CFKR Launches Updated 2026 Grant Application Process
ʔakisqakⱡiʔit/Cranbrook, k̓akaminnuqǂiʔit/Elkford, k̓aqawakanmituk/Sparwood, and Ȼaqahak/Fernie, ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa/BC (Jan. 5, 2026) – The Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies (CFKR) is pleased to launch its updated 2026 grant application process, with over $155,000 available for granting to local non-profits. This includes CFKR’s community funds in Elkford, Sparwood, and Fernie, as well as its endowment funds for Cranbrook and area, including the South Country.
CFKR’s 2026 grant application process includes several key updates.
First, CFKR welcomes applications from eligible non-profit organizations from January 2nd to February 3rd, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. MST. This four-week timeframe is approximately two weeks shorter than in the past and better reflects standard practice in non-profit grant-making.
Second, interested non-profits are invited to visit www.cfkrockies.ca/grants/ to access CFKR’s new online grant application forms, specific to Cranbrook, Elkford, Sparwood, and Fernie. Organizations that plan to apply to multiple communities must complete a separate application for each community.
Third, the maximum grant request varies by community, based on endowment size, with $2,000 as the maximum in Elkford, Sparwood, and Fernie; $2,500 is the maximum in Cranbrook/South Country.
Fourth, CFKR recognizes that local non-profits have deep knowledge and expertise, specific to their areas of focus and communities. CFKR also recognizes that it is often uniquely challenging to secure funding for basic operational costs such as websites, insurance, rent, staffing etc. As a result, for CFKR’s 2026 grant application process, operating costs are eligible expenses.
Lynnette Wray, CFKR Executive Director, said “CFKR is pleased to share our updated 2026 grant application process, including our new online application form and full inclusion of operational expenses; this change is based on CFKR’s strategic direction to integrate trust-based philanthropy approaches into our granting process as well as feedback from our valued community partners.”
“In 2026, CFKR has over $155,000 available for granting, thanks to the generosity of our donors and their commitment to long-term and sustainable charitable giving through permanently invested endowment funds,” added Wray.
To be eligible to apply, an organization must be a CRA qualified donee, such as a registered charity, or, if the organization is not a qualified donee, enter into an agency agreement with a qualified donee. Grant applications need to clearly demonstrate a direct, positive benefit to local residents.
Each grant application is reviewed by CFKR’s local volunteer committees, with granting decisions ratified by the CFKR Board.
Since 2003, thanks to the income earned from its endowment funds, as well as external project funding, CFKR has granted a total of over $1 million to more than 300 local non-profit projects in the communities of Elkford, Sparwood, Fernie, Cranbrook, and the surrounding rural areas.
The Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies takes a broad and inclusive view of what contributes to building healthy, vibrant, and inclusive communities, providing grants to the widest possible range of organizations and initiatives: Animal Welfare; Arts/Culture/Heritage; Education; Environment; Mental Health/Addictions; Outdoor Recreation/Physical Activity/Sports; Programs for Equity-Deserving Populations (e.g., Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQI+, women, diverse abilities, seniors, children/youth); and Social/Health/Housing Services. For examples of the wide variety of projects funded by CFKR, please see the 2025 list of CFKR grant recipients.
2025 CFKR Grant-funded Projects
