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Enhanced Capacity Advancement Program (ECAP) | Government of Alberta

January 15, 2026

Value

Eligible capacity building non-profit organizations may receive up to a maximum of $225,000 per year in operational funding annually for up to 3 years.

Description

The Enhanced Capacity Advancement Program (ECAP) helps to enhance and advance the non-profit/voluntary sector in Alberta by providing operational funding, for up to 3 years, to Alberta-based non-profit organizations that have a primary mandate and proven ability to:

  • Deliver diverse capacity-building programs, supports and services to other non-profit organizations and enhance and advance Alberta’s non-profit/voluntary sector as a whole. These programs, supports and services must be intended for, and made available to, any non-profit/voluntary sector organization at the local, regional and/or provincial scale.
  • Lead or participate in collaborative work to address broad priority issues that impact the entire non-profit/voluntary sector (for example: collaborate with relevant stakeholders such as other non-profit serving organizations, government, academia and the for-profit sector).

The ECAP application process includes 2 main stages.

  • Stage 1 – Program Eligibility: Prospective applicants submit basic organizational information to confirm program eligibility. Applicants will be assessed for general program eligibility and may be invited to submit a full application for funding consideration (Stage 2).
  • Stage 2 – Target Outcomes Assessment – Priority Capacity Building Outcomes: Organizations invited to submit a Stage 2 application will submit internal and external capacity building target outcomes and other application requirements that will confirm their overall program eligibility and where applicable, inform funding recommendations. Submitting a Stage 2 application does not guarantee that funding will be awarded.

Eligible Applicants

To be eligible for the ECAP grant, all of the following criteria must be met:

  • Eligible organizations must have a primary mandate and proven ability to:
    • deliver diverse capacity-building programs, supports and services to other non-profit organizations and enhance and advance Alberta’s non-profit/voluntary sector as a whole
      • capacity building results in improved knowledge, skill and ability to make and execute decisions in a manner that achieves effective and efficient results at the individual, organizational and sector level
      • there are 5 capacity categories that ECAP recipient organizations must work to enhance across the sector (systems capacity, strategic leadership capacity, adaptive capacity, management capacity and operational/technical capacity). See the ECAP Guidelines for more information on these categories.
      • Capacity-building programs, supports and services provided by eligible organizations must be intended for and made available to any non-profit/voluntary sector organization at a local, regional and/or provincial scale.
    • lead or participate* in collaborative work to address broad priority issues that impact the entirenon-profit/voluntary sector (for example: collaborate with relevant stakeholders such as other non-profit serving organizations, government, academia, the for-profit sector etc.)

*Participation must include robust and ongoing contribution to collaborative work and projects. Temporary participation or providing one-off input through engagement activities does not satisfy this requirement.

  • eligible organizations must be registered as a non-profit organization and in good-standing under one of the following Acts:
    • Societies Act
    • Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act with a registration in Alberta under the Business Corporations Act
    • Companies Act, Part 9 (Non-profit Companies)
    • Special Act of the Alberta Legislature
    • Part 21 of the Business Corporations Act – Extra-Provincial Corporations
  • eligible organizations must have a history of operating in Alberta for at least one year, with an Alberta-based address that is regularly monitored by an active member of the organization
  • eligible organizations must have the ability to demonstrate:
    • proven ability to deliver on its mandate
    • sufficient community support for its mandate, which includes ongoing financial support from a range of sources and
    • broad accessibility and use of its diverse programs and services

Eligible Expenses

Capacity building is activity that results in improved knowledge, skill and ability to make and execute decisions in a manner that achieves effective and efficient results at the individual, organizational and sector level. There are 5 capacity categories that ECAP recipient organizations must work to enhance across the sector:

  • systems capacity
  • strategic leadership capacity
  • adaptive capacity
  • management capacity
  • operational/technical capacity

Funding priority will be given to organizations that conduct work to address one or more of the following sector priority topic areas:

  • sector collaboration
  • volunteerism
  • non-profit/voluntary sector workforce
  • data and data literacy
  • digital transformation
  • alternative revenue generation

Deadline Date

The application period for the 2026-29 Enhanced Capacity Advancement Program multi-year funding cycle is now open. The Stage 1 application (preliminary program eligibility assessment) deadline is January 15, 2026. Organizations deemed eligible for further consideration after Stage 1 will be contacted by program staff with information regarding the next stage in the application process.

Contact

Contact Name: Enhanced Capacity Advancement Program

Phone Number: 780-638-3500

E-mail Address: ecap@gov.ab.ca

Website: https://www.alberta.ca/enhanced-capacity-advancement-program

Industry:

Non-Profit

Location:

Alberta

Tags:

Non-Profit

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