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Foundation Giving
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Foundations are a major source of funding for organizations throughout Canada. Foundations are registered under the CRA charities directorate and often have specific funding causes, interests, and regions.  Although public foundations give twice as much as private foundations, they tend to be better known and hence there is more competition in the applicant pool.

The following list comes from the Canadian Directory to Foundations & Corporations, and may include community, corporate, family, government, service-club and special-purpose foundations. We have excluded those foundations which do not accept applications.

Top 20 Canadian Foundations, 2010 City Grants
Canadian Council for the Arts Ottawa $158.4 million
Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) Toronto $108.5 million
Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions Edmonton $62.5 million
Vancouver Foundation Vancouver $60.4 million
The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation - SickKids Foundation Toronto $51.8 million
Ontario Arts Council Toronto $47.7 million
RBC Foundation Toronto $45.8 million
The Lazardis Family Foundation Toronto $45.5 million
Alberta Foundation for the Arts Edmonton $31.2 million
The Calgary Foundation Calgary $28.7 million
Jewish Community Foundation of Montreal Montreal $25.6 million
The Buckingham Charitable Foundation Toronto $22.5 million
The Winnipeg Foundation Winnipeg $18.6 million
The Law Foundation of British Columbia Vancouver $17.5 million
Calgary Homeless Foundation Calgary $16.4 million
Li Ka Shing (Canada) Foundation Toronto$14.8 million
The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation Montreal $14.6 million
Alberta Law Foundation Montreal $13.5 million
Sharelife Trust Toronto $13.4 million
Opération Enfant Soleil Quebec $12.5 million

Supplemental resources : 

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foundation handbook* / manual (for practical guides)
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