The Winter Together grant is directed to non-profit organizations to celebrate neighbours helping neighbours during the winter season.
Our Winter Together Grant empowers organizations to foster a spirit of communal responsibility during the winter months. In partnership with community organizations, this initiative aims to educate Edmontonians about the importance of snow removal, celebrate community efforts, and create a more accessible and liveable Winter City.
Supports for Non-Profit, Community and Neighbourhood Organizations*
Winter Together Grant
The Winter Together grant is directed to non-profit organizations, including, but not limited to, community leagues, charities, and Homeowners Associations, to celebrate neighbours helping neighbours during the winter season.
A maximum of $1,000 funding can be used to organize a winter party, provide incentives for volunteers, such as gift cards or prizes, and produce any other materials and events promoting community snow removal and snow removal responsibilities outlined in City bylaws.
* Organizations are not responsible for coordinating, assigning, or managing any volunteers. Please review your insurance guidelines before engaging any volunteers.
Ideas for Using the Winter Together Grant
- Any events dedicated to teaching the community about winter safety and the importance of clearing snow.
- Winter Parties, including Block Parties, featuring activities and information booths on safe snow removal practices. What about celebrating the Winter Solstice on December 21?
- Organizations can provide promotional material and information to support diverse groups, such as newcomer families and other equity-deserving groups in their neighbourhoods, who want to learn more about winter in Edmonton and civic winter responsibilities.
- Organizations can use this funding to recognize the outstanding efforts of people helping to remove snow in their community by presenting them with certificates or small awards for their contributions.
Organizations Will Receive
Organizations will receive materials to develop an incentive program for the community, including:
- Rewards: They'll receive snow removal charts, stickers, and certificates to promote the Snow Heroes Youth Challenge, which teaches the importance of supporting your neighbours.
- Information material: Organizations will receive flyers about snow removal safety to distribute among residents who participate in the initiative.
- Front Yard/Window Help Needed Signs: The City offers signs for residents to express their need for volunteers to help with snow removal.
Timeline
Application Intake
October 1, 2025 - February 28, 2026
Review Period
Ongoing
Funding Letters (Email) Signed and Distributed
Ongoing
Eligibility Criteria
Registered non-profit organizations must:
- Be registered under a provincial or federal act;
- Be in good standing with the City of Edmonton, such as having no outstanding financial requirements, funds owed to the City including but not limited to property taxes, or reporting for other City of Edmonton grants previously awarded; and
- Ensure that grant funds received will specifically benefit City of Edmonton residents
Condo associations/homeowners associations must:
- Be incorporated under a provincial or federal act;
- Support community development initiatives in connection with Community Services, or partner with an organization/group/individual that meets funding criteria to act as a fiscal agent;
- Be in good standing with the City of Edmonton, such as having no outstanding financial requirements, funds owed to the City, including but not limited to property taxes, or reporting for other City of Edmonton grants previously awarded; and
- Ensure that grant funds received will specifically benefit City of Edmonton residents.
Informal groups or individuals must:
- Partner with a registered not-for-profit organization that meets all criteria outlined above, as applicable, to act as a fiscal agent
- Provide proof that the fiscal agent has agreed to partner on the initiative via a letter from the fiscal agent attached to their grant application.
For more information, please read the 2025-2026 Winter Together Grant Guidelines.
- Projects, initiatives, and events open to the public, with free or low-cost admission, for cost recovery only.
- Expenses directly tied to the planning, implementation, or evaluation of outcomes, for example, how has the community benefited?
- Honorariums for persons or groups where fees are not legally or traditionally required, for example, indigenous elders, presenters, non-vendor licensed service providers. Honorariums are limited to $200 per person.
- Gifts for Indigenous protocol, knowledge keepers and Elders.
- Consumable expenses, such as craft, program, or event supplies.
- Gift cards, gratuities and prizes.
- Fees for performers or other service providers.
- Non-consumable expenses maintained by the community organization but are available for community use at free or low-cost recovery fees.
- Food and non-alcoholic beverages for volunteers or event attendees.
- Types of eligible projects or events may include, but are not limited to neighbourhood events; art; education; and social, cultural or recreational activities.
- Projects, events or initiatives which serve the neighbourhoods or communities associated with the applicant organization.
- Private projects, initiatives and events that charge entrance fees to generate revenue, unless it is a cost-recovery model.
- Projects that conflict with the City Plan Intentions and ConnectEdmonton Strategy, or do not meet at least 1 of the City Plan Outcomes.
- Capital/infrastructure project expenditures to improve City-owned assets or facilities on City land, privately-owned assets on City land or privately-owned assets or facilities on private property, for example, design, contractor costs, construction materials and supplies, furniture, computer equipment.
- Ongoing operating expenses, for example, staff salaries, insurance, legal/accounting fees, facility operating expenses, facility maintenance.
- Payment for the preparation of funding application.
- Payment or costs associated with contracted snow removal services.
- Completed projects or retroactive expenses incurred prior to the application submission date; reimbursement for expenses incurred prior to receiving notice of grant approval cannot be guaranteed.
- Projects, events or initiatives deemed to be a high risk for illegal activity or are illegal in nature by virtue of the planned activities or programming.
- Alcohol, cannabis or associated items.
- Food and non-alcoholic beverages for City staff or paid employees of the lead organization supporting the initiative.
- Non-consumable expenses for commercial use, rented out or private property.
- Facility rental expenses.
- Projects, events, or initiatives that do not meet the specific needs of the community served by the organization or are unrelated to the organization's mission and objectives.
- Projects, events, or initiatives with a start date outside the winter season, November - March.
Application Intake
Applications will be open from October 1, 2025, until February 28, 2026, or until registration is full.
Funding is limited, and the City accepts applications on a first-come, first-served basis. The Winter Together Grant Coordinator can refuse applications for reasons they deem reasonable.
Applications submitted without all the required information will receive only one email notification requesting the missing details. However, incomplete applications will have to be resubmitted and restart the approval process. For assistance with your application, please contact assistedsnowremovalprogram@edmonton.ca.
Review and Approval Process
Applicant organizations accepted to move forward must sign and return the Funding Award Letter to the City of Edmonton. Once the funding award letter is complete, the applicant will be eligible to receive funds for reimbursement.
The funding is contingent on the applicant organization meeting all requirements and providing the final report and documentation after the approved initiative is over.
The City's funding approval does not constitute approval of any event details or site maps. Organizations must obtain additional approvals for the event, such as road closure permits, open spaces licenses, and the like. The grant coordinator must approve any changes requested to an application.
Final Report
Final reporting is required to complete the grant requirements and receive reimbursement. This includes a Final Summary and copies of paid invoices for all eligible expenses.
Reporting is due 1 month after the end, or no later than April 30, 2026, whichever comes first.
