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A lot of Canadian nonprofits know they “should” modernize their finance and data systems. Fewer have a clear answer to the follow-up question: who’s going to pay for this? 

The good news is that there is funding on the table in 2026 for digital upgrades, finance systems, and data projects. It just tends to be scattered across capital grants, capacity-building funds, and tech-focused programs rather than one big “new ERP” pot. 

This playbook walks through key grants and funding streams you can use to modernize finance, reporting, and digital infrastructure, and how those dollars can connect to things like ERP, fund accounting, and dashboards. 

1. Ontario Trillium Foundation: Seed vs. Capital 

If you’re in Ontario ,the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is one of the most flexible levers you have for digital and finance system work. 

Seed Grants: Planning, pilots, and digital readiness 

OTF’s Seed Grant stream is all about building capacity and preparing for future programming. It funds projects like organizational planning, piloting new programs, and building the capacity to deliver services more effectively. 

Key details (based on the current cycle): 

• Amount: $10,000–$100,000 

• Term: 6 or 12 months 

• Recent window: The current deadline is August 19, 2026, with OTF encouraging applicants to watch for future announcements for upcoming years. 

How this helps your digital/finance work: 

• Needs assessment for finance and reporting 

• Chart-of-accounts and dimensions redesign 

• Data model work to support fund accounting 

• Proof-of-concept dashboards in Power BI or similar tools 

• Change-management and training plans for finance and program teams 

OTF and external guides both highlight digital technology as a valid focus when it directly strengthens how you deliver programs and services, so “back-office” work is fair game as long as you tie it clearly to community benefit. 

Capital Grants: Hardware and infrastructure that enable your systems 

The Capital Grant stream is about buildings, physical spaces, and equipment. OTF funds projects that update facilities and purchase fixed and non-fixed equipment so people and communities can thrive. 

Current guidance includes: 

• Uses: renovations, retrofits, accessibility upgrades, major equipment 

• Equipment: servers, networking gear, assistive and communication technology can be eligible when they’re part of a broader capital project 

• Next intake: OTF lists a 2026 application window from February 4 to March 4, 2026, with past cycles suggesting a similar early-year pattern. 

How this helps your digital/finance work: 

• Network upgrades to support cloud systems and secure remote access 

• Devices and assistive tech that make portals and self-service tools usable for staff and clients 

• Hardware that underpins your ERP, reporting tools, and secure data storage 

How to pair Seed and Capital: 

• Use Seed to design the new finance/data model and run pilots. 

• Use Capital to fund the hardware and workspace upgrades that support your cloud systems, like staff devices, reliable connectivity, and accessibility tech. 

• Then use real data from your ERP and dashboards to show OTF the impact in future reporting. 

2. National digital programs: AWS & Microsoft 

Beyond provincial funds, there are national programs that can underwrite the digital side of your finance and data stack. 

AWS Imagine Grant (Canada) 

AWS has now extended the Imagine Grant to Canadian nonprofits. It supports cloud-based innovation with a mix of AWS Promotional Credits, cash awards, and technical support, aimed at organizations that are using cloud technology as a central tool for their mission. 

For digital and finance systems, that can look like: 

• Migrating your finance and reporting systems to a secure cloud environment 

• Building data warehouses and analytics pipelines for funder and board reporting 

• Developing tools that combine program data and financial data for impact measurement 

Microsoft for Nonprofits: Azure and more 

Microsoft’s nonprofit offers include grants and discounts for Microsoft 365, Azure, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and more. Many nonprofits are eligible for an annual Azure grant (for example, $2,000 in Azure credits) along with heavily discounted licensing for cloud tools. 

How this supports your finance and reporting work: 

• Run your ERP or finance system on Azure and connect it to tools like Power BI 

• Use credits to host secure APIs and data integrations between HR, payroll, and finance 

• Strengthen data security and backup for sensitive financial and client data 

If you already have or are considering Sparkrock, these Microsoft benefits are directly relevant, since the underlying platform leans on Microsoft’s cloud stack for ERP, reporting, and analytics. 

3. Provincial and regional development agencies: FedDev, PrairiesCan, CIP, PSOC, PSISC 

A lot of nonprofits don’t realize that the federal Regional Development Agencies sometimes fund not-for-profit led ecosystem projects, including digital skills and tech enablement. 

FedDev Ontario 

FedDev Ontario supports economic and community development in southern Ontario, providing contributions to businesses, communities, and nonprofits. Recent overviews and program guides highlight streams such as Community Economic Development and Diversification (CEDD) and other funding for organizations that help businesses grow. However, the non-repayable grants called out for nonprofits are currently limited to Francophone nonprofits. 

For nonprofits, especially those working in workforce development, entrepreneurship, or business support, this can fund: 

• Digital and data infrastructure for programs that support small businesses or job seekers 

• ERP and reporting systems that track outcomes across multiple training or support initiatives 

• Capacity-building and training in data literacy and financial management for your ecosystem partners 

PrairiesCan (Prairies Economic Development Canada) 

PrairiesCan’s Community Economic Development and Diversification (CEDD) program funds not-for-profit organizations for projects that support business development and community economic growth in the Prairie provinces. 

For a nonprofit delivering workforce or business support programs, eligible projects could include: 

• Digital skills training platforms and associated reporting systems 

• Financial and data systems that help you evaluate program impact on local economies 

• Shared data/ERP training for partners participating in a regional initiative 

If you’re using Sparkrock or planning an implementation, you can frame ERP and reporting work as essential infrastructure for managing and reporting on these ecosystem projects. 

Alberta Community Initiatives Program (CIP) – Project-Based 

Alberta’s CIP Project-Based stream supports community projects and one-time initiatives, including technology and portable equipment, with grants up to $75,000. 2025 intake dates (January 15, May 15, September 15) give a good sense of the pattern you can expect in 2026. 

This is a good fit for: 

• Finance or reporting system modules that support a specific community program 

• Portable tech for outreach and data collection 

• Training and adoption work tied to new financial or case-related tools 

Québec: PSOC and PSISC 

In Québec, funding often flows through mission and project-based programs rather than explicitly “digital” funds. Two to keep in view: 

• PSOC (Programme de soutien aux organismes communautaires) supports community organizations in health and social services with mission and project funding guided by a 2023–2027 normative framework that covers objectives, eligibility, and reporting. 

• PSISC (Programme de soutien aux initiatives sociales et communautaires) includes streams that fund research, evaluation, training, and innovation in community action, with some components covering up to 90% of eligible expenses and up to $75,000 per project. 

Here, your digital and finance systems work best when framed as: 

• Modernizing service delivery and evaluation 

• Strengthening financial governance and outcome tracking for health and social programs 

• Building shared data and reporting capacity across partner networks 

Bringing it back to your systems and Sparkrock 

All of these grants and credits become more powerful when you treat your finance and data systems as shared infrastructure for your mission, not just “IT projects.” 

Sparkrock can sit at the centre of that picture by: 

• Supporting fund accounting and dimensions so you can track grants, contracts, and programs cleanly 

• Feeding dashboards that make it easy to report to OTF, CIRA, DCCP, FedDev, PrairiesCan, and provincial funders 

• Connecting HR, payroll, and finance data so you can show the real cost of programs by region, population, or funding stream 

• Providing mySparkrock mobile and self-service tools that make it easier for staff to submit expenses, time, and data accurately 

You can often use: 

• Seed- or capacity-style grants for requirements gathering, data model design, and training 

• Capital and project grants for hardware, infrastructure, and implementation support 

• Cloud and vendor grants (AWS, Microsoft) to underwrite hosting, security, and advanced analytics 

If you’re starting to plan a 2026 grant strategy around digital or finance upgrades and want a sanity check on how it could map to an ERP or reporting roadmap, the Sparkrock team can walk through it with you and help you line up the right mix of grants, credits, and internal investment.