How we Fund the Community

Did you know that much of what takes place in the Estonian community is financially supported by Estonian Foundation of Canada (EFC)?

Funded by donations and bequests from individuals in our community, EFC is a registered charity that supports a broad range of Estonian cultural and heritage programs and initiatives to sustain a vibrant Estonian community across Canada.

Program and Initiative Funding

EFC welcomes applications for program and initiative funding twice a year from established organizations, groups, and associations as well as new initiatives. Each application will be reviewed and considered by the Board of Directors. All successful applications must meet EFC's funding criteria.

Funding Application Deadlines:

Fall: October 1, 2026

Spring: March 1, 2027

For details on EFC funding and how to apply click here.

EFC Scholarships - Deadline June 1, 2027

Higher education, with its long-standing history in Estonia, has been valued by generations of Estonians. This value has carried over to Estonian-Canadians and is reflected in generous donations from our community members for the establishment of post-secondary scholarship funds. Thanks to this generosity, EFC has been able to grant almost 250 scholarships to Estonian-Canadian students. Through these scholarships, EFC is helping to reduce the financial burden of post-secondary education, and encouraging recipients to stay connected to their heritage and the Estonian-Canadian community.

EFC added two new scholarship funds in 2021, enabled by substantial bequests from Martin & Heljo Mäeks and Vilma & Heinrich Blum. In total, EFC offers 3 scholarships to post-secondary students in the Estonian-Canadian community who are studying in second year or above, or at the graduate level.