Urban Forestry Community Grants

Eligibility

Below is a list of eligibility criteria for both Community Planting and Stewardship Grant, and Greening Partnership Grant applicants.

Community Planting and Stewardship Grant	Greening Partnership Grant
Eligible Applicants	Eligible Applicants
Incorporated not-for-profit corporations without share capital Charitable organizations Foundation registered as a charity with the Canada Revenue Agency	Public school boards Hospitals Colleges Universities Non-profit housing providers Other institutions deemed eligible by the City
Ineligible Applicants	Ineligible Applicants
Grant-making or third-party fundraising organizations Landlord/tenant and condominium corporations Groups that are eligible for funding under the Greening Partnership Grant	Groups that are eligible for funding under the Community Planting and Stewardship Grant
Ineligible Applicants (Both Grants)
Individuals or for-profit business ventures Political or lobby groups Any group that is currently in litigation with the City of Toronto Previously funded groups who have failed to meet the terms and conditions of a past grant or who have any outstanding requirements may be ineligible Previously funded groups who have received over $1 million in funding from the City of Toronto for related activities

Trustees

• Applicants that are not incorporated and/or do not have audited financial statements for the past two years will need to work with a trustee organization that meets the eligibility requirements.
• Applicants are responsible for locating and engaging the services of their own trustee organization prior to the application deadline.
• A trustee organization is an incorporated not-for-profit organization and/or registered charity based in Toronto with audited financial statements and the organizational structure to administer funds. A trustee will hold funds and disburse monies to the group, assume liability for project activities, and provide insurance, administrative support and mentorship, often for a small fee. For more information on trustees, contact the City.

Project Requirements

These grants support initiatives that will increase canopy cover in Toronto through tree planting and stewardship on private land.

Projects must focus on increasing canopy cover by:

• Planting non-invasive trees and shrubs on private land.
• Maintaining and caring for existing trees on private land.
• Educating and engaging the community in the planting, care and maintenance of trees on private land.

Duration

Community Planting and Stewardship: Projects must be completed within 12 months between January 1, 2027 and December 31, 2027.

Greening Partnership Grant: Projects must be completed within 18 months between January 1, 2027 and June 30, 2028.

Project Eligibility

Below are eligibility criteria for both Community Planting and Stewardship Grant and Greening Partnership Grant projects.

Community Planting and Stewardship Grant	Greening Partnership Grant
Eligible Projects (Both Grants)
Local Projects: Planting trees/shrubs in a specific area of Toronto or engaging a community in planting and stewardship of local, privately-owned trees. Naturalization: Projects that convert maintained lawn into a more naturalized space. Youth Engagement: Projects focused on engaging youth in tree planting and stewardship through education, employment and/or youth-led projects. Citywide Projects: Projects that increase canopy cover across Toronto, taking place in a variety of communities and areas simultaneously. Other projects deemed eligible by the City.
Ineligible Projects	Ineligible Projects
Projects taking place on lands owned or controlled by the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board or Toronto Community Housing Corporation without their prior written approval.	Projects by public school boards, hospitals, colleges, universities or other eligible institutions that do not take place on publicly accessible spaces.
Ineligible Projects (Both Grants)
Projects that duplicate, conflict with or fall within the scope of another program or service being delivered or developed by the City of Toronto or another organization (e.g. Ravine Strategy). Projects or activities that are contrary to the policies of the City of Toronto and/or applicable federal, provincial and municipal legislation, regulations and policies. Projects or activities that are not consistent with good arboricultural practice. Projects or activities that meet any tree planting requirement or obligation under the City of Toronto’s tree bylaws, as a condition for planning and development approval or any other laws or regulations. Research projects, summer camps and political or religious activities/services. Purchase, care or maintenance of invasive species or other species prohibited by the City. Purchase, care or maintenance of herbaceous plant material or low growing shrub material (mature height under three feet). Projects taking place outside the City of Toronto. Projects taking place on lands controlled by the City of Toronto. Projects taking place on or adjacent to an Environmentally Significant Area (ESA), Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI), Provincially Significant Wetlands, protected areas under the Ravine and Natural Feature Protection By-law or any other protected or sensitive natural area without the prior written approval of the City.

Expense Eligibility Guidelines

Budget Requirements

• Funding requests must range between $5,000 and $100,000.
• New applicants requesting funding over $50,000 must have their application pre-screened by the City in advance of the application deadline in order to be considered eligible.
• Grant funding must match or exceed 1:1 by the applicant’s organization. For every dollar of grant funding received, an equal or greater amount must be contributed to the project by the applicant organization in cash and/or in-kind contributions.
• Only direct costs to run or deliver a project that are reasonable and necessary are eligible for funding.
• Overhead and administrative costs cannot exceed 15 per cent of the amount of grant funding requested (does not include internal/external salaries or other people-costs).*
• Internal or external salaries and other people-costs cannot exceed 50 per cent of the amount of grant funding requested (including web design, graphics design, writers, translation, labour, etc.). *

* Special consideration may be made for Community Planting and Stewardship Grant projects led by equity-deserving groups. Please contact the City before submitting an application if you anticipate administrative or people-costs will exceed the thresholds.

Ineligible Expenses

• Purchase, care or maintenance of herbaceous plant material.
• Purchase, care or maintenance of invasive species or other species prohibited by the City.
• Purchase of low-growing shrub material (mature height under three feet) without prior written approval of the City.
• Requests for core operating funding.
• Fees and/or expenses for memberships, courses and conferences.
• Fees and/or expenses for travel, personal vehicles and parking that are excessive or unrelated to the project.
• Taxes such as GST and HST for which the recipient is eligible for a tax rebate and all other costs eligible for rebates.
• Contingency costs.
• Capital costs or infrastructure (e.g. building repairs or renovations, construction of sheds or garden beds, purchase of computers or audio/visual equipment, etc.).
• Other costs deemed ineligible by the City including but not limited to summer camps, land purchase, advocacy expenses, fundraising activities, endowments or endowment building, scholarships, grants or bursaries, awards and prizes, and alcohol purchase.

Application, Evaluation & Reporting

Applications must be submitted online through the Toronto Grants, Rebate, and Incentives Portal (TGRIP) by 4 pm on August 13, 2026. Please allow time to create an account and organizational profile within TGRIP if you are new to the portal.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible so that City staff can review and provide eligibility feedback ahead of the submission deadline.

Accessibility support is available (alternative formats, off-hours meetings). Please contact forestrygrants@toronto.ca for more information.

Evaluation

Stage 1: Initial Review

• Applications are reviewed for completeness and for alignment with the grant guidelines and assessment criteria.
• The City will contact all applicants notifying them whether their application requires revisions, is declined or will proceed to full review.

Stage 2: Full Review

• Applications are assessed by a grant review panel of City staff and external members with relevant expertise and experience. The grant review panel will then make recommendations on which projects should be considered for funding and in what amounts.
• All applicants will be notified once the funding decisions have been finalized.

Assessment Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on four areas:

1. Concept: The project must closely align with the stated purpose of the grant.
2. Feasibility: The application should clearly demonstrate the applicant’s experience and capacity to successfully complete the project and maintain the trees over the long term, describe a feasible process to accomplish the project, and have clearly defined project deliverables and timelines.
3. Budget: Project costs should be reasonable to achieve the proposed deliverables, and the budget should clearly demonstrate how the 1:1 matching funding requirement (cash or in-kind) will be met or exceeded.
4. Impact: The application should demonstrate the impact of the project as it relates to the increasing tree canopy cover through planting, stewardship and/or outreach and engagement.

Additional assessment considerations include:

• Geographic representation across the City of Toronto.
• Locations with low canopy cover or a high need for tree planting and/or stewardship.
• Projects with clearly defined maintenance plans.
• Environmental impact of proposed activities (i.e. biodiversity).
• Community impact, equity impacts and benefit of proposed activities.
  • Use of Toronto’s Tree Equity Score Analyzer (TESA) is encouraged to quantify this, but is not mandatory.
• Projects that maximize increased canopy within available planting space.
• City staff may use publicly available information or other external sources to help review and verify the information in your application.

Funding Terms and Conditions

Applicants approved for funding will be required to sign a Letter of Understanding (LOU) with the City of Toronto to receive funding. The LOU will include the grant amount and the terms and conditions of funding.
The following must be provided before any funds are released:

• Declaration of Compliance with the City’s Anti-Harassment/Discrimination Policy
• Conflict of Interest Declaration
• Certificate of Insurance (COI) – A valid COI with a limit of not less than two million dollars ($2,000,000) per occurrence with Comprehensive General Liability (CGL) and non-owned automobile coverage for the funding period. More details will be provided to successful applicants.
• Audited Financial Statements (Two most recent years)
  • Applicants that are a not-for-profit organization, charitable organization or foundation registered as a charity but cannot produce an Audited Financial Statement are required to work with a trustee organization. Applicants are responsible for locating and engaging the services of their own trustee organization prior to the application deadline. Please contact the City for more information.

Reporting

All grant recipients must submit reports detailing progress of the project. All reports will be submitted through the Toronto Grants, Rebates and Incentives Portal.

• Interim Report: A report will be requested from your organization in the middle of the calendar year to provide an update on project progress, communicate outstanding activities and identify any anticipated changes to the project.
• Final Report: A report is due at the end of your project to summarize project completion including final budget, deliverables and objectives achieved.

Timeline of Key Dates

2025 Grant Recipients

Eleven projects were selected to receive funding in support of tree planting and stewardship on private land in Toronto with work to be completed throughout 2026.

Over 5,700 trees and shrubs will be planted through these projects. They will also engage and educate communities through planting events, educational workshops, citizen science and youth programming.

Green Partnership Grant

Project Name	Impact	Service Area
Parc Downsview Park Inc: Downsview Park Circuit Path Canopy Phase #2	Downsview Park is continuing to work towards their goal of increasing canopy cover, adding shade, improving park aesthetics, and promoting ecological health by planting large-caliper and smaller potted native trees in main areas of the park. By including local residents and community volunteers in the plantings, Downsview Park will help instill a sense of stewardship and connection to the natural environment.	Ward 6 – York Centre
Seneca Polytechnic: Enhancement and Refinement Project 2026	Building on the success of previous Greening Partnership grants, Seneca Polytechnic will be maintaining existing trees and shrubs as well as planting new trees and shrubs at the Newnham Campus. This project will engage FirstPeoples@Seneca, students, and the wider community throughout the creation of this green space.	Ward 17 – Don Valley North
Toronto District School Board: Growing TDSB’s Urban Forest	Supporting existing tree planting programs, TDSB is continuing to plant native trees on school properties throughout Toronto. TDSB will provide tree care maintenance to improve the survival rate of new and existing trees. This project will increase shade on school properties and increase access to green space for all students across TDSB schools.	Citywide
Unity Health Toronto: Providence Healing Forest	Unity Health Toronto will be planting trees at their Providence Healthcare site to create a restorative space that supports the physical and mental health of staff, patients, and visitors. This project will increase the urban canopy and local biodiversity while engaging the community through a planting event and educational signage incorporated throughout the new green space.	Ward 20 – Scarborough Southwest
University of Toronto Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design: Nikibii Dawadinna Giigwag Indigenous Youth Program	Nikibii Dawadinna Giigwag (Anishinaabemowin for “Flooded Valley Healing”) is an Indigenous youth program that involves Elder-led teachings, summer employment opportunities, and mentorship in environmental fields. This program engages youth in the realization of Indigenous place-keeping projects including medicine gardens, urban agriculture, ecological restoration, food forests, and seed keeping.	Ward 6 – York Centre Ward 11 – University-Rosedale Ward 20 – Scarborough Southwest Ward 25 – Scarborough-Rouge Park

 

Community Planting and Stewardship Grant

Project Name	Impact	Service Area
Black Environmental Initiative: Beyond Provision Grounds	Beyond Provision Grounds is a youth-led urban greening and environmental education initiative. Black Environmental Initiative will plant native trees and shrubs in areas with low canopy cover while providing hands-on training on planting and stewardship to the community. This project aims to increase canopy cover, build community connections, and increase equitable access to green infrastructure.	Ward 7 – Humber River-Black Creek
Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests (LEAF): Toronto Community Housing Tree Planting and Stewardship Program	LEAF is working with Toronto Community Housing (TCH) to increase canopy cover and biodiversity on TCH properties while fostering a culture of environmental stewardship. TCH tenants and staff are engaged throughout the planning process to select planting sites and tree species. Once planted, TCH tenants are provided with hands-on tree stewardship training and establish tree care teams who will commit to the maintenance of the new trees.	Ward 1 – Etobicoke North Ward 2 – Etobicoke Centre Ward 6 – York Centre Ward 13 – Toronto Centre Ward 20 – Scarborough Southwest
Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests: Young Urban Forest Leaders Program	The Young Urban Forest Leaders Program is a mentorship and training program aimed at providing youth with valuable experience in the fields of arboriculture, urban forestry, and community engagement. Program participants will identify opportunities for tree planting and stewardship in their neighbourhoods and collaborate with local community groups to plan and undertake outreach and engagement activities.	Citywide
Long Branch Neighbourhood Association: South Etobicoke Grows to 40 Per Cent	Long Branch Neighbourhood Association (LBNA) will identify planting sites in Long Branch and surrounding South Etobicoke communities, distribute free trees and shrubs to residents to plant on private property, and will promote tree health and care through community events and workshops. LBNA will work with residents, students, and volunteers to educate property owners on how they can help enhance the urban forest.	Ward 3 – Etobicoke-Lakeshore
Regenesis York: Campus Forestry Student Planting Initiative	The Campus Forestry Student Planting Initiative will engage students in the planting and stewardship of native trees and shrubs across York University, Glendon College and University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies campuses. Student volunteers will learn about native species, ecosystem benefits, proper planting techniques, and will contribute towards the ongoing stewardship of the new plantings.	Ward 1 – Etobicoke North Ward 7 – Humber River-Black Creek
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA): Toronto Tree Cover Project	TRCA’s Toronto Tree Cover Project is an ongoing project that focuses on increasing the canopy cover in Toronto by encouraging community members and property owners to plant native trees and shrubs on private land. The TRCA is actively increasing Toronto’s canopy by planting on residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional lands. These programs allow participants to help make their communities greener and learn about urban forests and tree stewardship.	Ward 7 – Humber River-Black Creek Ward 13 – Toronto Centre Ward 14 – Toronto-Danforth Ward 18 - Willowdale