Six Nations of the Grand River Economic Development Trust has opened applications for their 2025 community investment program, offering funding opportunities to a wide range of projects that benefit the community.
The trust is a mechanism of the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation. Surplus profits that are generated by the corporation through their renewable energy investments get invested back into the community through the trust.
Since 2016, the trust has distributed over $23 million to approximately 120 Six Nations organizations.
“It’s been the way that the corporation gives back to the community,” said Katie Montour, the corporation’s Community & Public Relations Officer. “Our mission statement is to create a better community for the faces yet to come, and one of those ways is by leaving them a better world than we found.”
The trust offers two funding streams: grassroots for smaller volunteer-based groups and general applications for larger organizations. Applicants must demonstrate how their proposed project will benefit the community or address a community need. The trust also supports cultural preservation, education, and infrastructure.
Notable projects funded in past years include $5.5 million for Six Nations Public Works to fund the watermain extension project to bring clean water to the community, $2.5 million for Six Nations Fire & Emergency Services to purchase new fire trucks and equipment, and $2 million to Six Nations Housing for the development and construction of the Onondaga Townhomes in Ohsweken. The trust has also supported Two Row on the Grand, Six Nations Food Bank, Six Nations Polytechnic, Six Nations Language Commission, and various Home & School associations from local schools.
Applications typically come out once a year. If there’s surplus funding, Montour said, there may be an additional call for applications later in the year.
The grassroots funding applications opened on January 27, 2025. This stream is open to established volunteer groups or organizations that do not have regular employees. They can apply for up to $15,000 for proposed projects that will benefit the members of Six Nations. The deadline for submission for grassroots funding is February 14, 2025.
The general application is for organizations that have regular employees, a board of directors and audited financial statements. While typically the trust has opened grassroots and general applications at the same time, they’ve changed it this year and currently have only grassroots applications open. The general applications will open at a later date.
Applications are available online and as hard copies, available at the SNGRDC Administration Building’s front desk. The application process includes a pre-screening and a presentation to the trust committee for final decisions. More information about the application process and guidelines are available online at: https://sixnationsedt.ca/guidelines-applications.
One of the key criteria for approval involves the Six Nations Community Plan, a living document that is available online. “Basically it outlines the needs of the community for certain things that need to be addressed,” Montour said. “For example, environment, language preservation, education, infrastructure, things like that…. we ask that applicants demonstrate in their application how their initiative or capital project will benefit the community plan.”
Montour encourages people to reach out if they have any questions. “It may seem intimidating to people, but it’s really not,” Montour said. “There’s the application itself, and then there’s a budget sheet that helps people work out how much they need to ask for, as well as guidelines.”
Their administrator, Roxanne Wilkieson, is also available to help if people have questions, Montour said. “She can work with you to make sure that you have everything that you need and that your application has the best chance of succeeding.”
