The City of Toronto partners with individuals, associations and businesses to support the community. In addition to a variety of giving opportunities, the City has several convenient ways to give, so that you can easily connect with the causes that matter most to you. Approximately 7,500 donors give annually to enhance a wide array of City programs and partner organizations.
The City accepts financial donations to enhance a variety of City and partner programs. A tax receipt will be issued for donations of $20 or more.
For many, the holiday season is a time to give back to your community. From providing warm clothes for people experiencing homelessness to giving toys to families in need, there are many giving opportunities to support the needs of your fellow residents.
The City’s annual Holiday Wish List features City-funded community agencies that support individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Each agency has provided a list of needed items which includes things such as donations of warm clothes, personal hygiene products and gift cards as well as calls for volunteer support.
The list also features a map to help Toronto residents connect with agencies in their own neighbourhoods.
New, unwrapped toys and gift cards can be dropped off at any Toronto Fire Station for the annual toy drive. Toronto’s 84 fire stations also accept non-perishable food donations for the Daily Bread Food Bank year-round.
A map of Fire Station locations is available to help you find the most convenient location for you.
In addition to the Holiday Wish List and annual toy drive, there are a number of year-round initiatives below.
Help provide better access to housing for individuals and families by offering available rental units.
Rental units are needed in the following preferred monthly rent ranges:
Referred refugee claimants are eligible to receive support to pay their rent from the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB).
Once matched, landlords and the prospective tenant (often supported by a housing worker) can both make decisions about suitability and enter into a regular landlord/tenant relationship regulated by the provisions of the lease and the Residential Tenancies Act. By mutual agreement, options are available for the COHB benefit payment to be made directly to the landlord.
Give directly to community agencies, including Black-led organizations that are serving refugee claimants from primarily African nations. View the map to see organizations near you, including their contact information and current needs.
If you are unsure of where to give, United Way Greater Toronto is receiving financial donations and will work with partners directly supporting refugee claimants, focusing on Black-led community groups.
On October 5, the City of Toronto invited all local, eligible organizations to apply for a one-time reimbursement for expenses incurred while providing temporary shelter to refugee claimants.
The application closed on October 19, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Decisions will be made in early November 2023.
Provide support to refugee claimants in partnership with the City. Individuals, faith-based organizations and community partners are invited to contact the City to explore opportunities to align efforts and resources to enhance program delivery.
Email: donate@toronto.ca
Phone: 416-392-1144
Since 1893, High Park Animal Display has been a popular year-round destination for visitors to High Park. The animal attraction is free to the public and welcomes over 600,000 visitors each year. Your gift will support reconstruction of the Deer Pen Road pedestrian trail, install additional seating and shade structures, and create new gardens and plant trees, in collaboration with the Friends of High Park Zoo. The first $50,000 in donations will be matched by a generous gift from the Honey Family Foundation.
Toronto is the first city in Canada to create a Spay-Neuter Your Pet Mobile Clinic (SNYP Truck). This program operates in low income and marginalized communities where the need is the greatest to ensure pets are sterilized, vaccinated and microchipped. Supplies and vehicle maintenance are funded through donations and we need your support. Toronto Animal Services also accepts donations to support medical care for animals in our shelters. 100 per cent of your donation is used to directly benefit the animals in our city.
One of the most effective gifts to your City is the area of greatest need. By designating your gift in this way, you allow your City to direct your donation to the highest priority needs, including emergencies.
Blackhurst Cultural Centre (BCC) has a bold vision to build a new African-Caribbean Canadian cultural centre within Mirvish Village. BCC will provide permanent, affordable, and accessible space for artistic and cultural production in Toronto and provide opportunities to experience the rich culture and history of Canadians of African and Caribbean ancestry. Join us as we envision a cultural centre filled with history, passion and creativity! All donations to the Blackhurst Cultural Centre project through DonateTO remain with the City for investing in the BCC project and will be allocated and disbursed to BCC to cover specific planning, design, development, heritage preservation, demolition and construction costs.
This campaign is scheduled to run until July 2024. In the event the BCC project does not advance as currently planned, your donation will be directed to capital costs related to securing an alternate space for BCC. You will be notified by email of such changes if they occur.
Toronto Paramedic Services Safe City Program supports over 1200 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) across your City. Early access to an AED, combined with CPR by a trained bystander, significantly improves patient survival during cardiac arrest. Your $1700 donation provides an additional AED to help save a life in our community
You Are The Strongest Link is a donor and sponsor-supported program providing First Aid, CPR, and AED training at no charge to qualified priority neighbourhoods, schools, and community groups. These programs improve public safety, individual knowledge, and increase access to future training and employment opportunities.
The City operates ten long-term care homes, caring for some of Toronto’s most vulnerable individuals. Your donation will be directed to the purchase of technology (i.e. tablets, robotic pets), enhance resident programming, mobile zoo visits, resident outings and trips as well as other initiatives which enhance the quality of life for residents. More information about City’s long-term care homes.
Your City delivers many key services through agencies and corporations. Each has a different mandate, authorities and responsibilities and generally operate at arm’s length or independently. Your gift to them will help enhance these much needed collaborations!
On November 26, 2020, Toronto City Council joined over 1,300 donors in committing to the preservation and celebration of this mighty oak. Option B of MM26.9 was adopted authorizing the purchase of the property for the creation of a parkette, with a commitment to pay the fundraising shortfall. Donors still have the opportunity to get behind this initiative. Any donations received before December 12th, 2020 will be applied to the purchase costs. As of December 12th, 2020, donations received will support enhancements to the parkette, helping to create a setting befitting of this magnificent tree
Toronto is home to many pollinators, including over 360 species of bees and 100 species of butterflies. Some species are in decline due to stressors such as habitat loss and climate change. The City offers the PollinateTO grants that support pollinator habitat creation to help protect our diverse pollinator community. Your donation will help create pollinator habitat and engage communities in pollinator stewardship across Toronto. Bee-come a donor today!
Toronto’s Japanese flowering cherry trees (Sakura) and its groves, in parks across the city, are enjoyed by a multitude of visitors every year during their spring blossom. The trees also contribute to the urban forest canopy and provide important habitat. Your donation will support the health and continued enjoyment of our cherry trees.
A sustainable and expanding urban forest improves the quality of life and well-being of Toronto residents. Our urban forest provides ecological benefits that contribute to climate resilience. Having more trees in a neighbourhood can significantly improve physical and mental well-being by reducing stress levels and promoting physical activity. Economic benefits include enhancements to property values, increased tourism and consumer spending. Our target is to achieve 40 per cent canopy coverage by 2050. 100 per cent of your donation will be directly used to sustain and grow our trees and urban forest.
The IRSS Restoration of Identity Project, led by Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre in partnership with the City of Toronto, responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action 82 and aligns with the City’s commitments to Indigenous Peoples. Action 82 calls upon provincial and federal governments, in collaboration with survivors and their organizations, to commission and install a publicly accessible, highly visible, residential schools commemorative project in each capital city to honour survivors and families. Your gift will be directed to the Toronto Council Fire’s $4 million capital campaign to help create a peaceful, contemplative space in Nathan Phillips Square, called the Spirit Garden, to help advance reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Toronto.
Your donation supports the purchase and conservation of significant artifacts and artworks related to Toronto. Acquiring objects that might otherwise disappear from public view enables your City to tell Toronto’s diverse stories better. With an annual fund goal of $45,000, your gift will help us preserve and care for your City’s cherished objects.
The City is committed to you the donor and your donor experience. In addition to presenting you with a variety of donor opportunities we have established a number of ways to give, so that you may connect with the programs that matter to you as seamlessly as possible.
Approximately 7,500 donors give annually to enhance a wide array of City programs. Here are some stories of how their gifts made the City a better place for residents and visitors alike.
