A sponsorship provides financial support to a not-for-profit organization for a specific event or initiative. It is time-sensitive and transactional in nature: brand visibility, advertising, tickets, and other benefits are offered in exchange for a monetary contribution. The invoice is provided by the organization and sponsorship fees are not eligible for a charitable tax receipt.

A donation is a gift given to a not-for-profit organization. It can be in the form of cash, goods, or services.
NOTE: CN only accepts online applications for cash donations. For in-kind donations of goods or services, please write to the partnership team. Donations are intended to directly support an organization's mission. It can be program-specific or for general needs. Gifts are eligible for a charitable tax receipt.

MAKE A DONATION

For donations:
There are two application cycles per year, to ensure equitable evaluation and distribution of funds for the most meaningful and impactful projects and organizations across our network.
1st cycle:

• January 1 to March 31: Application period
• April 1 to June 30: Application portal closed for evaluation of donation requests

Applicants will be notified by June 15 if their application is approved or declined.
2nd cycle:

• July 1 to September 30: Application period
• October 1 to December 31: Application portal closed for evaluation of donation requests

Applicants will be notified by December 15 if their application is approved or declined.

For sponsorships:

The application period for sponsorship requests remains from January 1 to November 30, after which the request portal is closed until the end of the year. Please note that the response time for sponsorship requests is 6 to 8 weeks. Therefore, if you submit a sponsorship request less than 6 weeks prior to your event, we cannot guarantee a response.

For communities or organizations with Indigenous-focused projects or events, please submit your request for sponsorships or donations with our Indigenous Relations team.

We look forward to supporting initiatives that align with our shared values and goals.

Please complete the application form

APPLY

CN has three community investment focus areas:

Safety

• Health and wellness, especially mental health initiatives, injury prevention and trauma centres
• Research into major diseases
• First responder training and services
• Research and innovation in safety
• Cultural safety

People

• Youth education in skilled trades
• Inclusion initiatives
• Cultural institutions and events
• Emergency disaster relief
• Food insecurity

Environment

• Mitigating the impacts from climate change
• Clean water sources, biodiversity and sustainable forest management
• Land conservation initiatives
• Innovative approaches to fossil fuel reduction, carbon-neutral programs, and circular economy programs

No. Only requests made through our online application form will be considered. This ensures you provide all the information we need to review your request promptly.

We do our best to review applications in a timely manner.

For Donation requests, depending on the date we receive your application, we will provide a response by:

1st cycle: June 15
2nd cycle: December 15

For sponsorship requests: Within 6-8 weeks, depending on the value of your request. Funding applications that are equal to or exceed $25,000 may take longer to evaluate.

Please note that given the high volume of applications we receive, we do not accept telephone or email inquiries regarding the status of your request.