Commonwell LEAF Grant 2026: $10,000 to $50,000 for Ontario Community Learning Projects

The Commonwell LEAF grant (the Learning and Engagement Accelerator Fund, written L.E.A.F. by the funder) gives each chosen Ontario community project $10,000 to $50,000 to improve learning in the places people gather. The 2026 intake opened September 8 and closes October 30, 2026, with up to $400,000 to award this year.

LEAF is run by The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group, a mutual insurer based in Lindsay, Ontario. It is a private grant, not a government program, and it is only for charities, not-for-profits, Indigenous communities, municipalities and organized community groups. Businesses and individuals cannot apply.

Below is what LEAF funds, who qualifies, the dates that matter, and how to put together an application that holds up against heavy competition.

LEAF at a glance

Requests outside the $10,000 to $50,000 range are not considered, so size the ask inside it.

What LEAF funds

The 2026 Official Rules say the project must have a goal related to learning in the community, including programming and upgrades to the places the community gathers to learn. The LEAF site gives examples of the kind of work it has in mind:

• Skills programming, such as a coding class at a library, financial literacy for kids or tech literacy for seniors
• Makerspaces for prototyping, STEM activities for youth and hands-on learning
• Teaching and community kitchens that share food skills and help small food ventures start
• Learning infrastructure that closes connectivity gaps, for example hotspot and digital device access
• Computer labs, new or upgraded
• Learning spaces, including repurposing an under-used space for teaching

When you apply you pick the impact goal your project most closely supports: learning or education for children, adults or vulnerable communities; community engagement; building strong communities; or building capacity for communities to withstand, adapt to and recover from adversity.

Who qualifies

The application form lists five organization types:

• Charitable organizations or foundations registered as charities with the Canada Revenue Agency
• Organizations incorporated as not-for-profit corporations
• First Nation, Metis or Inuit communities
• Municipalities or their cultural or recreation agencies, including public libraries and museums
• Organized community groups with a leadership team and a separate bank account with at least two unrelated (non-family) signatories

The project itself must also meet the Official Rules. It must:

• Be located in Ontario and be a publicly accessible resource
• Not be owned by an individual or business
• Be fully funded by LEAF, or have the rest of its funding secured or a plan to secure it within 6 months
• Have a leadership team in place before funds are released
• Have support from the property owner or other relevant stakeholders for the project site
• Be submitted through the full form on the LEAF website by a person of the age of majority
• Be completed within 2 years of receiving funds

How projects are chosen

The Commonwell selects recipients at its sole discretion, based on four published criteria:

1. How well the application communicates the project's impact on learning and engagement in the community
2. Project viability and the plan to complete it within 2 years
3. Demonstrated need for funding
4. Community support gathered on the LEAF website and through social shares

Every submitted project gets a public page on the LEAF site. Supporters can add a story of support, upload an image, leave a comment or share the project on Facebook. This is not a vote count, but community support is one of the four criteria, so a project page with real local voices on it strengthens the file.

How competitive is LEAF?

Demand is high relative to the pool. Trade press reported 216 applications requesting $6.96 million in 2025, up from 110 applications requesting $3.7 million in 2024. Against this year's $400,000 pool, that level of demand would mean roughly $17 requested for every $1 available (our arithmetic: $6.96M divided by $0.4M is 17.4). These demand figures are reported by trade press and are not published on the LEAF site.

The LEAF site reports 88 community projects supported so far, and trade press has reported more than $2.6 million invested since the program began in 2021. Past recipients are mostly rural and small-town libraries, food hubs, community centres, rinks and parks. That is a pattern in past awards, not a rule: any eligible Ontario project can apply.

What the application asks for

The online form has three steps: Submitter, Project and Supporting details. It does not save your progress, so have every answer ready before you start. LEAF posts a PDF of the submission questions on its site for exactly this reason. Expect to provide:

• Your organization type, typical activities and number of people served each year, and your project team (committee or board)
• Project title and address, what the project is about, why it matters to the community, and what your chosen impact goal means to you. These three answers are shared publicly on your project page
• Your impact goal and the project stage (ideation, planning, fundraising, or ready to begin once funding is acquired)
• How the grant enables completion, whether you will finish by December 31, 2028, and any dependencies (more funds, stakeholder or council approval, contractor availability)
• Amount requested, overall budget, completion date and LEAF's approximate share of the budget (less than 25%, 25%, 50%, 75% or 100%), plus your plan for any remaining funding
• Whether the property owner has approved the project
• Up to 5 photos or PDFs and an optional YouTube link for your public page, and an optional detailed budget
• Whether a Commonwell insurance broker supports the project, and which brokerage

Tips for a strong LEAF application

Draft everything offline first

Because the form does not save, write every answer in a document using the submission questions PDF, get your board or committee to review it, then paste it in one sitting. Keep each answer within the 2,000-character limits the form sets.

Write the public answers for your community

Three answers appear on your project page. Write them in plain language that a neighbour, parent or library user would want to share. Name who will learn what, how many people, and how often.

Rally community support on the project page

Submit well before October 30 so your page has time to collect support. Ask program users, volunteers, partners, staff and local leaders to add short stories, photos and comments, and to share the page on Facebook. Give them a ready-to-send message and a link. Real stories about why the space matters carry more weight than one-line comments.

Be clear about LEAF's share of the budget

If LEAF will not cover 100%, the rules require the rest to be secured or planned within 6 months. Name each other source, its amount and its status (confirmed, applied for, or planned). A complete funding picture speaks directly to the viability criterion.

Get property owner approval in writing

The form asks whether the owner of the space has approved the project, and the rules require that support. If you rent from a municipality, school board or church, get a short letter of support before you submit and keep it on file.

Show need and a realistic plan

Back up need with evidence: waitlists, usage counts, a closed or failing facility, or the distance to the nearest comparable service. Pair it with quotes, a named leadership team and a schedule that finishes comfortably before the 2-year limit.

Use the media fields and mention your broker

Upload strong photos of the current space and the people who use it, and add a short video if you have one. If a local Commonwell broker supports the project, say so; the form asks.

Key dates

• September 8, 2026: applications opened
• October 30, 2026: applications close (no closing time is published, so do not leave it to the last day)
• By November 20, 2026: recipients notified by phone, then must return The Commonwell's forms within 5 business days
• By December 2, 2026: projects not selected are notified by email
• December 31, 2028: latest completion date the form asks about for 2026 projects

If funded, recipients agree to display signage or other agreed recognition, invite The Commonwell to any opening event, check in every 6 months for 3 years, be announced publicly, and possibly take part in a promotional video.

Frequently asked questions

How much can a project get from the Commonwell LEAF grant?

Between $10,000 and $50,000 per project, depending on the amount requested. Up to $400,000 will be awarded under the 2026 program, and requests outside that range are not considered.

When is the LEAF 2026 deadline?

Applications close October 30, 2026. No closing time is published, so submit several days early. Recipients are notified by phone by November 20, 2026, and other applicants by email by December 2, 2026.

Can a business or an individual apply for LEAF?

No. LEAF is for registered charities and foundations, incorporated not-for-profits, First Nation, Metis or Inuit communities, municipalities and their cultural or recreation agencies, and organized community groups with a leadership team and a separate bank account with two unrelated signatories. The project cannot be owned by an individual or business.

Does LEAF have to cover the whole project?

No. LEAF can fund up to 100% of a project. If it funds less, you must have the rest secured or a plan to secure it within 6 months, and the form asks for LEAF's approximate share of the budget and your plan for the balance.

Is community support a vote?

No. Supporters add stories, images and comments to your public project page and share it on social media. That support is one of four review criteria, alongside impact on learning and engagement, viability and demonstrated need. Selection is at The Commonwell's sole discretion.

Can we apply again if we were not selected before?

Yes. Projects previously submitted but not selected are eligible, as are new projects from organizations LEAF has funded before. A project LEAF has already funded cannot receive funding again.