Impact Grant Applications

Overview and FAQs

Impact Grant Applications

Our Impact Grants are meant to ‘boost’ organizational capacity for charities in Ottawa and Lanark County. Happy Roots wants to invest in YOU so you can invest in your work and community members.

Successful applicants will:

• Serve children, youth and/or their parents (note that our age range is expanded beyond early childhood for Impact Grants).
• Connect their organization’s mission to supporting and/or improving child & youth mental health.
• Demonstrate a link between their organization’s work and preventing or addressing the effects of exposure to early childhood adversity. 

Impact Grant FAQs

Do I need to be a registered charity to apply? 

Yes. Our own charitable status at Happy Roots only allows us to donate to other registered charities. 

How much are Impact Grants?

Impact Grants are single-year, one-time only grants of $15,000. 

How many Impact Grants are available?

There are five grants available. 

When are applications due?

April 12, 2021. 

Can my organization pitch a request for core or unrestricted funding?

Yes! These funds are meant to build your organizational capacity. We are thinking of technology upgrades, legal and accounting reviews, social media help or website support, re-branding, but we want to hear from you! If your pitch includes funding for staff salaries, please make sure to tell us how that will strengthen your organization. 

What criteria will Happy Roots be using?

Successful Impact Grant recipients will:

• Serve children or youth and/or their parents (note that our age range is expanded beyond our mission for Impact Grants)
• Connect their organization’s mission to supporting and/or improving child & youth mental health
• Demonstrate a link between their organization’s work and preventing or addressing the effects of exposure to early childhood adversity.

What is early childhood adversity?

We acknowledge that early childhood adversity includes exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and may include adverse community experiences.  Adverse Childhood Experiences are potentially traumatic or stressful events to which a child is exposed in the first 18 years of life. The term ACEs comes from a U.S. study published in 1998, and the list commonly includes emotional, physical or sexual abuse; emotional or physical neglect; witness to family and/or caregiver violence; growing up in a household where a parent or caregiver suffers from untreated mental illness or substance dependence; and household instability due to separation, divorce, incarceration or death of a parent. In the years following the first ACE study, a growing body of research suggests that other potentially traumatic experiences, such as structural violence, living in extreme poverty, racism, and homelessness, are also forms of adversity in childhood. 

If we receive an Impact Grant, what are the reporting requirements/expectations?

At Happy Roots, we prefer collaborative over directive models of work. So, while we do want to know how the Impact Grant, well, made an impact with your organization (see what we did there?), we’re not interested in a multi-page report at the end of the year. As part of our collaborative approach, we will work with the successful recipients on a project-by-project basis to learn how these grants helped your organization, improved your skill set, or allowed you to finally tackle a long-overdue project. 

We will check in with you at mutually agreed upon times to see how things are going. To help us improve future Impact Grants, we would be happy to get your brief written feedback. 

How does the application process work? When can my organization expect to hear back from Happy Roots?

First, apply. Fill out our brief form explaining how your organization would use the investment. Impact Grants are meant to be self-care for organizations (think about you, not your end user!). So don’t be shy! Pitch us anything that you need to boost your organizational capacity. 

Then, we’ll collaborate. If your organization and funding idea meets our basic application criteria, we have a phone or video call to discuss and get to know each other.

Lastly, we enter into partnership. Happy Roots picks five organizations/proposals for Impact Grants. We complete the paperwork, celebrate on social media, and stay in touch to learn how the grant has helped your organization. 

We are aiming to distribute the Impact Grants by the end of April. 

Who do I contact if I have questions?

Use this form to reach our Executive Director. 

Do I have to recognize Happy Roots on our website, publications, etc.? 

Happy Roots appreciates any recognition given during the lifetime of the project.