Crowdfunding in Canada: Unlocking Funding Opportunities for Your Project
If you're a non-profit organization in Canada looking to bring your ideas to life, crowdfunding is worth considering, and national and provincial funding programs can add to what you raise. This article explores how to use crowdfunding in Canada, along with other funding sources that can help you reach your goals.
What Is Crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is a method of raising money by asking a large number of people to each contribute a small amount. Instead of seeking large sums from a few investors, you gather support from the broader community, who believe in your project. A campaign also leaves you with a group of people who care about the project.
Funding Opportunities Across Canada
In addition to crowdfunding, several funding programs are available across Canada to support non-profits and community projects. Here are some key sources of funding that you can combine with your crowdfunding efforts:
- Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage
- Eligibility: Non-profit organizations involved in community celebrations, such as festivals, events, and projects.
- Requirements: Projects must engage local artists and artisans, and involve the community.
- Application: Apply through the Canadian Heritage website at Canadian Heritage Funding.
- Canada Arts Presentation Fund
- Eligibility: Organizations that professionally present arts festivals or performing arts series.
- Requirements: Support for arts presenters and organizations offering support to arts presenters.
- Application: Apply through the Canadian Heritage website at Canadian Heritage Funding.
- Canada Cultural Spaces Fund
- Eligibility: Non-profits improving physical conditions for artistic creativity and innovation.
- Requirements: Projects that enhance cultural spaces.
- Application: Apply through the Canadian Heritage website at Canadian Heritage Funding.
- Community Gaming Grants (British Columbia)
- Eligibility: Not-for-profit organizations providing community-benefiting programs.
- Requirements: Support for arts, culture, sport, public safety, environment, and human/social services.
- Application: Apply through the Community Gaming Grants Branch at Community Gaming Grants.
- Crowdfunding Alberta Platform (Alberta)
- Eligibility: Non-profit organizations operating in Alberta.
- Requirements: Organizations must be registered and in active standing under specific provincial or federal legislation. They must also have up-to-date accounting and reporting related to any previous grants from the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Status of Women or the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Ineligible entities include hospitals, politically affiliated organizations, municipalities, and schools.
- Match Funding: The Alberta government will match 50% of funds raised, up to $5,000 annually. To qualify, organizations must raise at least $2,000 within 8 weeks, receive donations from at least 5 individuals, and use funds for specific costs like operating, capital, programming, or staff training.
- Application: Create a profile and start a campaign on the Crowdfunding Alberta platform. Each campaign is reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis. (Note: As of 2026, the program is no longer accepting new campaigns and its application page has been taken down.)
How Communal Can Help
Launching a crowdfunding campaign is the first step. After that you need to track each gift and know who to thank.
A donation page for each campaign: Communal gives each campaign its own donation page with a goal bar, so a rink fund and a playground fund don't share one donate button. Donors give a suggested amount or one they type in, and can cover the processing fee with one checkbox. For a registered Canadian charity, our automatic tax receipt feature emails the donor a CRA receipt when the gift is paid.
Every gift on the donor's record: Each gift made on a campaign page is linked to that campaign and sits on the donor's record next to their membership and volunteer hours. The fundraisers list shows what each campaign has raised against its goal, and filtering donations by campaign gives you the list of people to thank when it closes.
Card payments through Stripe: Gifts are processed by Stripe and paid out to your bank.
Final Thoughts
Crowdfunding Alberta's match funding has closed to new campaigns, so check the current intake for each federal and provincial program above before you plan a campaign around it.
If your organization runs memberships too, Communal is membership management software made in Canada, with CRA receipts and member data stored in Canada.