ScotiaRISE Community Investment Grants
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
ScotiaRISE is Scotiabank's 10-year, $500 million commitment to promote economic resilience among disadvantaged groups, delivered in part through open-intake community investment grants to CRA-registered charities and non-profits across Canada. The program operates on a rolling intake with applications reviewed throughout the year and decisions rendered within 90 days. ScotiaRISE grants focus on economic-resilience programming for youth, newcomers to Canada, and Indigenous communities — particularly through education, employment skills, and entrepreneurship-access pathways. Grant size varies widely from $25,000 for smaller community organizations to $1.5M+ for larger institutional partnerships, making it one of the most expansive corporate grant programs accessible to Canadian non-profits.
Eligibility Requirements
- CRA-registered charity or non-profit organization
- Must operate in a country where Scotiabank conducts business (Canadian organizations eligible)
- Programs must focus on economic resilience for disadvantaged groups: youth, newcomers to Canada, or Indigenous communities
- Organization must demonstrate a sustained achievement record with measurable impact
- Programs must show alignment with ScotiaRISE's strategic focus areas
- Employee engagement opportunities for Scotiabank staff are viewed positively but not required
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- $25,000–$150,000 (typical for most applications; larger multiyear grants available for established organizations)
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Private
- Deadline
- Ongoing — rolling intake throughout the year
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win ScotiaRISE Community Investment Grants — $19
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 6-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 5-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipScotiaRISE application reviewers look for organizations with a sustained achievement record — vague impact claims without data will not advance. Quantify your reach: number of individuals served, completion rates, income change or employment outcomes, and geographic scope. If you can offer a meaningful Scotiabank employee volunteer opportunity (e.g., mentoring sessions, skills workshops, site visits), include it — this is explicitly noted in their review criteria and gives the application a distinct business-case angle for Scotiabank's internal champion. Request amounts at the lower end of what you need for a first application; a successful smaller grant builds the relationship for larger future asks.
Success Profile
A mid-sized newcomer settlement organization or Indigenous economic development organization that has been operating for 5+ years, serves a clearly defined disadvantaged population, has audited financials, and is seeking $50,000–$150,000 to expand an employment-skills or entrepreneurship-access program. The organization can offer meaningful volunteer engagement for Scotiabank employees (e.g., financial literacy workshops, mentoring) and has quantifiable impact data from previous program cycles.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications are assessed on strategic alignment with ScotiaRISE's economic resilience mandate for disadvantaged groups, demonstrated organizational achievement record and governance, clarity and credibility of impact metrics, project budget quality and financial health, and potential for Scotiabank employee engagement. Requests are reviewed at regional committee level for smaller amounts and national committee level for larger institutional requests, with decisions rendered within 90 days.
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 6
Eligible Expenses 6
- Program staff wages and contractor fees for program delivery
- Training and curriculum development materials
- Technology and digital tools for program participants
- Outreach and recruitment activities targeting disadvantaged populations
- Program-specific operational costs directly tied to funded activities
- Evaluation and impact-measurement activities
Ineligible Expenses 6
- General organizational overhead not tied to the funded program
- Capital campaigns and infrastructure
- Fundraising events
- Political or advocacy activities
- Programs not serving youth, newcomers, or Indigenous communities
- Scholarships or bursaries for individuals
Intake Periods
Continuous rolling intake throughout the year — no annual window or fixed deadline. Applications reviewed and decided within 90 days of receipt.
Deadline Notes
ScotiaRISE operates with a continuous rolling intake — there is no annual window or fixed deadline. Applications are reviewed throughout the year and decisions are rendered within at least 90 days of submission. Applicants may apply at any time but should allow a full 90-day review period before expecting a response.
Open Application Portal →Ineligible Organizations
- For-profit businesses
- Individuals
- Private clubs
- Political organizations
- Private foundations
- Private schools
- Organizations already receiving a Scotiabank pledge through another channel
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskNo formal clawback mechanism identified. Standard expectation that funds are used for stated program purposes. Multi-year grants may include annual performance checkpoints.
How ScotiaRISE Community Investment Grants Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ScotiaRISE Community Investment Grants | $25,000–$150,000 | Moderate | Lump Sum | Ongoing — rolling intake... |
| Industrial Research Assistance Progra... | Up to $1 million | Moderate | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Next deadline: May 29,... |
| Youth Employment and Skills Program | Up to $25,000 | Hard | Advance Payment | Between intakes —... |
| Innovative Solutions Canada | up to $150,000 | Hard | Milestone-Based | Challenge-specific — new... |
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