The Catherine Donnelly Foundation

What The Catherine Donnelly Foundation does

The Catherine Donnelly Foundation is a Canadian private charitable foundation established in 2003 as the human and financial legacy of the Sisters of Service, a Catholic religious order founded by Catherine Donnelly in 1922. Headquartered at 12 Montcrest Boulevard in Toronto with a team of 1-10 staff, the foundation operates as an endowment-funded grantmaker that distributes approximately 5% of its endowment assets annually, committing to a 5% disbursement quota consistent with Canadian CRA expectations for registered charities. Since issuing its first grants in 2005, CDF has deployed over $33 million in cumulative funding to more than 400 nonprofit projects and partners across Canada.

CDF's activities are organized around three core grant programs — Housing, Civic Engagement for Social Change (formerly Adult Education), and Environment — supplemented by a fourth pillar, Impact Investing, launched in 2014. Each program issues grants typically ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 per year (averaging $25,000), with multi-year commitments of one to three years available. Applications are processed through a two-stage online portal (LOI followed by invited full proposals), reviewed twice yearly. By Fall 2024, the foundation had issued more than 240 Civic Engagement grants ($9.2M), 235 Housing grants ($9.7M), and 210 Environment grants ($10M+). The Impact Investing program has executed 20 investments totaling $3.6 million across instruments including social impact bonds, community bonds, private equity and debt funds, and loan guarantees, with a pledged allocation of 10% of endowment assets. Geographic reach is national, spanning every Canadian province and territory, with a regional split of Ontario 47%, BC 23%, Western Canada 14%, Maritimes 10%, Quebec 6%, and the North 1%.

The foundation's business model is endowment-funded philanthropy rather than commercial revenue generation. It is governed by a Board of Directors, operates without a parent entity, and is not publicly traded. Its core differentiator is a trust-based, decolonized philanthropic approach that prioritizes multi-year funding to equity-deserving communities, full-portfolio ethical investing (excluding fossil fuels, weapons, and human rights abuses), and shareholder advocacy conducted in partnership with SHARE. Notable signature initiatives include Righting Relations (a community-led adult education network spun off in 2015) and A Way Home (a national youth homelessness coalition also spun off in 2015 with $1.25M of CDF seed and follow-on funding). CDF has been recognized by the Responsible Investment Association (2018) and listed among the Top 50 Equity Funders.

Name

The Catherine Donnelly Foundation

Legal name

The Catherine Donnelly Foundation

Website

https://catherinedonnellyfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Catherine Donnelly Foundation is a Canadian private charitable foundation that funds housing, environment, and civic engagement nonprofits through endowment-backed grants ($10K–$50K) and impact investments, serving 400+ organizations nationally since 2005.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation grantmaking
• Impact investment funding
• Affordable housing grants
• Climate justice funding
• Civic engagement grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grantmaking from Endowment: CDF is funded through an endowment that provides regular income to enable charitable giving. The Foundation distributes grants from investment returns on its endowment, committing to an average annual disbursement of 5% of the endowment value.
2. Impact Investing: CDF leverages its endowment capital to generate social and environmental good through impact investments. Since 2014, CDF has made 20 impact investments totaling $3.6 million, investing in areas aligned with its mission including affordable housing, Indigenous-led enterprises, newcomer support, and climate solutions. The Foundation has pledged to invest 10% of its assets in impact investments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Catherine Donnelly Foundation is a Canadian private charitable foundation that funds Canadian registered charities and nonprofits through grants ($10,000-$50,000 per year, average $25,000) and impact investments ($50,000-$500,000) across three program streams: Housing, Environment, and Civic Engagement for Social Change. The Foundation operates an online grant application portal and reviews applications twice yearly via committee evaluation and board approval, with multi-year partnerships typically spanning three to five years.

Product overview

The Catherine Donnelly Foundation is a Canadian charitable foundation established in 2003 that operates as a unified grantmaking organization. The foundation offers four interconnected grant funding programs: Civic Engagement for Social Change (formerly Adult Education), Environment, Housing, and Impact Investing. These programs collectively address housing, environmental justice, and civic engagement for social change. The foundation also manages an online grant application portal for processing applications. Additionally, the foundation operates several signature initiatives including Righting Relations and A Way Home, which extend its grantmaking reach through collaborative networks. In 2025, the foundation had surpassed $33 million in grants to over 400 projects since its founding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civic Engagement for Social Change
• Environment
• Housing
• Impact Investing
• Grant Application Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $33 million in grants to 400+ projects since 2005
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Philanthropic Community's Declaration of ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015CDF signed the Philanthropic Community's Declaration of Action presented at the closing session of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Ottawa in 2015, committing to reconciliation and righting relations with Indigenous peoples.
• Righting Relations CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014CDF played a founding role in establishing Righting Relations: Adult Education for Social Change in 2014, gathering adult educators from diverse communities to address Canada's critical social issues. CDF provides multi-year funding and is one participant among many in this community-led network. Righting Relations operates through three regional hubs (Eastern, Central, Western) with local circles, advancing decolonization, peace, justice, and healing. CDF renewed support with a five-year commitment extending to 2025, and subsequently a three-year grant of $375,000 beginning 2025.
• A Way HomecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012CDF co-led the funders' table that helped launch A Way Home, a national coalition committed to ending youth homelessness. CDF provided seed funding and a five-year commitment of $1.25 million. A Way Home embraces collective impact, involving groups from different sectors working toward common goals.
• EcojusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF has supported Ecojustice for over ten years in their landmark work to establish environmental rights as part of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. CDF's support enabled Ecojustice and young climate activists to win a case against the Government of Ontario for weakening climate targets, a Canadian legal first.
• SHARE (Shareholder Association for Research and Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF partners with SHARE to align its investment activity with its foundation values and uses SHARE's services to engage with corporate partners and bring proxy votes at annual meetings. SHARE engages with companies on behalf of CDF in areas including civil rights, reconciliation, and climate change.
• For Our KidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF was the catalyst funder for For Our Kids, a nationwide environmental network helping parents and grandparents connect with like-minded neighbours and organizations to mobilize against the climate emergency.
• Indigenous Climate ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF committed to Indigenous Climate Action's three-year plan to develop resources to connect and empower Indigenous climate change leaders and position them as agents of change for climate justice.
• Community Forest InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF supports Community Forest International, which mobilizes citizen climate action by encouraging relationships among settlers and First Nations and providing access to the emerging conservation economy in New Brunswick.
• The LeapminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF supported The Leap, an organization working on climate and social issues, with initial investment to help get their project off the ground.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fondation du Grand Montréal: Quebec-based community foundation funding community development, environment, and social inclusion. Comparable to CDF as a Canadian regional grantmaking foundation with a similar multi-stream social-change mandate.
• Vancouver Foundation: Canada's largest community foundation, funding community-driven solutions across BC and Canada. Comparable to CDF as a Canadian grantmaking peer with similar multi-stream social-change mandate and regional focus on equity-deserving communities.
• The Trottier Family Foundation: Canadian private foundation funding environment, science, and social action initiatives. Comparable to CDF as a domestic endowed foundation with overlapping environment and equity priorities and similar grant program structure.
• MakeWay Foundation: Canadian charity that partners with philanthropic actors to address systemic issues including environment, equity, and Indigenous rights. Comparable to CDF through shared focus on community-led and Indigenous-led initiatives and a Canadian grantmaking backbone.
• Toronto Foundation: Toronto-based community foundation focused on equity, housing affordability, and inclusion. Comparable to CDF as a Greater Toronto Area grantmaker with overlapping housing, equity, and community-driven priorities, though structured as a community foundation rather than private family foundation.
• The McConnell Foundation: Large Canadian private foundation supporting social innovation, Indigenous reconciliation, and inclusive economy initiatives across Canada. Directly comparable to CDF as a domestic private foundation with multi-stream grantmaking, impact investing, and a focus on systems change.
• Tides Canada Foundation: Canadian foundation supporting environmental and social justice initiatives through grantmaking, impact investing, and donor-advised funds. Comparable to CDF through mission alignment on equity, environment, and Indigenous-led work and a similar Canadian-based multi-stream operating model.

Broad incumbents

• The Rockefeller Foundation: Large US-based global foundation with focus on climate, health, and equity. Comparable to CDF as a BROAD_INCUMBENT that integrates impact investing with grantmaking and operates with a long-term systems-change orientation similar to CDF's mission-aligned endowment approach.
• Mastercard Foundation: Large global foundation focused on education and economic inclusion for youth in Africa. Comparable to CDF as a BROAD_INCUMBENT with a systems-change orientation and significant impact investing capacity, though operating at vastly larger scale and on a different geography.

Emerging players

• Foundation for Black Communities: Emerging Canadian foundation dedicated to building wealth and capacity in Black communities. Comparable to CDF as an emerging equity-focused Canadian foundation with social change mission overlap, though at earlier stage and with more specific demographic focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/cdfoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCI3_KKMm0UPgsVP3bqm7e6Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/catherinedonnellyfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catherine-donnelly-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 The Catherine Donnelly Foundation