LFIF: Community Support Stream

Eligible ultimate recipients must meet all the following criteria to be considered for funding:

• Applicant must be a community-based or Indigenous organization.
• Applicant must be a registered non-profit or charitable organization operating an existing food program.
• Applicants requesting $100,000+ will be required to provide financial statements that have been audited by a licensed public accountant.  

Priority is given to applicants serving vulnerable populations and Indigenous communities.  

• Municipal or school bodies
• Local governments
• Health authorities
• School boards/districts and/or schools
• Not-for-profit organizations supporting school food programs
• Academic and educational institutions
• For-profit entities
• Food Banks Canada members (must apply through Food Banks Canada)

Second Harvest will be providing funding to non-profit and community-based organizations to increase their ability to provide support to communities facing food insecurity.  

There is a minimum request of $20,000 and a maximum request of $200,000 for this grant application. Proposals will be assessed based on their cost-effectiveness, feasibility, and overall impact.

Please note, grants awarded through LFIF-CSS funding CANNOT be used towards any of the following:  

• Refundable costs. Any project-related costs that are eligible for reimbursement from another source CANNOT be claimed for reimbursement and should therefore be excluded from the project budget. For example, if your organization qualifies for a rebate or refund on HST or has secured additional funding that will offset the project cost, these amounts must be excluded from the budget submitted with this application.

• Administrative costs

A guide of all eligible and ineligible expenses can be found here.

• Location and Population Served: Are you a registered charity or non-profit organization? Are you an Indigenous community? Are you supporting underserved populations?  Are you supporting remote or rural communities? How many individuals are expected to be reached? How many additional food support services do you expect to provide with the funding?  ‍
• Activities and Timelines: Will the proposed activities increase your capacity to support and/or deliver food programs and increase access to nutritious foods for communities before March 31, 2027? Will the funds be spent in full by March 31, 2027? ‍
• Budget: Does the budget reflect reasonable costs for the proposed activities?  Are expenses related to the successful delivery of food programs within communities facing food insecurity?  ‍
• Impacts: Does the proposed project increase the organization’s capacity to support and/or deliver food programs? Does the project improve availability and access to nutritious foods and contribute to strengthening community food security? Is there an expected increase in individuals and households served? ‍
• Funding qualification: The applicant has not already received LFIF-CSS funding through Food Banks Canada and is not a member of FBC’s network.  

Please be prepared to submit a grant budget that itemizes how you will spend the funding amount you are applying for.  

Applicants requesting $100,000+ will be required to provide financial statements that have been audited by a licensed public accountant.

The Second Harvest Grants Management Team conducts a due diligence review to assess applicants’ eligibility, ensuring they meet required criteria and have submitted complete applications. Eligible applications are then reviewed and scored based on a standardized evaluation framework, with assignments made according to relevant categories and regions. Final funding decisions are made based on overall scores and reviewer feedback. Successful applicants are notified of the funding decision, required to complete necessary agreements, and receive their grant funds.

Successful applicants will be required to complete a final report on June 1, 2027.  

If you have read through our Applicant Handbook and are ready to apply for this funding opportunity, please access the application by clicking the link below.

English Application Portal

If you have any issues accessing the application portal or need assistance completing your application, please reach out to our Grant Management Team at grantadministrator@secondharvest.ca.

Second Harvest will be hosting a Zoom webinar for interested organizations on November 17, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. ET. Click here to register.