Park People’s Executive Director, Erika Nikolai, has been honoured with the Distinguished Individual Award from World Urban Parks—an international recognition that celebrates her leadership and the growing national movement Park People has helped build here in Canada.
Why are events in parks important? How do grants fit into Park People’s larger goals for creating change in city parks?
InTO the Ravines creates opportunities for Torontonians to come together to explore the ravines, learn about their social and ecological benefits, and champion their preservation.
Host free, community-led park activities in Toronto this summer with the No-Fee Community Activations Booking. This hour-long virtual session will walk you through the booking — what's eligible, and how to apply step by step.
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By donating to Park People, you’ll support vibrant parks for everyone.
The scaling stream of the Park People Nature Connect Fund supports organizations across Canada that connect people with nature while fostering ecological stewardship and restoring urban parks and green spaces. Through nature-based activities, hands-on ecological stewardship and restoration and other forms of landcare, grantees will help people and nature thrive together.
Your project can include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following:
The Park People Nature Connect Fund supports local leaders and organizations to sustain, replicate and grow successful projects.
The scaling stream of the Park People Nature Connect Fund is a one to two-year fund.
You could receive up to $20,000 each year to bring your project to life!
Applications for the 2026 Park People Nature Connect Fund are now closed.
March 9 2026
Applications open. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until April 9, we encourage early applications due to limited funds.
April 2026
Notification to fund recipients
June 2026
Distribution of funds
June – Oct 2026
Projects activities period
Sept 2026
Project report due
Distribution of funds (payment 1)
June 2026 – Oct 2027
Project Activities Period
Jan 2027
Interim report due
April 2027
Distribution of funds (payment 2)
Sept 2027
Final report due
Please read the eligibility criteria to ensure your organization and project are a good fit for this fund.
Your organization will be able to provide matching funds. The matching funds must equal or be equal in value to the total amount requested. Matching funds can include cash, in-kind and other leveraged resources, for example, municipal donations of plant materials, volunteer time.
Your organization will need to have comprehensive general liability insurance in place for the duration of the funding period.
Expenses can include but are not limited to staff time, marketing (e.g., printing posters and flyers, social media campaigns), event materials and equipment, permit costs, insurance, and honoraria. Small built infrastructure projects can be included in project costs, for example, benches, shelters, wayfinding signs, pathways and lookouts. Small built infrastructure can not be the entirety of the project costs and must support and/or be integral to a project that supports connection to nature and has a positive environmental impact.
If successful, your organization will receive up to $20,000 per year for your project.
Please create an account and submit your application on Blackbaud.
The application form should take 1-2 hours to complete. Here is a sample of the form to help you prepare the application.
For more information on creating an account and submitting your application, please refer to the FAQ section below.
Need help with your Park People Nature Connect Fund application?
Our team is here to support you! You can reach us by emailing natureconnect@parkpeople.ca.
Park People is committed to supporting people with disabilities during the application process. If you encounter any barriers while completing your application form or would like to request any access needs, please contact us.
No, please submit only one application per organization.
Yes, funding is available for up to 2 years with a maximum value of $20,000 per year (for a total of $40,000 for the 2-year period).
Please consider that you must have approved project activities for 2 years to be eligible for 2 years of funding. We encourage you to request the amount you truly need to deliver your project successfully. Requesting only what you need helps to ensure we can support as many strong initiatives as possible.
The matching funds must equal or be equal in value to the total amount requested. Matching funds can include cash, in-kind and other leveraged resources; for example, donations of plant materials, volunteer time.
Your organization or project can demonstrate a positive impact on nature in many ways, whether through environmental education, nature-based activities or events or ecological stewardship and restoration or other landcare activities:
Here are some useful links:
Developing an inclusive and accessible project or event involves inclusivity for people of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, accessibility (e.g. physically accessible, open to the public) and safety (e.g. health measures).
For further reading, see our resource on Events Accessibility.
Decisions will be made by a team of reviewers composed of Park People staff. Application selection will be based on the following criteria:
Park People is dedicated to funding a diversity of parks, green spaces and different habitats across Canada, and this will be considered in the review process. While meeting any or all of these criteria will not guarantee that your organization/project will be awarded funding, we are looking for these qualities in each application.
Park People works towards addressing the inequitable distribution of resources within the parks sector. To this end, the application includes questions to help understand if your organization is led by and/or engages with members of equity-deserving communities. Please note that this is not a criterion for eligibility.
We use the term equity-deserving communities to refer to groups who, because of systemic discrimination, oppression, and/or the ongoing impacts of colonization, continue to face barriers that prevent them from having equitable access to resources and opportunities available to other members of society. These may include, but are not limited to, Indigenous Peoples, Black, and other racialized communities, disabled persons, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, newcomers, women, and people living on low incomes.
The emerging stream of the Park People Nature Connect Fund supports organizations across Canada that connect people with nature while fostering ecological stewardship and restoring urban parks and green spaces. This includes nature-based activities, hands-on ecological stewardship, restoration and other forms of landcare that help people and nature thrive together.
Projects could include:
You could receive up to $5,000 to bring your project to life!
March 2 2026
Applications open
March 31 2026
Applications close
May 2026
If successful, your organization will receive up to $5,000 for your project.
Please create an account and submit your application on BlackBaud.
No, the emerging stream of the Park People Nature Connect Fund is for activities that will be delivered in 2026.
Yes.
Your organization or project can demonstrate a positive impact on nature in many ways, whether through environmental education, nature-based activities or events, ecological stewardship and restoration or other landcare activities:
Park People works towards addressing the inequitable distribution of resources within the parks sector. To this end the application includes questions to help understand if your organization is led by and/or engages with members of equity-deserving communities. Please note that this is not a criterion for eligibility.
Toronto is lucky to have one of the largest ravine networks in the world. Covering 17% of the city’s total area, these lush green spaces provide habitat for countless plant, animal, and insect species, but are also fragile ecosystems.
Park People partners with the City of Toronto to create opportunities for Torontonians to come together to explore the ravines, learn about their social and ecological benefits, and support their care and protection.
Each year, we provide 10 microgrants to community groups and small organizations to help them host an environmentally-focused event that invites people to connect, celebrate, and champion Toronto’s ravines.
Think guided walks, native plant identification workshops, birdwatching tours, art projects, or any creative way to bring people together in nature!
What recipients receive:
0%
of participants report feeling greater connection to nature and living things
of InTO the Ravines event attendees are more likely to return to the ravines with friends and family
0
ravine events led
May 28, 2026
Applications open – accepted on a rolling basis until July 6. We encourage early applications.
July 6, 2026
June – July, 2026
Notification to successful applicants
Aug 10 to Nov 1, 2026
Ravine event period
Nov 1, 2026
Evaluation report due
Sept 26 to Oct 18, 2026
Ravine Days
InTO the Ravines Microgrants are open to groups based in Toronto who are interested in, or already working in, their local ravines. Eligible groups include park friends groups, community and resident associations, neighbourhood groups, BIPOC-led groups, and small not-for-profit organizations. Private businesses and government are NOT eligible to apply.
Applicants are not required to have a trustee or have charitable status.
Smaller or newly formed groups without event planning experience are strongly encouraged to collaborate with an established local organization.
Priority will be given to:
Event requirements:
We also encourage recipients to take part in Ravine Days (September 26 to October 18). Hosting your event during this period can help increase visibility and participation—but it’s optional.
Please submit your application using this form.
The application form should take 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete. Here is a sample of the form to help you prepare the application.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until July 6, 2026. We encourage early applications.
Need help with your InTO the Ravines Microgrants application?
Our team is here to support you! You can reach out by emailing Asha Legendre-Simpson at torontonetworks@parkpeople.ca, if you have questions or would like to book a video call for support.
According to the City of Toronto’s Ravine Strategy, a ravine is “a type of landform created over time by running water. They are larger than gullies and smaller than valleys. They may or may not contain streams.” (p. 6 – 7 of Ravine Strategy).
To determine if your park or publicly accessible space is eligible, please look at Toronto’s Interactive Map and search for your park or ravine. Select the filter for Administrative Boundary -> Ravine and Nature Feature Protection By-Law. Public ravines will be indicated on the map with a green base (vs grey) and the Ravine and Nature Feature Protection By-Law layer (stripes).
Ravines that are on private property and not open to the public are not eligible for the microgrant. If you have questions about your local ravine, please get in touch with us to confirm eligibility. If needed, we can provide suggestions for a location for your event.
An important objective of the InTO the Ravines program is to help more people connect to and engage with their ravines. However, given the ravines’ environmental sensitivity, this goal must be carefully balanced with the need to protect these spaces.
Take a look at these Tips for Ravine Engagement to learn more about balancing engagement with respect and care for nature.
We also invite you to check the following resources:
In-person events:
Examples of simple yet creative events and activities include, but are not limited to:
If you want some more inspiration, check out our webinar recording ‘Animating Toronto’s Ravines with Care and Respect’.
Remember, events should NOT include any form of direct stewardship, such as tree planting or invasive plant removal. These must be led by the Natural Environment and Community Programs unit of the City of Toronto’s Urban Forestry. You can learn more about their volunteer opportunities here: toronto.ca/greentoronto.
Virtual events:
Online events can take many forms, including fully virtual sessions (e.g., on Zoom) or hybrid formats where participants gather online and are encouraged to explore their local ravines independently, sharing reflections through digital platforms or conversation apps.
Here are some examples of online events:
These are real opportunities to put your creative muscles to work, and deepen the connection to ravines from wherever participants are.
For more ideas, check out our webinar recording Making Online Environmental Programming Meaningful.
If you have 25 participants or fewer, you do not need a City permit to host your events. For more than 25 participants, and you would like to gather at a specific location in a park, you will need to get a one-time booking permit. We also recommend you let your city councillor and park supervisor know about your plans to host a ravine event in your community.
Decisions will be made by a team of reviewers composed of Park People staff in consultation with the City of Toronto and will be based on the following criteria:
While meeting any or all of these criteria will not guarantee that your group will be awarded a microgrant, we are looking for these qualities in each application.
If successful, your organization will receive $1,500 for your event. You are free to use these funds as needed to support your activities. Eligible expenses may include communications and marketing (e.g., printing posters and flyers), honoraria for volunteers or facilitators, TTC tokens, personal protective equipment, event equipment, permit costs and insurance (if applicable). Up to 75% of the budget can be allocated to human resources costs.
InTO the Ravines aims to reach people from equity-deserving communities, and/or who have not visited ravines before, to help address barriers such as lack of awareness or feeling uncomfortable in ravine spaces.
We define equity-deserving communities as groups that, because of systemic discrimination, face barriers that limit equal access to resources and opportunities. This may include, but is not limited to, Black, Indigenous and people of colour communities, disabled people, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, newcomers, women and non-binary people, and people with low incomes.
When applying, think about who currently uses ravines—and who does not—compared to the communities you work with or are part of. We also encourage you to learn from community members about the barriers they face and how to overcome them.
Urban parks offer countless benefits to our physical and mental health, to our sense of community, and to our environment. But these benefits aren’t shared equally — Racialized and low-income people face barriers to accessing urban parks, such as inadequate park infrastructure and discrimination in public spaces.
The Sparking Change program in Toronto supports equity-deserving community groups to transform their parks into powerful engines of community development.
We connect grassroots groups to opportunities for training, professional networks, seed funding, and one-on-one coaching to help them activate their parks and offer programming that addresses barriers and meets their communities’ needs.
community leaders trained to date
people connected to their local park
of participants report being better connected to their community
TD Park People Grants are available for almost any community event in a publicly accessible green space — whether in a city park, social housing property, or schoolyard — that fosters ongoing care and protection of these spaces.
From Indigenous plant medicine workshops to nature walks, we help local leaders organize events focused on environmental education, sustainability, or stewardship that bring people together.
Each year, we support over 70 community groups across 21 urban areas in Canada to host two in-person and virtual events.
You could receive $2,000 to support your vision to connect people to their local parks and green spaces!
Each year, thanks to the TD Park People Grants program:
grants awarded
community events organized
people connected in local parks
Applications for the 2026 TD Park People Grants are now closed.
Jan 14 2026
Feb 23 2026
Notification to grant recipients
April 22 to Dec 31, 2026
Park events period
Oct 2026
Equity-deserving groups will be prioritized in the application process. A minimum of 50% of all microgrants will be awarded to those who identify as such.
Please check your group’s eligibility below before submitting your application. If you are not eligible for the TD Park People Grant, your application will not be reviewed.
The application form should take about 2 hours to complete once you know what your events will look like. Here is a sample of the form to help you prepare the application.
For an overview of the application questions and more information on creating an account and submitting your application, please refer to the FAQ section below.
Need help with your TD Park People Grant application?
Our team is here to support you! You can reach out in the following ways:
We made a few changes to the program this year, summarized below.
Eligible urban areas: St John’s, NL joins the list of eligible urban areas in 2026, while Brandon, MB is no longer an eligible urban area.
Multi-year recipients: Groups that have received the grants before can apply again, but to prioritize first-time applicants, those funded two years in a row must take a one-year break before reapplying. For example, a group funded in 2024 and 2025 would next be eligible for the 2027 TD Park People grant.
Application Management Tool: We are moving from Survey Monkey Apply to Blackbaud Grantmaking. Learning to use a new tool can take some adjustment, but the questions below provide guidelines for navigating it. If additional support is required, you can always contact us at boursestdppgrants@parkpeople.ca for help.
Decisions will be made by a team of reviewers composed of Park People staff in consultation with TD. Application selection will be based on the following criteria:
While meeting any or all of these criteria will not guarantee that your group will be awarded a grant, we are looking for these qualities in each application.
The application form should take about 2 hours to complete once you’ve planned your events. Here is a preview of the questions:
Your group can demonstrate an environmental focus in many ways, whether through environmental education, a commitment to sustainability practices, or stewardship activities:
We encourage you to get creative and think outside the box!
Hosting a free, open-to-the-public event is not enough to ensure it is inclusive and accessible.
Here are some measures past grant recipients have adopted to make their park events inclusive:
We also suggest including an accessibility section on your event page that provides information on location, transportation, food, sensory experiences, and interactions one might expect. It will help people determine if they can/want to participate and plan accordingly.For further reading, see our resource on events accessibility.
If successful, your group will receive a total of $2,000 to be spread across both events. Once you have received the funds for your grant, you are free to use them however you’d like for your events. This could include providing transportation to the event with bus tickets. You may also combine the money received from this grant with other sources of funding.
For the purposes of the program, a group is considered equity-deserving if the people helping run it are part of an equity-deserving community and/or if the group serves or engages with equity-deserving communities. We prioritize equity-deserving groups in our granting to address the inequitable distribution of resources within the parks sector.
We define equity-deserving communities as those that, due to systemic discrimination, face barriers that prevent them from having the same access to resources and opportunities as other members of society. These may include, but are not limited to, Black, Indigenous and people of colour communities, disabled persons or people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+, newcomers, women and non-binary people, and low-income people.
These communities may be present in specific geographic areas in some cities, including Toronto’s Neighbourhood Improvement Areas or Montreal’s Integrated Urban Revitalization zones*, but they are not limited to those areas.
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Discover the 72 community groups and organizations across Canada receiving TD Park People Grants.