Updated July 2026 · Verified against Scotiabank guidelines
Lump Sum Est. 2021
Grant Private Active

ScotiaRISE Community Investment Grants

Scotiabank
Maximum Funding
$25K–$1.5M
Ongoing — rolling intake throughout the year
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Lump Sum
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
—
Co-Funding
Varies
ScotiaRISE Community Investment Grants provides $25K–$1.5M. ScotiaRISE is Scotiabank's 10-year, $500 million community investment commitment — launched in 2021 and now dated to 2030 — delivered in part through open-intake community investment grants to CRA-registered charities and non-profits across Canada. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

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Eligibility & Details

What this program funds and who can apply

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Program Description

ScotiaRISE is Scotiabank's 10-year, $500 million community investment commitment — launched in 2021 and now dated to 2030 — 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; Scotiabank asks applicants to allow at least 90 days for a response. Beginning in 2026, ScotiaRISE is guided by a refreshed strategic framework anchored in four pillars: Education (equipping disadvantaged youth with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to thrive amid challenges), Employment (creating inclusive employment and entrepreneurship opportunities to enhance financial security for individuals and families), Community Needs & Cohesion (strengthening community resources to meet basic needs and to promote participation in social and economic life), and Resilient Economy (supporting social, environmental, and technological initiatives that promote economic growth and sustainability). 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 fit at least one of ScotiaRISE's four 2026 pillars: Education, Employment, Community Needs & Cohesion, or Resilient Economy
  • 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
Provinces
All Provinces
Industries
All
Business Stage
Startup Growth Established

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
Moderate
First-Timer
Not rated

Funding Details

Amount
$25K–$1.5M$25K–$150K typical · up to $1.5M for institutional partnerships
Type
Grant
Level
Private
Deadline
Ongoing — rolling intake throughout the year

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
3/5

Moderate — standard application process

Competition
3/5

Moderate competition — prepare a strong application

Difficulty
3/5

Moderate — standard requirements

Processing Time
Budget Trend
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How to Win

Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like

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Insider Tip

ScotiaRISE application reviewers look for organizations with a sustained achievement record — vague impact claims without data will not advance.

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Success Profile

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Evaluation Criteria

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How Scotiabank judges your application

What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.

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Written answers7≈1.3k words from the funder’s limits
Judged on7 criteria
Can reject you16 rules
To attach5 documents

Distilled from 6+ source documents, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-10.

6 of the sources

What Scotiabank favours

Strategic alignment, employee engagement, financial health, governance, social impact◦

“Requests will be assessed based on your strategic alignment to our focus areas, employee engagement opportunities, financial health, governance and intended social impact”

2 more, in their words

The formthe outline

Request type and eligibility5 sections
  1. 1Type of supportselectionno limit
  2. 2Donation support requiredselectionno limit
  3. 3organization statusselectionno limit
  4. 4countriesselectionno limit
  5. 5excluded requestsselectionno limit
Contacts2 sections
  1. 6primary contactshort answerno limit
  2. 7secondary contactselectionno limit
Organization16 sections · ≈250 words
  1. 8Organization Details — organization lookupselectionno limit
  2. 9Organization mission or purposewritten answer · 250 words
  3. 10Year foundedshort answerno limit
  4. 11Organization categoryselectionno limit
  5. 12Program categoryselectionno limit
  6. 13Relationship with Scotiabankselectionno limit
  7. 14Previous Scotiabank grantstableno limit
  8. 15Overhead percentageselectionno limit
  9. 16Online / social media presenceselectionno limit
  10. 17Governance and Process Details — boardselectionno limit
  11. 18Annual revenue, last three yearstableno limit
  12. 19Legal incidentsselectionno limit
  13. 20Risk and inclusion policiesselectionno limit
  14. 21Program artefacts (theory of change, logic model, process maps, audit, feedback)short answerno limit
  15. 22Data collection and privacyselectionno limit
  16. 23Impact measurementcheckboxesno limit
Project21 sections · ≈1000 words
  1. 24Project nameshort answerno limit
  2. 25Project descriptionwritten answer · 750 characters
  3. 26Sponsorship request description (Sponsorship stream only)written answer · 750 characters
  4. 27How the community need was identifiedselectionno limit
  5. 28Explanation of a new or emergent needwritten answer · 500 words
  6. 29Evidence the program meets the need (optional)short answerno limit
  7. 30Where the program has greatest impactselectionno limit
  8. 31Amount requested and project termtableno limit
  9. 32Project budget upload (donation)short answerno limit
  10. 33Sponsorship level and benefits (Sponsorship stream only)written answer · 250 words
  11. 34Focus areaselectionno limit
  12. 35Participantsshort answerno limit
  13. 36Pillar KPIscheckboxesno limit
  14. 37Other fundersselectionno limit
  15. 38Program experienceselectionno limit
  16. 39Evidence for the intervention modelselectionno limit
  17. 40Team experience with the populationselectionno limit
  18. 41Scotiabank volunteering opportunityyes/no + writtenno limit
  19. 42Population most impactedselectionno limit
  20. 43Prior conversation with Scotiabankselectionno limit
  21. 44Further supporting documents (optional)short answerno limit
Event details1 section
  1. 45Event Details (Sponsorship stream only)selection + writtenno limit
Budget and financials2 sections
  1. 46Project Budget Detailstableno limit
  2. 47Financial statementsselectionno limit
Verification1 section
  1. 48Verificationcheckboxno limit

bar = length the funder allows, from its stated limits

47 more prompts, in the funder’s words

Judged against4 questions · 7 criteria

  1. 1

    Does the project match ScotiaRISE priorities?

    Show them Pick the one focus-area pillar the project advances, then tie the project description and KPI counts to that pillar in Scotiabank's own words.◦

    In the funder’s words · 2
    • Strategic alignment to our focus areas
    • Lead programs that have a measurable impact and that are aligned with Scotiabank's signature cause - ScotiaRISE
  2. 2

    Will the program measurably change lives?

    What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium

  3. 3

    Is the organization financially healthy?

    What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium

  4. 4

    Can Scotiabank trust and engage them?

    What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium

Where applicants failin Scotiabank’s words

“All requested information on the online application form is mandatory, unless otherwise specified as optional.”
“Please allow at least 90 days for a response”
“If you clear your browser history, you'll lose access to the applications you've been working on”

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See all 16 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.

12 more rules that can reject you · 5 more criteria · 47 more prompts

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Do you pass?16 checks

Each one can rule you out. Tick the ones you meet.

Your organisation

  • Registered charity or non-profit

    Organizations that are either registered charities or non-profit organizations in their jurisdictions

  • Not a private or corporate foundation

    Private foundations and corporate foundations

  • Not in a Scotiabank hiatus period

    Charitable Organizations within a Scotiabank hiatus period.

  • Not a for-profit business

    Is your organization a registered charity, a not for profit organization, or a public institution in the interests of making a positive social impact?

12 more checks

Documents to attach5

Ticks are kept on this device.

The money

Overhead guidelineMax 20% of funding

As a guideline, it is recommended that the Operational Expenses (e.g., rent, utilities, admin, etc.) of the program being funded, should not exceed 20% of the Donation or Community Sponsorship.

Gift agreementMulti-year or $25,000+ commitments require agreement

The Charitable Organization approved for a Donation or Community Sponsorship is required to enter into a gift agreement (in a form acceptable to Scotiabank) if the funding request is a multi-year commitment, or a one-year commitment of $25,000 CAD or over (the CAD equivalent for international requests).

Before paymentBenevity Causes Portal registration required

Payment of approved grant applications are contingent on your organization being registered with Benevity Causes Portal.

StackingOther funders or sponsors must be declared

Are there any other funders or sponsors involved in this project or initiative?

What it pays for · 1
  • Please provide us with all of the estimated expenses related to the project (for the entire term of the project) using the categories below:
What it does not pay for · 3
  • Direct mail solicitations
  • Registration fees
  • Advertising or promotional initiatives

From application to money

  1. Apply onlineOne 8-page form, drafts save 30 days
  2. Await a responseat least 90 daysDecision in at least 90 days
  3. Sign gift agreementGift agreement for multi-year or $25,000+
  4. Register with BenevityRegister with Benevity Causes Portal
  5. Report KPI countsIdentify additional measurements to report
In the funder’s words · 5
Apply online
One online form (8 pages), choosing Donation Request or Sponsorship Request; drafts save in the browser for up to 30 days.
Await a response
Please allow at least 90 days for a response
Sign gift agreement
The Charitable Organization approved for a Donation or Community Sponsorship is required to enter into a gift agreement (in a form acceptable to Scotiabank) if the funding request is a multi-year commitment, or a one-year commitment of $25,000 CAD or over (the CAD equivalent for international requests).
Register with Benevity
Payment of approved grant applications are contingent on your organization being registered with Benevity Causes Portal.
Report KPI counts
Please identify which additional measurement(s) you would like to report on:

Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.

What's in this Playbook

Everything you need to win ScotiaRISE Community Investment Grants

Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.

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Application Playbook

Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses

Premium 5 steps 6 docs

Application Steps

1 Review guidelines and confirm eligibility Read the full ScotiaRISE funding guidelines at the program URL. Confirm CRA registration, that your program fits one of the four pillars (Education, Employment, Community Needs & Cohesion, Resilient Economy), and that your organization does not currently hold a Scotiabank pledge.

Required Documents 6

✓ Organization description including goals, mission, and major achievements
✓ Full project description with budget, expected outcome, benefits to end users, defined metrics, and recognition plan

Eligible Expenses 6

Ineligible Expenses 6

Intake Periods

Deadline Notes

Ineligible Organizations

Premium The full guide for this program also covers:
  • 4 more application steps
  • 4 more required documents
  • 6 eligible expenses
  • 6 ineligible expenses
  • Intake periods
  • Deadline notes
  • Ineligible organizations

Funding Stack Strategy

Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential

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Compatible Programs

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) community programs Provincial newcomer settlement funding (e.g., Ontario IRCC-funded settlement agencies) United Way grants
Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Low Risk

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How ScotiaRISE Community Investment Grants Compares

Side-by-side with similar programs

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Program Amount Difficulty Payment Deadline
ScotiaRISE Community Investment Grants up to $1.5M Moderate Lump Sum Ongoing — rolling intake...
Industrial Research Assistance Progra... Up to $1M Moderate Reimbursement Ongoing
CanExport SMEs Up to $50,000 Moderate Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) Between intakes — the...
Youth Employment and Skills Program Up to $25K Hard Advance Payment Between intakes —...
Innovative Solutions Canada up to $150,000 Hard Milestone-Based Challenge-specific — new...

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about ScotiaRISE Community Investment Grants

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Can sole proprietors apply for ScotiaRISE grants?
No — only CRA-registered charities and non-profits are eligible. Sole proprietors, for-profit businesses, and individual pursuits cannot apply.
What's the realistic grant size for first-time applicants?
$25,000–$75,000. Most first-time applicants receive $25,000–$100,000, but the realistic range for new applicants is $25,000–$75,000 unless they have a strong track record.
Do I need to provide audited financials?
No. Scotiabank's funding guidelines ask for current financial statements, not audited ones. Include your most recent year's statements.
Can I stack ScotiaRISE with other government grants?
Yes — compatible with ESDC community programs and provincial newcomer settlement funding. Disclose all confirmed government funding in your budget to avoid conflicts.
Why do most applications get rejected?
Programs that don't fit one of the four ScotiaRISE pillars (Education, Employment, Community Needs & Cohesion, Resilient Economy), missing financial statements or board list, or vague impact metrics without data. Applications must show measurable outcomes.

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