Grindstone Award Foundation

What Grindstone Award Foundation does

The Grindstone Award Foundation is a registered Canadian charity founded in 2014 in Kelowna, British Columbia, that provides financial assistance to young female hockey players under the age of 19 who face financial barriers to participation. Its core service is a Financial Grants Program offering $500 grants toward hockey registration fees per recipient, supplemented by equipment sets delivered through a partnership with NHLPA Goals & Dreams (75 sets donated since 2020-21). The foundation has cumulatively awarded 118+ grants and disbursed over $140,000 in registration assistance across Canada since the first grant in 2015, operating on a national mandate despite originating as a local Kelowna initiative.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform or software product; operations run on a standard WordPress-based website for grant applications and donations, supported entirely by a volunteer team of approximately five people (including the Board of Directors) plus a newly appointed paid Executive Director. Products and services beyond the cash grant include the 'Help Her Play' fundraising campaign and blog, annual charity tournament weekends and skills clinics in Kelowna, the 'Girls Rock the Rink' youth engagement program, and a newsletter subscription service.

The business model is donation- and partnership-driven with no commercial pricing. Funding comes from one-time and automated monthly public donations, corporate sponsorships led by the Vancouver Canucks / Canucks For Kids Fund at the Platinum tier and Sport Chek, partner-driven contributions such as the $5 CAD per Barbie Tim Hortons PWHL Doll sold through Tim Hortons and TimShop.ca (matched by PWHL for online store purchases), and proceeds from fundraising events. The March 2026 appointment of Marianna (MJ) Locke as the first Executive Director marks a structural transition from a fully volunteer-led charity to one with paid professional leadership.

Name

Grindstone Award Foundation

Legal name

Grindstone Award Foundation

Website

https://grindstoneaward.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grindstone Award Foundation is a registered Canadian charity that provides $500 financial grants and hockey equipment to female players under 19 facing financial barriers. Founded in 2014 in Kelowna, BC, the volunteer-led organization has supported 118+ players nationally through donations and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Hockey Financial Assistance (Nonprofit)

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Cause, Community & CSR-Linked Sports Partnerships (Foundations, Youth Programs) (MPAKALAJ)

Keywords

• Youth hockey grants
• Female hockey charity
• Amateur sports funding
• Grassroots hockey support
• Hockey registration assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Kelowna

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Donations: Funded entirely through generous donations from the public. The organization accepts one-time donations, automated monthly Grindstone giving options, and in-kind donations of items, products, or services for raffles.
2. Partnership Revenue (Barbie Doll Collaboration): $5 CAD donated to Grindstone for every Barbie Tim Hortons PWHL Doll sold at Tim Hortons restaurants and TimShop.ca. PWHL matches with $5 CAD for each doll bought through its online store.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorships from partners like Vancouver Canucks/Canucks For Kids Fund (Platinum Sponsors), Sport Chek, and others provide funding and support.
4. Fundraising Events: Annual charity tournament weekend, skills clinics, and various fundraising events generate donations and awareness.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Grindstone Award Foundation is a registered Canadian charity that provides financial grants of $500 toward hockey registration fees to female hockey players under the age of 19 across Canada who have the passion to play but face financial barriers. The Foundation also facilitates in-kind equipment donations through its NHLPA Goals & Dreams partnership and raises funds via donations, corporate sponsorships, cause-marketing collaborations, and annual charity tournament events.

Product overview

The Grindstone Award Foundation is a registered Canadian charity that operates as a single-purpose grant-giving organization rather than a technology platform. The core offering is a Financial Grants Program that provides funding to female hockey players under age 19 who face financial barriers to participation. Supporting this mission, the organization runs the Help Her Play Initiative as its primary fundraising campaign, maintains the Help Her Play Blog for news and storytelling, hosts annual Charity Tournament Events in Kelowna BC, operates the Girls Rock the Rink youth engagement program, and offers a Newsletter Subscription service for community updates. There is no platform architecture, software product, or technology modules—the organization functions entirely as a traditional charitable foundation with volunteer-led operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Grants Program A grant program that provides $500 grants to young female hockey players under 19 years old across Canada who have the passion to play but face financial challenges. Grants are applied toward hockey season registration fees, with applications accepted annually through the Foundation's website.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $140,000 in financial assistance provided to date
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tim HortonscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 August 2025Tim Hortons partnered with PWHL and Mattel to launch Barbie Tim Hortons PWHL Dolls. $5 CAD from every doll sold at Tims restaurants and TimShop.ca is donated to Grindstone. The partnership includes in-restaurant promotions and Tims Rewards contest opportunities.
• Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 August 2025PWHL collaborated on Barbie doll launch and matches Tim Hortons' $5 CAD donation for dolls purchased through PWHL online shops. PWHL also featured Grindstone at events and maintains ambassador relationships with the foundation.
• Mattel/BarbiecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 August 2025Barbie created dolls inspired by PWHL superstars Sarah Nurse and Marie-Philip Poulin, with proceeds supporting Grindstone's mission to get girls into hockey.
• Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrindstone joined as a Charity Partner for the PWHPA Secret Dream Gap Tour, collaborating on events and fundraising initiatives.
• Toronto Furies (CWHL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer CWHL team partnered with Grindstone for charity skills sessions and fundraising events for youth female hockey players.
• Whistler Women's Hockey LeagueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated net proceeds from their Spring Fling Tournament to Grindstone, raising funds for female hockey players.
• Vancouver Whitecaps FCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVP Jehan Jiwa serves as Manager of Community Engagement for Vancouver Whitecaps. Partnership facilitates cross-sport community engagement initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Right To Play: Right To Play is an international sport-for-development organization that uses sport to educate and empower children in developing regions. Comparable to Grindstone as a sport-as-development charity, but operates at significantly larger scale and with broader geographic and demographic scope.
• Canadian Women's Foundation: Canadian Women's Foundation is a national charity funding programs that move women and girls out of violence, out of poverty, and into leadership. It is comparable to Grindstone because both are Canada-based, female-focused charities that fund grassroots programs, but Canadian Women's Foundation addresses a much broader set of social issues beyond sport.
• Plan International Canada: Plan International Canada runs the 'Because I Am a Girl' initiative focused on girls' empowerment globally. It is comparable to Grindstone because both target female youth outcomes, but Plan International operates at much larger scale and addresses a far broader set of social and educational priorities beyond sport.
• MLSE Foundation: MLSE Foundation funds programs that level the playing field for kids and youth across Canada through sport. It is comparable to Grindstone because both operate in Canada, focus on youth sport access, and rely on league/team partnerships (MLSE owns the Maple Leafs, Raptors, Toronto FC, and Argonauts) — but MLSE Foundation is far larger and broader in scope.

Direct peers

• KidSport: KidSport is a national Canadian charity that provides financial assistance to children aged 18 and under to help cover sport registration fees. Directly comparable to Grindstone in target population, funding mechanism (registration-fee grants), and national Canadian footprint.
• Hockey Helps the Homeless: Hockey Helps the Homeless is a Canadian charity that raises funds through hockey tournaments and events to fight homelessness. It is a relevant peer because it shares Grindstone's hockey-as-fundraising-vehicle model and similar reliance on tournament revenue, although its beneficiary population is broader than Grindstone's female-youth-athlete focus.
• Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities: Jumpstart helps kids aged 4-18 across Canada cover the costs of organized sports participation, including hockey. It is the most direct comparator because both organizations operate nationally in Canada, focus on removing financial barriers to youth sport, and channel registration-fee funding to families in need.
• Fast and Female: Fast and Female is a Canadian non-profit whose mission is to empower girls through sport, including dedicated programming for female athletes. It is closely comparable to Grindstone because both focus on female sport participation in Canada and use community events, ambassadors, and partnerships to engage their audience.
• HEROS Hockey: HEROS (Hockey Education Reaching Out Society) is a Canadian charity that uses hockey to teach life skills to at-risk and marginalized youth. Comparable to Grindstone because both are hockey-centric charities operating in Canada that use the sport as a vehicle to remove participation barriers for underserved youth.

Regional players

• BC Hockey Foundation: The BC Hockey Foundation supports grassroots hockey development in British Columbia, including programs that reduce financial barriers. It is comparable to Grindstone because both are hockey-focused charities in the same provincial market (BC) with overlapping community-engagement models, though BC Hockey Foundation has a broader (mixed-gender, mixed-age) mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GrindstoneAward
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@grindstoneaward
• Facebookfacebook.com/grindstoneawardfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grindstoneaward
• Instagraminstagram.com/grindstoneaward

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grindstone Award Foundation