AFC’s 2025 RFP Reveals Partnerships of Depth, Imagination, and Care
On a winter afternoon in Lower Sackville, NS, a parish volunteer sits beside a guest at Beacon House, the local shelter. Together they lean over a donated laptop from St. Francis by the Lakes, working through the small steps that open doors: creating an email address, accessing job postings, checking on housing applications. It is quiet work, almost invisible, but it is the kind of steady, neighbourly help that makes someone feel less alone.
Scenes like this one emerged repeatedly in AFC’s 2025 Request for Proposals (RFP) on the theme of Community Ministry Partnerships. “They came from rural parishes and urban churches, from Atlantic Canada to the Prairies to Southern Ontario,” says Dr. Scott Brubacher, Executive Director. “Each proposal carried a simple message: that community ministry is strongest when Anglicans work shoulder to shoulder with the people and organizations who share their concern for well-being, dignity, and belonging.”
The strength of the proposals—and the depth of partnership they revealed—led the AFC Board to release additional funds beyond the $50,000 envelope originally allocated for this RFP cycle. In total, more than $80,000 was awarded to 12 applicants, representing a group of ministries across the Anglican Church of Canada that are grounded in trust, relevance, and sustained relationships within their communities.
Partnerships That Inspired Us
“As we read through the submissions, certain partnerships stood out,” explains the Rev. Natasha Henderson, Chair of the AFC Grants Committee. “Not because they were large or expensive, but because they inspired us: showing how a parish can develop deep relationships with other organizations in the community, meeting the needs of its neighbours.”
2025 RFP highlights include:
St. Mary’s, Clarenville, NL (Diocese of Central Newfoundland): $5,000
In Clarenville, St. Mary’s will expand its partnership with The Loft – Community Youth Network to offer life-skills programming for youth: cooking, basic vehicle maintenance, conflict resolution, and job readiness. The parish will provide space, volunteers, and encouragement; The Loft will bring youth workers and trusted relationships. Together they will help young people build confidence and resilience.
All Saints’ Anglican Church, Leask, SK (Diocese of Saskatchewan): $3,100
In Leask, All Saints will deepen its collaboration with the Happy Homesteaders Seniors’ Group—an Indigenous–settler partnership built on everyday kindness. Together they will deliver meals, check on neighbours, share local knowledge, and host gatherings where Cree and settler families meet around a shared table. It is simple work, but it will be quietly transformative.
St. Helen’s Anglican Church, Ottawa, ON (Diocese of Ottawa): $5,000
In Ottawa, St. Helen’s will partner with community wellness practitioners to support volunteers engaged in food and outreach ministries. Many volunteers serve in emotionally demanding settings; this project will offer space for rest, reflection, and sustained well-being.
All Saints’ Anglican Church, Waterloo, ON (Diocese of Huron): $15,000
In Waterloo, All Saints’ will expand The SideWalk Centre, a partnership-driven hub that supports equity-deserving groups, newcomers, and students. More than two dozen community partners will offer programs under one roof, while the parish ensures the centre remains a welcoming, stable gathering place.
St. Philip’s Anglican Church, Etobicoke, ON (Diocese of Toronto): $15,000
In Etobicoke, St. Philip’s will collaborate with mental-health practitioners, youth workers, and newcomer organizations to offer programs focused on wellness, intercultural belonging, and youth leadership. The parish will provide a steady gathering place; partners will bring specialized skills and lived experience.
What This Year’s RFP Shows Us
Across all twelve applications, a clear pattern emerged. “The parishes who applied are serving as community anchors,” says Henderson. “These are places where people feel known. Many of the partnerships have grown out of long-standing relationships with shelters, schools, youth networks, seniors’ groups, universities, and Indigenous-led organizations.”
Henderson adds that, “What unites these ministries is their attention to dignity. Each one responds to the needs of seniors, newcomers, unhoused neighbours, or young people in ways that honour their individual stories.”
Members of the Grants Committee also highlighted how this year’s RFP submissions demonstrated how the practical and pastoral can come together: food shared at a drop-in, music offered in a parish hall, a conversation over a laptop, a welcome extended without conditions. “Taken together,” Henderson notes, “these submissions show a Church that is listening closely to, and is actively part of, its communities. It has responded with initiatives that are both grounded and hopeful.”
RFP 2025 Grant Awards
Category A – Local (up to $5,000)
- Anglican Parish of St. Mary’s, Clarenville, NL (Diocese of Central Newfoundland) – $5,000
- St. George’s Anglican Church, Goderich, ON (Diocese of Huron) – $5,000
- St. Mark’s Anglican Church, London, ON (Diocese of Huron) – $5,000
- St. Mark’s-by-the-Lake, Tecumseh, ON (Diocese of Huron) – $4,400
- St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Florence, ON (Diocese of Huron) – $5,000
- St. Francis by the Lakes, Lower Sackville, NS (Diocese of Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island) – $2,800
- St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church, Napanee, ON (Diocese of Ontario) – $5,000
- St. Helen’s Anglican Church, Ottawa, ON (Diocese of Ottawa) – $5,000
- Parish of All Saints, Leask, SK (Diocese of Saskatchewan) – $3,100
Category B – Regional (up to $15,000)
- All Saints’ Anglican Church, Waterloo, ON (Diocese of Huron) – $15,000
- Grace Anglican Church, Brantford, ON (Diocese of Huron) – $10,000
- St. Philip’s Anglican Church, Etobicoke, ON (Diocese of Toronto) – $15,000
AFC will announce the theme of the 2026 RFP following the February meeting of the Board of Directors. Connect with AFC via www.anglicanfoundation.org/subscribe to stay informed about this and other special funding opportunities.
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