Please see updated information for Application Deadlines below
The Alva Foundation, established in 1965, is a private foundation based in Toronto, Canada.
What Do We Support?	The Alva Foundation funds organizations conducting research and/or developing services that address significant risk factors in early childhood development, prenatal through four years of age. It is our philosophy that healthy childhood development sets in place many mental, physical, and social attributes that determine the ability to develop into a healthy adult. We are interested in helping organizations that work in the areas of prevention.
Preferred Funding	Research, pilot, or demonstration projects. Research into risk factors that limit healthy early childhood development, prenatal to four years old with preference given to ECD in societal, educational, and/or family contexts. Increasingly, new research is proving that healthy early childhood development sets in place, often for life, many neurological, social, and learning factors and abilities. Scope: across Canada Funding of demonstration or pilot projects testing the delivery and introduction of new services to this constituency that aim to ensure healthy early childhood development. Scope: across Canada, but preference given to Toronto, Montreal, and the Eastern Townships of Quebec. It is the foundation's practice to support a small portfolio of projects, or institutions, with multi-year grants, generally of three to five years duration, as appropriate. These grants will generally range from $30,000 to $50,000/annum.
Granting Regions	Donations are made only within Canada. Applications for research will be considered from institutions across Canada. Preference will be given to applications for pilot or demonstration project funding from within the greater Toronto and Montreal regions and Eastern Townships of Quebec.
Recent Grants	Some examples of recent donations can be seen HERE.
Restrictions	Grants will not be made to individuals, or for emergency or deficit funding.
How to Apply for Funding	Full proposals will only be accepted after review of an initial letter of inquiry, not to exceed three pages. The letter of inquiry should succinctly explain the nature of the research project or service program in question, including; how it relates to the foundation's interests, listing of key personnel involved, background on the hosting institution, the full cost and timeline of the project or program, current or committed funders if any, and the funding to be requested of the foundation. We accept a maximum of three LOIs per year from any single institution or applicant.
Application Deadlines	The deadline for letters of inquiry will be Monday March 7, 2016 (changed from Tuesday March 8, effective January 15, 2016). Although this is our deadline, we would greatly appreciate LOIs before then. In short, there is nothing magical about waiting until the last minute!
Mailing Address	The Foundation has no permanent office address, but can be contacted at: The Alva Foundation c/o Graham Hallward, Chairman: Donations Committee 199 Albertus Avenue Toronto, Ontario M4R 1J6 The Donations Committee can be reached via e-mail at info@Alva.ca. Please put the name of your organization in the subject line (to help us identify valid e-mail amongst the spam we receive!) Please Note: The Foundation does not accept telephone calls.
Who Are We?	The Foundation is run by volunteers, with no full time staff. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors and Corporate Officers: Christopher Kerrigan, President Derek Fisher, Vice-President, and Treasurer Graham F. Hallward, Director, and Chair of the Donations Committee Breanne Mathers, Director, and co-Chair of the Donations Committee Amanda Mathers, Director, and Secretary Paul Duder, Director Judy McMartin, Director Philip Fisher, Director Tim McMartin, Director Alison Vilaca, Director Andrew McMartin, Director Matthew Holden, co-Treasurer
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