Grant requests (typically of no greater than $10,000) will be considered for one or more of the following:

• library acquisitions including physical collections, on-line or digital resources;
• public literary events, literacy initiatives, book clubs, etc.;
• workshops, presentations, guest speakers, etc.
• programming (general or that targeted to groups such as seniors, teens, children, new community members, etc.);
• outreach initiatives to enable the library to further its impact in and beyond the community;
• other specific initiatives may be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

All grant requests must be submitted using the grant application form available on this site.

Any Canadian small community library serving a population of 10,000 or less that is considered a “Qualified Donee” under the Canadian Income Tax Act is eligible to apply. “Qualified Donees” are defined as “organizations that can issue official donation receipts for gifts they receive from individuals and corporations. Registered charities can also make gifts to them.“

An application to the Pat Morris Communities Matter initiative consists of the following documents:

1. A completed Grant Application Form (available under the Forms tab)
2. A completed Budget Request Form (available under the Forms tab)
3. Any additional documents the applicant wishes to include to support their grant request

Grant applications will be comparatively evaluated and assessed on the basis of the following  criteria:

• Potential for impact for the members of the community served by the library;
• Overall quality;
• Area specific evaluation as follows:
  • If grant request is for acquisitions (print, digital or library environment), nature and importance of gap in existing resources for serving needs of community;
  • If grant request is for literary events, workshops, speakers, strategy for arranging presenters and interest by community in attending them;
  • If grant request is to support a new initiative or program, evidence of need within, and interest by, members of the community targeted by the program;
  • If grant request is to support or grow an existing program, rationale for why new resources are required and the specific purpose they will serve.