Investing in the arts: $289,000 from WRCF’s Arts Fund
We're pleased to share that Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF) is providing $289,000 from our Arts Fund to support 20 small and mid-sized arts organizations and collectives across the region. This funding is made possible by the generous support of several WRCF Fundholders and donors, along with a partnership with the City of Waterloo to support microgrants delivered through Pat the Dog Theatre Creation.
For 2026, we've directed our Arts Grants funding toward growing and improving social infrastructure – funding shared arts experiences that take place in Waterloo Region and create opportunities for meaningful social connection, interaction, and participation.
"Arts and culture are the threads that weave our communities together, and we're proud to invest in the organizations that make those connections possible,” said Eric Avner, President & CEO, Waterloo Region Community Foundation. “When people gather around shared creative experiences in neighbourhoods, in gathering places, and in community hubs, something powerful happens. We strengthen the social fabric that helps Waterloo Region not just function, but flourish."
Each year, we work with a volunteer committee, made up of people from the arts community across Waterloo Region, who review applications and recommend how funding from the Arts Fund is allocated.
The 2026 Arts Grants recipients:
Arts Integration (Green Light Arts)
Ayr Community Theatre (Township of North Dumfries)
CAFKA - Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener + Area
Grand River Jazz Society
Grand River Tributaries Collective (Grandview Theatre)
Green Light Arts
IRL Festival (The Registry Theatre)
Neruda Arts (Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre)
NUMUS
One Big Gay Disco (Thrive HIV Prevention & Support)
Pat the Dog Theatre Creation -- In support of the microgrants program
Pinch (The Registry Theatre)
Quill Fine Arts (The Canadian Arabic Orchestra)
Quilt of Belonging
Textile (Community Justice Initiatives)
The Little KW Flamenco Fest (The Registry Theatre)
The New Quarterly
Unwrap Theatre
Vera’s Garden Collective (Wilfrid Laurier University)
Waterloo Chamber Players
Note: Charitable organizations in brackets represent the charitable partner working alongside the non-qualified donee on the funded initiative.
Want to support the arts in Waterloo Region?
If you'd like to support the Arts Fund and help fund future applications we receive, please visit wrcf.ca/a-donate.
Today, we also announced funding through our Community Funds and Racial Equity Fund, with overall funding of $1.84 million distributed across Waterloo Region. Read the combined press release here.
If you have any questions, or would like to connect with someone, email us at grants@wrcf.ca
