Faithful Footprints Grant

The United Church of Canada’s dedicated funding for decarbonization upgrades of its buildings

2026 Funding Cycle is now closed

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The Faithful Footprints Grant is The United Church of Canada’s dedicated funding for decarbonization upgrades of its buildings.

The grant provides financial support to help United Church communities of faith plan and complete retrofit projects that reduce fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions while strengthening long-term sustainability and renewing mission work across the country.

$20,000

Receive up to 20,000 dollars to carry out carbon reduction building upgrades

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible, United Church communities of faith and their properties must meet the program’s eligibility requirements. These include criteria related to the proposed project, denominational standing, annual organizational income, loan repayment status, available financial reserves, maximum grant amounts, matching fund requirements, conditions related to property sale and grant repayment, and project completion timelines.

Those that do not meet these requirements will not pass the screening process and will not be considered for funding.


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Funding Cycle Timeline

The following outlines the key milestones and deadlines for the current funding cycle.

  • After submitting an expression of interest, communities of faith will participate in a scheduled onboarding meeting with Faithful Footprints staff. During this meeting, staff will review the program and application process and discuss the community’s building decarbonization opportunities and challenges. Following the meeting, communities will have a clear understanding of the requirements and next steps necessary to receive the formal application package. The deadline to submit an expression of interest is April 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST.


  • Following a successful onboarding meeting and the development of a decarbonization plan, interested communities of faith will receive an application form. Applicants must complete the form, gather all required supporting documentation, and submit their full application package to Faithful Footprints staff. The final deadline for submission is May 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST.


  • Following the application deadline, all submissions will be screened for eligibility and undergo a structured assessment and selection process. During this process, applications will be reviewed and evaluated by Regional Ministers and United Church staff in accordance with established regional and national priorities.


  • In early July, all applicants will be notified of the outcome of their submissions.


  • Grant recipients whose applications are approved are required to complete their projects within the approved calendar year, no later than December 31, 2026. Any unavoidable delays must be reported to the Faithful Footprints Program delivery partner, Faith & the Common Good.



  • Upon completion of their projects, grant recipients are required to submit a Post-Project Reflective Summary Report. This project report will include a project summary, project expense form with all supporting invoice documentation, and project photos, using the templates provided by Faithful Footprints. Following review and approval of the complete project report, grant recipients will receive project reimbursement funds, subject to a $1,000 holdback.

    In January 2028, grant recipients are required to submit 1-year post-retrofit energy data, after which they will receive an energy and carbon baseline comparison report and the remaining $1,000 holdback will be distributed.


Grant Informational Webinar

Walkthrough of program updates, grant eligibility, revised application process and key questions being answered.

watch Recording

Frequently Asked Questions

  • United Church communities of faith can only receive a Faithful Footprints Grant once.

    However, communities of faith can apply several times. If a community is not approved in the current funding cycle, they are welcome to apply again in future cycles.

    A single application may include multiple eligible project components.

  • No. Energy and carbon data are not the only evaluation metrics used in the selection process. All submissions will be screened for eligibility and undergo a structured assessment and selection process and reviewed and evaluated by Regional Ministers and United Church staff in alignment with established regional and national priorities.

  • Yes. All applicants are required to submit their property’s energy and utility data for the 2025 calendar year as part of a complete application.

    Energy data helps us understand where buildings are starting from and how much improvement a project achieves. Since the goal of the program is to reduce the carbon footprint of the United Church of Canada, this information allows us to measure progress and confirm the impact of funded projects.

    Start by asking your administrator, treasurer, or whoever pays the utility bills where past records are kept. Many utilities provide billing history through online accounts, or your congregation may have a file of previously paid bills. These bills contain all the information needed to complete the energy chart in the application form.

    If you’re having trouble locating your data or aren’t sure what’s required, we’re happy to help. Contact us at info@faithfulfootprints.org or submit an Expression of Interest Form for support.

  • Grant recipients whose applications are approved are required to complete their projects within the approved calendar year, no later than December 31, 2026. Any unavoidable delays must be reported to the Faithful Footprints Program delivery partner, Faith & the Common Good.

  • No, grant funds are distributed as a reimbursement after the approved project is completed and a project expense form, along with all supporting invoice documentation has been submitted. Once a complete project report has been reviewed and approved, grant recipients will receive their reimbursement, subject to a $1,000 holdback.

    In January 2028, grant recipients are required to submit one-year post-retrofit energy data. After the data is reviewed, grant recipients will receive an energy and carbon baseline comparison report and the remaining $1,000 holdback will be released.

    Important: Work cannot begin before the project has been approved and the official approval letter has been received

  • "Unrestricted" reserves are funds that are available for communities of faith to use toward any purpose. They are funds that have not been restricted by donors, or committed, or designated for a specific purpose. Instead, these funds are regarded as general purpose income and can be freely available to be spent on any charitable objectives.

    Donors to a non-profit organization may designate or "restrict" the use of their donations to a particular purpose or project.

  • Decarbonizing projects are those that replace a fossil-fuel burning appliance with an electric alternative. Examples include replacing an oil, propane, or natural gas furnace - boiler - or hot water heater with an electric option like a heat pump.

    Decarbonizing projects must be the priority action in your grant application to be considered.