Across Canada, youth-serving organizations are finding creative, community-led ways to help young people learn, grow and succeed. Through Catapult Canada, the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF) supports this work with funding, resources and opportunities for collaboration.
To date, through Catapult, the RHF has invested $21.6 million in 108 youth-serving organizations, supporting initiatives that have reached 88,000 young people across the country.
But supporting these organizations means more than providing grants. It also means listening to their experiences, understanding the challenges they face, and finding ways to better support them.
Catapult’s 2025 Open Call for funding attracted more than 800 applications from youth-serving organizations across Canada, reflecting an extraordinary range of programs and ideas.
Recognizing the value of their perspectives, the RHF took the opportunity to listen more closely and learn about the challenges organizations are seeing and experiencing in helping young people succeed. More than 100 organizations participated in feedback sessions, sharing their experiences, challenges and ideas for improving funding practices.
What we heard tells a bigger story about the youth-serving sector.
Youth serving organizations in Canada described growing financial pressures, with demand for their services increasing while funding becomes harder to secure. Their experiences point to a broader need for sustained investment in community-led youth programs, from government, philanthropy and other funding partners.
They also shared practical ideas for making funding more accessible, from simpler applications and clearer selection processes to more predictable funding opportunities and better support for smaller organizations.
Organizations also expressed a strong desire to stay connected, with many interested in opportunities to learn from one another, share resources, and build relationships beyond the granting process.
These conversations are helping shape what comes next.
The RHF expects to open the next round of Catapult Canada funding in fall 2027, incorporating lessons from these conversations to improve the application process, strengthen communication and make flexible funding more accessible. The RHF is also exploring ways to expand opportunities for learning, networking and collaboration beyond grants.
Our new Catapult Canada Learning Summary shares what we heard, what we learned and how these insights will help guide the program’s future.
Because communities know their needs best. And supporting the organizations closest to young people means making sure their experiences and ideas help shape how we work.
