RBC Future Launch is one of Canada's largest corporate commitments to youth, with RBC pledging $500 million over ten years to help young Canadians prepare for the future of work. While many people associate this program with employment and career readiness, sport organizations are well-positioned to access this funding — because the skills developed through sport are precisely the skills RBC Future Launch is designed to build.
If your organization runs youth programs that develop leadership, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, or work readiness skills, RBC Future Launch should be on your radar.
What RBC Future Launch Funds
RBC Future Launch supports programs that help young people aged 15 to 29 develop four core skill areas:
- Work experience and skills — Programs that give youth practical experience, including coaching, officiating, event management, and program delivery within sport organizations
- Networking and community — Initiatives that connect youth with mentors, professionals, and peer networks
- Mental well-being — Programs that address youth mental health, resilience, and confidence-building
- Skills development — Training in leadership, communication, financial literacy, digital skills, and other competencies that prepare youth for employment
Grants range from $5,000 to $100,000+ depending on the scope and scale of the program. Multi-year funding is available for programs that demonstrate strong outcomes.
Sport is one of the most effective vehicles for youth skills development. If you can articulate how your sport program builds employability skills, RBC Future Launch is a natural funding fit.
How Sport Organizations Can Apply
The key to accessing RBC Future Launch funding as a sport organization is framing your programs through a skills development lens. Here are examples of how common sport programs align with RBC's priorities:
- Youth coaching certification programs — Young people learning to coach develop leadership, communication, and mentoring skills that transfer directly to the workplace
- Sport event volunteer programs — Youth volunteers at tournaments and events gain project management, customer service, and teamwork experience
- Youth leadership councils — Young athletes serving on club boards or advisory committees develop governance, decision-making, and public speaking skills
- Mental health in sport programs — Initiatives that integrate mental health literacy, resilience training, or counseling support into sport programming
Eligibility Requirements
To access RBC Future Launch funding, your organization must:
- Be a registered Canadian charity (CRA charitable status is typically required — nonprofit society status alone is usually insufficient)
- Serve youth aged 15 to 29 — programs for younger children typically don't qualify
- Operate programs that build measurable skills — you must be able to articulate and track specific skill development outcomes
- Have audited financial statements for at least the most recent fiscal year
- Demonstrate organizational capacity to deliver the proposed program and report on outcomes
Application Process
Step 1: Access the RBC Community Investment Portal
RBC uses an online portal for grant applications. You'll need to create an account and provide your organization's basic information, including your charitable registration number, financial statements, and board list.
Step 2: Submit a Letter of Intent
Most RBC funding streams begin with a letter of intent (LOI) rather than a full application. The LOI is a concise document — typically one to two pages — that outlines your program, target population, expected outcomes, and budget request. If the LOI is successful, you'll be invited to submit a full proposal.
Step 3: Full Proposal
The full proposal requires detailed program descriptions, logic models, evaluation plans, budgets, and organizational information. This is where many organizations struggle because RBC expects a high level of sophistication in program design and outcome measurement. If you're not familiar with logic models or evaluation frameworks, consider getting professional support.
Step 4: Review and Decision
RBC's review process typically takes three to six months from the initial LOI. Decisions are made by regional community investment teams who evaluate applications against RBC's strategic priorities and available budget.
Tips for a Winning Application
Lead with skills, not sport. Your application should emphasize the employability skills your program develops, with sport as the delivery vehicle. "Through our youth coaching certification program, 40 young people aged 16-24 will develop leadership, communication, and mentoring skills through a 12-week experiential learning program" is stronger than "We want to train 40 youth coaches."
Include a clear evaluation plan. RBC wants to know how you'll measure success. Pre-and-post surveys, skills assessments, participant interviews, and employment outcome tracking are all appropriate methods. Be specific about what data you'll collect and when.
Show diversity and inclusion. RBC prioritizes programs that reach underrepresented youth, including Indigenous youth, newcomers, youth with disabilities, and young people from low-income communities. If your program intentionally targets these populations, highlight it prominently.
Demonstrate partnership. RBC values collaborative approaches. If your program involves partnerships with schools, employers, other nonprofits, or government agencies, these relationships strengthen your application significantly.
Combining RBC Future Launch With Other Funding
RBC Future Launch funding can complement other grant programs. For example, you might use Alberta Sport Connection funding for the sport-specific components of your program (coaching, equipment, facility rental) while RBC Future Launch covers the skills development components (facilitators, curriculum development, evaluation). This stacking approach maximizes your total funding while aligning each grant with its funder's priorities.
Alpine Grants helps sport organizations access corporate funding programs like RBC Future Launch alongside government grants. Book a 10-minute discovery call and we'll identify every program your organization qualifies for.