The Charity Insights Canada Project (CICP) published insights into the grant application process for Canadian charities. The report examines charities’ experiences with all types of grant applications, including the administrative burden, time investment, success rates, and capacity constraints.

According to the research, the majority of participating charities noted that the grant application process is somewhat difficult (40%) or very difficult (14%). Despite the level of difficulty experienced, participating charities noted that they are frequently applying for grants throughout the year, with 64% indicating that they are submitting applications several times a year, and 19% reporting submitting applications once or twice a year. 

Grant applications are time-consuming, with participating charities reporting that they spend 5-15 hours (46%), 16-30 hours (21%), and more than 30 hours (8%). Charities shared that the length or complexity of applications (60%), limited staff capacity or expertise (30%), and insufficient funding (30%) were the top factors contributing to the time or difficulty involved in grant applications and reporting for their organizations. Despite the time commitment required, the majority of participating charities noted that they do not have a dedicated grant writer or fundraising specialist (60%).

For further insights into the data, click here.