For the second consecutive year, The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group has committed $400,000 through its Learning and Engagement Accelerator Fund (L.E.A.F.), continuing a five-year initiative that has provided $2.2 million to 54 community projects since 2021.
The 2025 program will award grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 to support education-related projects and community facilities.
Applications opened September 8 and will close November 7. Project support pages will remain active until November 14, and recipients will be named in December 2025.
Since its launch, the fund has centred on initiatives connected to learning and engagement. Eligible proposals must aim to create opportunities for education or enhance community spaces, such as libraries, schools, and centers where residents gather.
Tim Shauf, president and CEO of The Commonwell, said the program was designed to address local educational programs that often lack sufficient resources. He noted that communities have faced recent challenges but continue to develop ideas and collaborate, and the insurer intends to support those efforts by funding both new and existing initiatives.
“Recent years have posed significant challenges for many communities, but these same communities are demonstrating remarkable adaptability, generating new ideas, and collaborating effectively. We aim to accelerate this progress by investing in it.
“Through L.E.A.F., we invite every community in Ontario to apply for grants that support the introduction of new programs or the enhancement of community facilities where residents learn, play, engage, and gather. Any project that builds capacity and resilience will be considered,” said Shauf.
The grants are available to communities across Eastern, Central, and Western Ontario where The Commonwell operates, including Baltimore, Brechin, Cameron, Colbourne, Embrun, Foxboro, Goderich, Grafton, Grand Bend, Havelock, Hillier, Huntsville, Ingersoll, Kitchener/Waterloo, Lindsay, Listowel, London, Lucan, Madoc, Manotick, Meaford, Midland, Mono, Navan, Orillia, Ottawa, Owen Sound, Peterborough, Plantagenet, Prescott, Sarnia, Selby, Smith Falls, St. Marys, St. Pauls, Stratford, Thomasburg, Tillsonberg, Woodstock, Zurich, and other nearby communities.
Applications can be submitted at leaf.thecommonwell.ca. Once submitted, residents are encouraged to comment and share photos on each project’s online page, as community engagement is taken into consideration in the evaluation process.
L.E.A.F. began in 2021. During that time, The Commonwell has distributed a total of $2.2 million in funding to projects across Ontario, with $400,000 allocated each of the past two years.
The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group was created in 2014 through the merger of three Ontario mutual insurers. The company operates with a focus on local presence and service, rooted in more than 100 years of history.
