Sport Canada's commitment to gender equity in sport has created significant funding opportunities for organizations that support women and girls. The federal government has made increasing female sport participation a top priority, and several dedicated funding streams now exist to support this goal.
The primary vehicle is the Women and Girls in Sport component within Sport Canada's contribution programs, providing grants from $25,000 to $500,000 for projects that increase female participation at all levels.
What Gets Funded
- Participation programs introducing women and girls to sport, particularly targeting underrepresented populations including Indigenous women, newcomer women, and women with disabilities
- Leadership development for female coaches, officials, administrators, and board members
- Safe sport initiatives including harassment prevention, mental health support, and policy development
- Research examining barriers to female sport participation and evaluating solutions
- Capacity building helping sport organizations develop gender equity policies and inclusive programming
Sport Canada has explicitly stated that gender equity is a funding priority. Applications addressing barriers to female sport participation have a significant advantage in the current funding environment.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a national or provincial sport organization, or a registered charity working in sport development
- Must demonstrate how the project advances gender equity in sport
- Must have capacity to manage federal funding including audited financial statements
- Must serve a Canadian population and operate within Canada
Application Strategy
Use Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+)
Your application must demonstrate understanding of the intersecting barriers women and girls face in sport. Consider how gender intersects with race, income, ability, geography, and culture. Applications that address multiple barriers simultaneously score higher.
Lead With Data
Start with specific data on female sport participation gaps. Canadian Women and Sport, Statistics Canada, and ParticipACTION all publish relevant data. In Alberta, female sport participation rates lag male rates by 15 to 20 percentage points in most age categories — cite these numbers.
Include Female Leadership
Ensure your project team includes women from the communities you serve. A program for Indigenous girls that has no Indigenous women on the project team lacks credibility. Representation in project delivery matters to federal reviewers.
Plan for Sustainability
Show how your project creates lasting change. Training female coaches who will continue coaching after the grant ends, developing organizational policies that permanently change how your organization operates, or building community partnerships that endure — these are sustainable outcomes.
Building Your Application
Federal sport applications require detailed logic models showing the connection between your activities and expected outcomes. For a women and girls program, your logic model might look like this:
- Inputs: Funding, trained female coaches, facility space, program curriculum
- Activities: 24-week sport introduction program, coach mentorship circles, parent engagement workshops
- Outputs: 120 girls participate, 8 new female coaches certified, 6 parent workshops delivered
- Outcomes: 75% of participants continue in organized sport, female coaching representation increases by 30%, parent-reported barriers reduced
- Impact: Increased female sport participation in target community, stronger pipeline of female sport leaders
The application process for federal sport programs is rigorous. Budget four to six weeks for preparation, and consider partnering with a provincial sport organization that has experience with federal funding if this is your first federal application.
Alpine Grants has experience with federal sport funding applications including Sport Canada programs. Book a 10-minute discovery call and we'll assess your eligibility for women and girls in sport funding.