Funder: Global Affairs Canada
Due Dates (Anticipated): April 2027 (São Tomé-et-Príncipe) | June 2027 (Ukraine, Jamaica, Haiti, China) | July 2027 (Mauritius, Madagascar, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa) | August 2027 (Brazil)
Funding Amounts: Program-wide average: CAD $31,000 per project; China and São Tomé-et-Príncipe calls specify a CAD $100,000 maximum
Summary: Supports small, locally led projects addressing community needs, inclusive development, human rights, resilience, and well-being.
Key Information: Most funding supports local civil society organizations; other applicants must partner locally on projects aligned with CFLI goals.
Description
The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), administered by Global Affairs Canada, supports small, high-impact projects in over 120 countries eligible for Official Development Assistance. Local organizations plan and implement projects, while Canadian embassies and high commissions select and approve them. The program supports approximately 650 projects annually, including work by small civil society organizations that may not qualify for larger donors’ funding.
Program priorities include inclusive governance, democracy, human rights, 2SLGBTQI+ rights and the rule of law; gender equality; conflict prevention and peacebuilding; inclusive economic growth; environmental and climate action and water management; and health, education and nutrition. CFLI also provides modest financing for responses to natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies. Country calls set their own thematic priorities.
