FAQs 2 — Johansen Larsen Foundation

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Below, find frequently asked questions regarding our grantmaking.

COMMUNICATION QUESTIONS

Can I speak with someone at the Johansen Larsen Foundation about funding opportunities?

The Foundation does not have any paid staff or a stand-alone office. We ask that you first read through our grand guidelines on our website and the answers to the FAQs on this page. If your question is still unanswered, please email us and we will try to answer your question via email. If we cannot, we will arrange a time for a phone conversation.

ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONS

Does the JLF provide funding to organizations that are not registered charities?

By law, we are required to disburse funding to applicants who have a current qualified registered charitable (BIN) number. However, based on our commitment to Reconciliation, we have decided to provide opportunities for Indigenous-led non-profits that fulfil all of our other eligibility criteria to apply for funding. Our grant management system will provide an opportunity for Indigenous-led non-profits to submit a letter attesting that they are Indigenous led so that they can submit a full application for funding.

What are the other eligibility criteria for applying for a JLF grant?

Charitable organizations with total revenue below $2 million (from CRA 2020 T3010 or, if Indigenous-led, Non-Profit Organization Information Return, line 107)
Programs that operate in Canada
Programs that target marginalized children/youth, Indigenous peoples and/or animals at risk

Does the JLF fund programs outside of Ontario?

Yes, we do. We fund programs offered by registered Canadian charities offered anywhere in Canada. While we are based in Ontario, we would like to extend our funding to areas outside of those regions, especially to regions that are chronically under-funded (e.g. Canada’s north).

What program areas are ineligible for JLF funding?

Ongoing / annual contractor’s fees
Retroactive funding
Deficit financing
Debt retirement, reserves and mortgage pay-downs
Activities of a religious organization that primarily serves their membership and / or for direct religious purposes
Building construction or renovations
Capital campaigns
Annual fund drives
Improvements or additions to land or property which might revert to private ownership
Bursaries, scholarships, endowments
Financial education programs
Sponsorships
Improvements or additions to land or property, which might revert to private ownership.

PROCEDURAL/PROCESS QUESTIONS

Can we apply for more than one grant/year?

No.

Can we email you a Letter of Intent or an application form?

No, everything must be submitted through our new Survey Monkey Apply portal.

Can we submit an application for funding without completing an Intent to Apply form?

No.

How long does it take for the JLF to reach a decision about funding?

We have a relatively quick decision-making timeline. Grant applications are due mid-June and we try to plan a board meeting to review all applications within three weeks so that we can notify applicants of our decisions about funding by mid-July. If your program is in Ontario, we do try to deliver the cheque to you in person whenever possible and to do so by the end of September each year.

How many times can we apply for a multi-year grant?

Twice in a ten-year period.

How many times can we apply for a single-year grant?

There are no restrictions on the number of times you can apply for a single-year grant, but you must complete a letter of intent first and then wait to see if the board decides you are able to move forward with a full grant application.

What are the most common reasons for declining an Intent to Apply form?

The proposed program/initiative does not align with our mission or guiding values.
The request for funding is on our list of ineligible expenses.
The letter of intent is incomplete.
We are attempting to balance funding between our focus areas and have received too many Intent to Apply form from one focus area (e.g. marginalized children/youth)

What are the most common reasons for declining a grant application?

The application is difficult to understand. We cannot figure out what the program is that you are asking us to fund.
The proposed program/initiative aligns with our mission, but we are not able to fund it due to limited resources.
The proposed program/initiative aligns with our marginalized children and youth focus area, which we receive the most funding requests from, and not one of our other two focus areas (One Health and Reconciliation). We are attempting to balance our funding between our two focus areas each year.

Does your funding cycle relate to the funded program year (when the program is actually running) or year when the application was processed?

We aim to disburse funds in July and then expect a post-award report from donees the following June. We recognize that some donees may not have completed their programming that we funded by June of the following year, so we are very flexible and allow them to report on what they have done to date with the monies that we provided. So we are flexible with the timing of when the money will be spent, but there is an understanding that if you are successful in the 2023 funding cycle that most of the money, if possible, would be spent before our next funding cycle.

FUNDING PRIORITIES

How can I improve my chances of being a successful grant recipient?

We receive many more applications (than we can fund) for programs related to marginalized children and youth. We very much want to expand our funding to programs related to the One Health (animal + human well-being) model, as well as programs related to Reconciliation with Indigenous people. We strongly encourage grant applicants to consider how they might engage with these focus areas in their own programming. See “Our Priorities” for further resources.

What are some examples of programs/initiatives the JLF has funded?

Mentoring, job skill and leadership programs for at-risk youth (e.g. refugee youth, young mums)
Arts and music programs for marginalized, low-income children and street-involved youth
Summer camp and sports programs for children and youth who wouldn’t otherwise have those opportunities (e.g. racialized youth, children with disabilities).
Drama, theatre and puppet shows to educate the public about equity, diversity and inclusion.
Leadership skill development programs involving animals (eg. shelter dogs, horses) and at-risk youth
Food security, gardening and outdoor education programs for marginalized, inner-city and Indigenous children and youth
Educational/learning programs about Indigenous history, culture, arts and reconciliation.
Programs offering pro bono veterinary care to pets of people who are homeless.
Educational programs to end animal dissection in schools; to make connections between violence against animals and people; and to prevent bird and turtle fatalities.

What is the range of funding the Johansen Larsen Foundation provides?

The Johansen Larsen Foundation provides single year grants (up to $10,000), multi-year grants (up to $7,500/year for 3 years).

How many projects/initiatives does the JLF fund each year?

Each year, we generally determine how much money we are able to disburse based on the legal requirement that we disburse at least 5% of our annual budget. Over the past ten years, we have on average provided single-year funding to 20 organizations/year. In 2017, we started multi-year funding and provided 8 new organizations with 3 years of funding. In 2022, we increased our multi-year funding and disbursed the first year of multi-year grants to over 20 organizations.

EVALUATION OF GRANTS

How are grants evaluated?

At the end of the granting period, grant recipients will be required to complete a grant evaluation report, which the board reviews and takes into consideration with any future grant application requests from the same organization. The grant evaluation report template is generally sent to grant recipients the following year by March and due in mid-June.