* 7. Has your organization ever coordinated a green infrastructure event with Green Communities Canada before?
Some examples include Depave Paradise projects, mini forests, rain gardens or pollinator gardens.

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* 8. How long has your organization been working on green infrastructure projects?

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* 9. What type of green infrastructure project are you planning?

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* 10. Do you have a site in mind for your green infrastructure project?

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* 11. Is your proposed site publicly accessible?

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* 12. When do you intend to implement your Green Infrastructure project?

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* 13. Our goals for green infrastructure are that it be abundant, equitable, and thriving. How will your initiative help to meet these goals in your community?

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* 14. If you have one or more projects/site(s) already identified, please share a short description of your project in the comment box below. Please include the site name(s), address(es), site size(s), and approximate number of plants in addition to summary information about the communities involved in your project.

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* 15. Will volunteers be involved in planning, planting, and/or maintaining your green infrastructure project?

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* 16. Would your organization be open to having external employee groups, or funders of the Living Cities Canada Fund attend the planting of your your green infrastructure project?

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* 17. Do you anticipate working alongside other local partners to coordinate your green infrastructure project?

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* 18. If you answered "Yes" to the previous question, please name the partners you anticipate reaching out to about the project and identify their role.

Note: Green Communities Canada is happy to support community organizations partnering with their municipalities or other local institutions on this program.

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* 19. Does your project help to address a local environmental or social issue? Please tell us about the potential impacts of your project.

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* 20. The Living Cities Canada Fund, Demonstration stream provides grants of up to 15000 to partners to enable their on-the-ground work. Please let us know your funding needs (numerical response only).

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* 21. Aside from funding, how can Green Communities Canada best support your project?

Thank you for your responses. We'll connect with you about next steps if we are able to support your project. If you have any questions or comments in the meantime, please email Green Communities Canada Green Infrastructure Program Lead, Jenn McCallum, at jmccallum@greencommunitiescanada.org .
If your project is selected for funding:

You can expect to hear from us in late 2024 or early 2025. At this time, we will organize a 45-minute virtual intake meeting with you, to discuss your project further.

These next steps are shown in the diagram below.
A flow chart demonstrating expectations for payments and reporting.

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