Community Investment Fund

ANNOUNCEMENT: Applications for the 2025 Community Investment Fund are now open. Registered charities and nonprofits across the NWT addressing key community challenges are encouraged to apply (fill application form below and return).

How It Works

The Community Investment Fund (CIF) is a United Way NWT funding program that distributes financial support raised through the support of our donors directly to registered charities and nonprofits across the Northwest Territories who are currently addressing the most pressing needs facing our communities. (Application form to fill out and return)

Types of Grants

  • Single-year Grants: Up to $7,500 for projects focused on alleviating poverty, improving health, and supporting youth development.
  • Multi-year Grants: Up to $15,000 annually for three years for long-term initiatives that align with United Way NWT’s core focus areas.

Funding Application Process (Now Open for 2025)

We invite registered NWT charities and nonprofits to apply for the 2025 Community Investment Fund – The application deadline is December 11, 2024. The Community Investment Committee will review applications in January. They will make recommendations to the board in February, and approved funds will be distributed in March. (Application form to fill out and return).

Submit applications via email to office@nwt.unitedway.ca or by post to United Way NWT, PO Box 1145 Stn. Main, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2N8

Funding Evaluation Criteria

We encourage applications from organizations working in the following focus areas:

  • From Poverty to Possibility: Helping people move out of poverty and meeting basic human needs.
  • Healthy People, Strong Communities: Improving access to health and social services, fostering community engagement.
  • All That Kids Can Be: Improving early childhood learning and development programs, helping children succeed in school and transition into adulthood.

The Community Investment Committee evaluates applications based on:

  1. Effectiveness: Does the project address one of the key focus areas, and how will its impact be measured?
  2. Community Partnerships: Is the project collaborative? Does it engage other local organizations for a broader community impact?
  3. Accessibility: How many people will benefit from the project, and how accessible is it to the community?
  4. Management: Does the organization have the financial and operational capacity to execute the project successfully?
  5. Need for Support: Is there a demonstrated need for United Way funding, and can the project proceed without it?

United Way NWT does not approve grants for school trips or animal-related causes.

For further information or clarification, please get in touch with us at office@nwt.unitedway.ca or 867-669-7986. 


How Funding Decisions are Made

The Community Investment Committee, comprised of board members and community volunteers, reviews all applications to assess alignment with our focus areas. Each application is scored based on effectiveness, community impact, and the applicant’s ability to manage the project.

The principles and values guiding the Community Investment Committee are:

  • The United Way NWT community investment program should be determined within a framework which is responsive to changing social conditions and community needs developed in consultation with human service agencies, other community organizations and all levels of government.
  • The United Way NWT should develop a relationship with agencies based on mutual trust and respect, freedom from unreasonable demands and the sharing of goals.
  • The United Way NWT recognizes that the volunteer board of directors of a program partner is in the best position to ensure the agency’s own accountability.
  • The United Way NWT recognizes that program partners are generally providing effective and efficient services. The United Way NWT expects that program partners will provide ongoing feedback that the project for which they have received funding is running smoothly; if they are in need of assistance or need to make changes, they will contact our office.
  • The United Way NWT believes that in general, program partners are providing needed and desirable services; in the case of an exception, where that belief is subject to question, United Way will engage in discussion with the agency.
  • The United Way NWT recognizes that its principles and processes must have sufficient flexibility to enable it to respond to the many needs and myriad of differences in program partners.
  • The United Way NWT’s practice is that funded services be open to all members of the community for whom the service is appropriate.