Free to Play Fund
Department: Rural Communities Foundation of Nova Scotia (RCFNS)
Description:
Free to Play is a national fund delivered locally by community foundations, including the Rural Communities Foundation of Nova Scotia. It supports projects that help children spend more time playing outside – moving, exploring, taking healthy risks, and connecting with others in welcoming outdoor spaces.
In Nova Scotia, RCFNS is inviting eligible local organizations across rural communities to apply for this first intake. The focus is on outdoor, child-led play rather than structured sport or adult-directed programs, with an emphasis on equity, imagination, and curiosity.
The fund aims to:
- Increase everyday opportunities for outdoor play
- Reduce physical and social barriers that limit outdoor play
- Support children’s well-being, confidence, and healthy development
- Contribute to a long-term culture shift that values outdoor play as essential to childhood
Free to Play recognizes that outdoor play has declined due to more screen time, safety concerns, busy family schedules, and limited accessible spaces. It responds by investing in local projects and partnerships that create the time, space, and freedom children need to play on their own terms.
RCFNS will use a participatory approach for this intake. Applicants will help decide how funds are allocated across approved projects and will receive an honorarium for their time in allocation meetings.
Components of Outdoor Play Activities
Successful outdoor play projects typically include one or more of these elements:
Access to Outdoor Spaces and Materials: Ensure children have access to quality outdoor spaces along with materials that support play, like small loose parts, tools, and/or storage for equipment.
Training and Support: Provide opportunities for caregivers, educators, and community members to learn how to encourage and facilitate outdoor play.
Supportive Policies: Develop or adapt policies and tools that make outdoor play easier to include in programs and help manage risk.
Community Engagement: Involve families, caregivers, and community members to understand and support outdoor play and risk.
Eligible Activities
Projects must:
- Take place in rural Nova Scotia (within communities served by RCFNS)
- Support the objective of Free to Play
- Be open to the community they intend to serve
- Create lasting impact beyond one or two-day events
Examples of eligible activities include running, climbing, digging, building, splashing, rolling, imagining, pretending, playing with natural materials like sticks, mud, water, sand, grass, or snow, taking risks, testing ideas, and learning how to navigate challenge and uncertainty.
Eligible expenses
Eligible expenses include: administrative costs directly related to the project, staff salaries and benefits for project staff, contractor or professional fees, materials and supplies, communications, training and workshops, evaluation, translation and interpretation, and local travel and transportation tied to the project.
Website: https://rcfofns.com/free-to-play-rcfns?mc_cid=d3203b24aa&mc_eid=9197070e9f
Deadline: February 24, 2026
Community Recreation Development Grant
Department - Organization: NS Dept of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage
Description: The grant is designed to support activities and initiatives that respond to the recreation and physical activity goals and priorities of communities and the Shared Strategy for Recreation in Nova Scotia: Active Living, Inclusion and Access, Connecting People and Nature, Supportive Environments, and Capacity Development.
Example(s): Leadership Education and Capacity Development. Marketing and Awareness Campaigns. Organizational and Partnership Development. Program or Policy Development and Implementation. Resource Development, Planning and Evaluation.
Deadline: Annual intake. April 1st- December 1st, or until 100% committed. Apply early in the fiscal year to avoid disappointment. Applicants in the HRM region and in the Highland Region (Guysborough, Antigonish and Pictou Counties) have the following intake deadlines: April 30th, June 30th and September 30th.
Website: https://cch.novascotia.ca/community-recreation-capital-grant
Trail Engineering Assistance Grant Program
Department - Organization: NS Dept of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage
Description: The program is designed to provide trail builders and managers with a source of funding to help them hire engineering expertise when it is required. The program provides funding to municipalities for hiring engineers when building, maintaining, and supporting multi-use trails and non-motorized single-use to help ensure Nova Scotia’s trails are both safe for trail users and environmentally sound. Applicants are encouraged to contribute to the overall cost of the initiative. The contribution level required depends on the need and the ability of the applicant to contribute.
Example(s): Inspection and assessment of existing trail structures. Components of planning requiring an engineer (i.e. site plan for a bridge). Design of trail components which must be engineered to a specific standard. Rehabilitation plans.
Deadline: Annual intake. April 1st - December 1st or until the grant program is 100% committed.
Website: https://cch.novascotia.ca/trail-funding-programs
Jays Care Programs – Local Governments
Department - Organization: Jays Care Foundation
Description: This is an inclusion-focused baseball/softball for development program. This is offered to Canadian Local Governments offering programs for children and youth facing barriers. The aim is to use baseball or softball as a tool to enhance connection, belonging, and access to sport opportunities to kids most often sitting on the sidelines. Your community can apply to receive free training and equipment.
Deadline: Open
Website: https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/community/jays-care/community-partner/local-governments
Kidsport
Applicants are encouraged to read the eligibility information noted here and ensure they meet the criteria before beginning an application. If eligible, please review and complete an application and all requested supplementary information by the 15th of each month.
KidSport is a national children’s program that helps kids overcome the financial barriers preventing or limiting their participation in organized sports. KidSport Nova Scotia provides funding of up to $500/year/child for sport registration and/or equipment. In operation since 1994, KidSport Nova Scotia has assisted over 31,000 children totalling over $7.7 Million.
For further information on how to apply please visit sport nova scotia.
Parasport Loan Program
The Sport Nova Scotia Parasport Loan Program is designed to provide Community Sport Organizations, Non-Profit Groups, and Recreation Departments involved with Parasport programs access to equipment and resources to offer introductory adaptive sport opportunities in their community.
Successful applicants may borrow a full set of equipment, program guides for how to facilitate weekly introductory programming in the selected sport, and leadership training in 1 of 6 available parasports for a 6-week period.
To apply please email , with 'Program Loan' in the subject line, to receive more information and the application form.
Max Bell Foundation Grants
Department - Organization: Max Bell Foundation
Description: Max Bell Foundation makes grants to support projects that are designed to inform public policy. They do so across four program areas: Education; Environment; Health & Wellness; and Civic Engagement and Democratic Institutions. A typical project supported by Max Bell Foundation ranges from 1-3 years in duration and has a budget that ranges from approximately $10,000 to $200,000. Max Bell Foundation is often the only financial supporter of projects they fund. Not for building or service delivery, it is for projects that inform public policy. You can view previous grants awarded here: https://www.maxbell.org/about-us/grants-database/
Deadline: Continuous intake
Contact: Contact Form
Website: Max Bell Foundation Grants
Smoke-Free Outdoor Spaces Signage Grant Fund
Department - Organization: Smoke-Free Nova Scotia
Description: The fund is intended to support communities which have already established smoke-free outdoor spaces by assisting with the cost of signage, as well as awareness and enforcement. This is a limited, one-time funding opportunity. Grants as high as $2,000 may be awarded.
Deadline: Continuous intake