Canadian Tire Jumpstart is making an impact on youth sports through their grants and community programs that aims to keep kids active, in the game and having fun. The OVA has been fortunate enough to receive support from Canadian Tire Jumpstart grants on several occasions to help fund volleyball programming and other OVA initiatives.

With the organization marking June as Jumpstart month, they have announced multiple grants and programs that are up for application.

From Jumpstart:

June is Jumpstart Month! This month, you will see Jumpstart front-and-centre online and at our Canadian Tire, Marks and Sport Chek locations. At retail and corporate offices, we dedicate the month of June to raising the much-needed funds that allow us to support the inspiring work you make possible in our communities.

Jumpstart’s recently released 2023 State of Sport Report highlights the ongoing challenges faced by community sport organizations and barriers kids face in accessing sport and recreation, with 44% of parents surveyed saying they cannot afford to enrol their kids in programs.

Your engagement online and in-store makes a world of difference this month in helping us raise awareness of these barriers to access. Follow us and engage on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter to help amplify the message. Thank you!

The deadline for applications for the second year of Jumpstart’s Play to Lead program in the Greater Toronto Area is fast approaching on Friday, June 30th!

By uniting a group of female athletes and their coaches, the hybrid Play to Lead program enables young women to develop the skills, confidence and relationships to become leaders while improving gender equity and diversity in sport. This is an incredible opportunity and I encourage you to share this widely with your participants, coaches and networks!

Athlete Applicant Eligibility

• Young women enrolled in grades 9, 10, 11 or 12 for the 2023/24 school year.
• Must be committed to participating for the whole duration of the program (September 2023 – May 2024).
• Must apply with a coach.

Coach Applicant Eligibility

• 18 years or older
• Actively engaged with a sport organization in a leadership capacity and must be committed to supporting their athlete for the full duration of the program (September 2023 – May 2024). Coaches can mentor multiple athletes from their sport organization.

Program Overview

1. In-Person Summit: The program will kick off with an in-person Summit in the Fall of 2023. Athletes and their coaches come together for a weekend of networking and leadership skill development.
2. Online Learning: Following the Summit, the program moves online. Athletes participate in 30-minute monthly online sessions and complete short projects to support their learning.
3. Ongoing Mentorship: Coaches mentor athletes throughout the program, identifying opportunities to apply their learnings during practices and games.

Click here to see what last year’s participants have to say about their experience with the program in a short video. Visit our website for more information and to apply, and please share with your network!

Our last Community Development Grant application window for 2023 is now open! Applications are due by Friday, July 7th at 11:59 PM ET.

Please remember all applications will be evaluated and prioritized using an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion score based on the applicant’s efforts to address systemic barriers to sport and recreation for youth.

We were proud to see the incredible impact of one of our grantees celebrated recently in the news. Congratulations to Western Technical-Commercial School for fielding the first girls’ tackle football team in Toronto high school history.

For more information on the Community Development Grant eligibility and guidelines, visit our website. If you would like to discuss your application, please reach out to me via email and we can connect!

For more information on Canadian Tire Jumpstart and their programs please click here.