Incubation of climate-focused initiative began in 2019 with $22M transfer from Federation of Canadian Municipalities, funded by Government of Canada

Ottawa, ON –  November 28, 2024

The Ottawa Community Foundation (OCF) is proud to announce a significant milestone in the effort to accelerate Ottawa’s transition to an equitable, carbon-neutral future. After its successful incubation within the OCF, the Ottawa Climate Action Fund (OCAF) is growing its local impact as an independent organization.

Launched as a program of the Ottawa Community Foundation to address the need for climate action, OCAF brings public, private, and community leaders together to support and fund local climate projects. These projects promote low-carbon innovation, helping to build a strong, resilient city for everyone.

OCAF was initially endowed with a $21.7 million investment from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and funded by the Government of Canada, setting it on a path towards becoming an independent charity. Over the past 3½ years, OCAF has built strong partnerships to boost Ottawa’s sustainability. These partnerships have been key to completing several projects, including:

  • The Ottawa Climate-Economy Opportunities Summit: A landmark event that showed Ottawa how it can meet its wider economic and social goals faster and better by incorporating strategies to reduce carbon pollution and increase climate resilience.
  • Engaging Ottawa Renters in Retrofits: OCAF enabled Ottawa ACORN to inform and empower low- and moderate-income renters on climate change, energy retrofits, and alternatives to renovictions.
  • Ottawa Bike Share Report: In partnership with EnviroCentre, OCAF co-created a local bike share report that pointed to an essential missing piece in the local sustainable transportation puzzle.
  • EnviroCentre – Future Homes Ottawa: This project engages communities and households in deep retrofit efforts, laying the groundwork for Ottawa’s first mass retrofit project in social housing .
  • Ottawa Climate Equity Initiative: OCAF led this initiative, bringing together over a dozen organizations from the climate and social inclusion communities for equitable climate action in Ottawa.

These projects demonstrate OCAF’s growing success in driving innovation and collaboration. Now, as an independent charity, OCAF is poised to further accelerate Ottawa’s transition to an equitable, carbon-neutral future.

“Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for the impacts of climate change is not ‘only’ about the environment – it’s essential for our economic and community well-being. We are immensely proud of what OCAF has accomplished and thank the Ottawa Community Foundation for all its support over the last few years,” says Steve Winkelman, Executive Director of OCAF. “We’re excited about all the possible avenues for future collaboration with OCF as OCAF expands its role as a local partner, convener, and funder for climate action and solutions.”

Michael Maidment, President and CEO of the Ottawa Community Foundation, adds, “The Ottawa Climate Action Fund spinning off into an independent organization is a major step in our collective efforts towards accelerating climate action. We congratulate OCAF’s team in driving local solutions, and we look forward to seeing an even greater impact moving forward.”

For more information on OCAF and its initiatives, please visit ottclimatefund.ca.

About the Ottawa Community Foundation (OCF): The Ottawa Community Foundation is a registered charity and one of over 200 community foundations across Canada. Since 1987, we’ve pooled and invested donations from generous people, creating funds that have provided $200 million in grants to various charitable causes. By sharing strategic insights about community needs, we connect donors with the charities and causes they are passionate about. Together, we are building a strong and supportive city for everyone.

About the Ottawa Climate Action Fund (OCAF): The Ottawa Climate Action Fund (OCAF) exists to catalyze and scale low-carbon solutions to their full potential in Ottawa. We align this work with community benefit, bringing low-carbon initiatives, investments, and people together to deliver tangible, lasting success.

For more information, please contact:

Barry Lam
Manager, Communications
Ottawa Community Foundation
Phone: 613-563-7121
Email: blam@ocf-fco.ca

Steve Winkelman
Executive Director
Ottawa Climate Action Fund
Phone: 613-237-6330
Email: swink@ottclimatefund.ca

For French inquiries
Milo Grandchamp
Associate, Communications
Ottawa Community Foundation

Phone: 613-563-7130
Email: mgrandchamp@ocf-fco.ca