Approaching grant writing can be daunting, and approaching a multi-million dollar grant opportunity with three levels of government can be nothing short of terrifying (for some).

As part of Phase 1 of the Capital Campaign for the High Park Nature Centre and the City of Toronto to establish the High Park Visitor and Nature Centre, our team had the opportunity to apply for an Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program grant. With support from our local MPP, MP and Provincial and Federal Ministers, we worked to gather all of the information and began making the application. With many rounds of editing, budget re-framing, storytelling and triple-checking of numbers, we completed the request for support that would cap off our efforts to raise over $6 million in support of the project. Then we waited... Delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I willI'll always remember receiving the congratulatory call from our M.P. himself; it was a career (and project) highlight. We were awarded $4.3 million in funding.

Building trustworthy relationships with government representatives was critical for this project. MPP Bhutila Karpoche and the Hon. Arif Virani were our champions, offering sound advice and introductions to additional government supporters keen on how an urban nature hub could serve over 1.5 million visitors each year. 

Suppose your organization has an opportunity to partner with the government and take on a multi-million dollar grant to scale up, pilot something new, or build a new space. We've successfully done it before, and we can do it again. Let's talk!