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Community Tennis Grants

In partnership with National Bank, the Game. Set. Equity. Community Tennis Grants offer opportunities for organizations working at the grassroots level to advance equity in tennis and support self-identifying women and girls to continue playing, experience personal growth, and access leadership opportunities through tennis. This is part of Tennis Canada’s long-term strategy for creating sustainable change for women and girls in sport.

65 applications

received in 2024 — a 209% increase over a one-year span.

$650,000+

in funding requested, highlighting the continued need for support.

31 organizations

provided support across 9 provinces and 1 territory.

Flexible Funding

Applicants requested amounts from a few hundred dollars up to $15,000 to meet their unique community needs.

Stay informed

The Game. Set. Equity. Community Tennis Grants seek to empower communities to develop or further enhance programming for women and girls to break down barriers and drive forward our mission of equitable access to tennis. This is part of our long-term strategy for creating sustainable change for women and girls in sport.

Get notified when grant applications open for 2026.

GRANT APPLICATION

Eligible:

Non-profit organizations or community groups that serve the grassroots community
Examples include tennis clubs, charities, Indigenous community centres, newcomer associations, schools, and universities

Ineligible:

Provincial and Territorial Tennis Associations
For-profit organizations
Individuals

*Individuals/personal expenses are not eligible to receive funding through this grant.

Initiatives that focus on the participation, retention, and/or advancement of self-identifying women and girls with a minimum of 70 per cent of funding being directed toward women and girls.
Examples of eligible initiatives:
- Increasing coaching, officiating, and/or next-generation leadership opportunities
- Increasing opportunities for women and/or girls to participate in quality programming, training, or competition
- Supporting capacity building for equity work through education and training
Initiatives must demonstrate how safety measures (physical, psychological, cultural) will be addressed.

Eligible Expense Examples

Registration costs
Venue/Space/Court time
Training/Education fees
Facilitation/Staffing
Marketing and communications
Equipment
Childcare to support participation in programming

Ineligible Expense Examples

Individual and/or personal expenses
Premium or non-essential equipment
Activities or events not aligned with the grant’s purpose
Capital projects

Please note that funding cannot be applied retroactively to proposed initiatives.

SELECTION PROCESS

All applications will be reviewed based on grant criteria aligned with the application prompts by an inclusive volunteer committee. Tennis Canada, National Bank, and the Provincial and Territorial Tennis Associations will collaborate to ensure a comprehensive and well-rounded review process.

Consideration will be given to ensure the inclusion and representation of recipients from across the country and those representing equity-deserving groups. This approach aims to reflect the diversity of the population and to increase access for self-identifying women and girls.

All applicants will be contacted in April 2025 with an update on their application status.

*Please review the Application Tips below for pointers on how to best prepare your application.

APPLICATION TIPS

Clarity and Detail: Ensure the proposal provides clear and detailed information about the initiative and its direct impact on women and girls. While broad concepts are appreciated, it is important to include a thorough description of planned activities and clearly defined SMART goals.
Accuracy: Though there are many worthwhile causes and high-risk communities, a minimum of 70 per cent of funding should be directed toward women and girls.
Budget Justification: Provide a detailed and realistic budget justification to ensure that funding will be meaningful, impactful, and transparent.
Sustainability: Consider the sustainability of the initiative beyond the grant period. For example, will the funding support the purchase of equipment with long-term usability? How might future costs be mitigated through low-barrier fees or additional funding sources? How does the funding contribute to the initiative’s long-term success? How will the women and girls continue to be engaged after the initiative ends?
Safety: Safety might look a little different in every community, but it is important to demonstrate thoughtful consideration of physical, psychological, and cultural safety for all involved.

*70% of the funding must go towards supporting self-identifying women and girls.

GRANT RECIPIENTS

Selected recipients will:

Sign a funding agreement.
Be given up to 5 complimentary access codes to complete Canadian Women & Sport’s Gender Equity LENS e-module to support continued learning.
Collaborate with Tennis Canada’s team to share stories about their funded initiatives. Recipients may be profiled through Tennis Canada’s various marketing and communications channels. Recipients will be provided with a social media and branding toolkit.
Join the Game.Set.Equity. Community of Practice Sessions to network, learn, and share with other funded recipients from across Canada.

Complete a Funding Report. This report will require program details, such as:
→ How many women and girls were impacted
→ Initiative outcomes
→ Overall impact

PAST RECIPIENTS

"Thank you for the amazing Girls on the Court programming that you put on this summer. This was my daughter’s first summer ever to play tennis. The amount of skill that she learned far surpassed her hopes. She was able to watch the Olympics this summer with a real understanding of the game. She is now able to have conversations with others about the game, and she looks forward to the times to play each week. I can’t think of anything that has made her happier all summer. Thank you for your time to grow the love of tennis in these young girls. Sport is so important in the lives of our young girls and they keep playing because of opportunities like this."

– from the parent of a participant at Mahone Bay Tennis Club

Instagram

“The instructor certification weekend gave me a lot of knowledge about how to run a fun and engaging program. Many of the activities are what I already use in the girl’s program, so it made me feel more confident about my coaching skills. I am working towards improving the play aspect of my certification.”

– JFCTA female participant (who received financial support for the Instructor Course)

“As a result of this grant, four participants were able to partake in the Instructor Course. It is our hope that they will become role models for the next generation of female participants in our community as they highlight the power of sports and the socio-economic benefits of staying in sports! Thank you, Tennis Canada, for supporting access to leadership and coaching development for our female members!”

– JFCTA staff member

“Keep up the good work – let us continue to increase opportunities and possibilities in the future together.”

– Anonymous

Facebook | X

"The funding for the UBC Women’s Tennis Team has had a profound impact on our athletes and community. Participants have shared that the financial support has allowed them to focus on their training and competition without worrying about the costs. One player remarked, "The funding for coaching has significantly improved our training quality, enabling us to compete more effectively." The program also brings the community together, fostering school spirit and encouraging involvement from students and alumni who rally behind the team."

– from the UBC Women's Tennis Team Captain

Instagram

Vancouver, British Columbia

The BC Wheelchair Sports Association plans to use the grant to help people with disabilities access wheelchair tennis programs. It also wants to address gender challenges and provide programming that creates fun, inclusive and safe spaces for women and girls with disabilities so they can not only play tennis but also build social ties with their peers. The association is excited to help grow women’s participation in wheelchair tennis in British Columbia.

Lisa Myers
lisa@bcwheelchairsports.com

Burnaby, British Columbia

With the grant, Burnaby Tennis Club plans to continue to provide girls and women with opportunities to start out in tennis and continue to play in a safe and inclusive environment. The club wants girls and women to discover the sport’s benefits on and off the court and embrace tennis as a lifelong passion.

Jacquie Breadon
breadon@sfu.ca

Mont-Blanc, Quebec

Club de Tennis La Relance is seeking to renew its successful parent-child tennis program with the new mother-daughter and girls programs this year. The club is sensitive to the fact that there were very few sports activities for girls prior to 2015, especially in the rural Laurentians. By including more girls in its activities from a young age, the club aims to inspire the next generations.

Denise Roose
d.roose@sympatico.ca

Edmonton, Alberta

The Edmonton Junior Tennis Society will use the grant to focus on supporting girls and creating leadership opportunities through tennis. The Society’s key focus is the growth of local initiatives in Edmonton, especially for girls. The grant is critical to their development.

Karina Trkulja
execdir@edmontonjuniortennis.com

Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador

The Gander Community Tennis Association aims to expand competitive opportunities for women within formats that make the transition from recreational to competitive tennis more accessible and less daunting. The initiative will increase the number of women players over time. The association is proud to partner with Tennis Canada and National Bank to broaden the pool of girls who play competitively.

Pat Redmond
prd@nl.rogers.com

Toronto, Ontario

The Jane Finch Community Tennis Association plans to offer a women-only space to provide a safe, welcoming and caring environment for women players. The initiative will support the Jane/Finch community and foster the growth of the tennis by overcoming the barriers to participation through a gender equity approach.

Alan Ma
alan@janefinchtennis.ca

Mahone, Nova Scotia

Mahone Bay Tennis Club will use the grant to support its initiative to create more equitable and meaningful opportunities for girls and women on community tennis courts and beyond. Like Tennis Canada and National Bank, through its will and commitment, the club is a proud promoter of girls’ and women’s participation in tennis.

Mary Paula MacEachern
mpmaceachern@me.com

Fredericton, New Brunswick

The Multicultural Association of Fredericton launched the EmpowerHer: NWGIT initiative to help women and girls who are new to the Fredericton area discover tennis, develop their skills, thrive, succeed and take on leadership roles in their new home and country. The grant will enable the association to provide access to tennis lessons, cultural integration support, leadership empowerment opportunities and other resources. EmpowerHer: NWGIT will create a more inclusive and vibrant community in which women and girls who are newcomers receive support to play tennis and feel valued to become active leaders in their new community and country.

Adriana Caporossi
adriana.caporossi@mcaf.nb.ca

North Bay, Ontario

The North Bay Granite Club wants to create a no-cost tennis program specifically for women and girls to make them feel comfortable and welcome. Supporting this unique community of women and girls is one of its most important missions due to the lack of girls’ tennis participation at the club. The association proudly wishes to contribute to growing tennis participation.

Fransua Rachmann
fransua@northbaytennis.com

Kelowna, British Columbia

Okanagan Mission Community Hall plans to develop a girls’ tennis program with a leadership and mentoring aspect. The grant will make it possible to hire certified women instructors to provide female role models in coaching—an important and highly beneficial addition to the association and its program.

Nadia Petryshyn
nadiapetryshyn@hotmail.com

Orangeville, Ontario

The Orangeville Tennis Club would like to use the community funding to support the certification of the club’s women coaches, who will provide motivation and mentorship to the next generation of girls as they begin their journeys into the world of tennis at Orangeville Tennis Club.

Mike Soden
mike_soden@hotmail.com

Edmonton, Alberta

The Orchards Residents Association plans to use the grant to develop tennis programs and help connect the community through friendship and collaboration. The funding will enable the association to provide space, training and equipment so participants can learn to play and feel empowered to have a positive impact on their community.

Jaime Dowling
gm@orchardsra.ca

Edmonton, Alberta

Queen Elizabeth School intends to use the grant to focus on bringing girls together through a tennis club at school. The school will purchase the necessary equipment to provide progressive tennis lessons to a diverse population of young people and introduce young women to tennis. The initiative was created with the aim of making a positive contribution to the community.

Karen Nichols
karen.nichols@epsb.ca

Vancouver, British Columbia

Summer Smash Tennis is committed to creating subsidized tennis programs for Indigenous girls and women from the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam nations. The goal is to increase the participation of First Nations players in tennis across Canada and create meaningful opportunities for Indigenous participants who identify as women and two-spirit to develop as players and coaches. Above all, the association seeks to promote health, well-being and self-confidence through sport at the community level.

Learn more here

Spencer Mackoff
info@summersmashtennis.ca

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Tennis Manitoba, whose mission is to provide equitable access to tennis for women and girls, plans to expand its mother-daughter program by improving certain aspects of it and breaking down barriers. The grant will greatly assist the association in making the program more accessible and enjoyable for all women across Manitoba.

Mark Ardnt
mark@tennismanitoba.com

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Tennis PEI will use the grant to advance its Girls Leading Girls program, which provides tennis lessons to girls 8 to 12 years old and promotes a more inclusive and enjoyable environment than playing in a mixed environment. The funding will support the program in improving the representation of women in tennis through mentoring. Role models and mentors help girls imagine themselves succeeding in tennis and feel empowered to pursue their athletic goals.

Bob Gallaher
bob.gollaher@gmail.com

Laval, Quebec

Tournoi M25 Laval plans to use the grant to support women’s tennis. The tournament reaches many tennis enthusiasts, making it a unique opportunity and prime showcase to recruit more women and girls from all communities and provide equal access to the sport. In collaboration with Aleksandra Wozniak, the tournament’s honourary chair, several activities on different aspects of tennis will be offered as of June 30.

Marie-Claude Pageau
mcpageau@gmail.com

Truro, Nova Scotia

Truro Tennis Club plans to use the grant to introduce tennis to women and girls who have never had the opportunity to play. With the funding, Truro Tennis Club instructors will have the chance to improve their skills to support wheelchair players, young girls and newcomers who enroll in the club’s tennis programs.

Lorraine MacPherson
crawfordmac@eastlink.ca

Vancouver, British Columbia

The UBC Women’s Tennis Team plans to use the grant to support the women’s tennis team in terms of equipment, court time, training programs, travel and more. The funding will provide the resources needed to develop the members’ athletic and academic potential. It is through this generous support that the team can continue to inspire the next generation of women athletes and promote equity and excellence in tennis.

Jessica Church
jessiechurch@icloud.com

Winnipeg, Manitoba

The University of Manitoba will use the funding to advance the project to create a competitive women’s tennis team. The funding is essential to enable young women to play tennis at the university level and will also increase the number of women players in the province. By establishing a program, the University of Manitoba will give more young women the opportunity to be part of a team and play tennis competitively.

Craig Hillier
umhillie@myumanitoba.ca

Dorval, Quebec

EB Tennis & ModWellness plans to utilize the grant to further their existing programs related to women and girl coach development, women’s competitive wheelchair tennis, pre-competitive girls’ initiatives, as well as beginner, competitive and recreational programs for women. In doing so, they strive to increase the participation, development, and retention of women and girl athletes within their programs, and contribute to their mission of promoting women and girls in tennis.

Kelowna, British Columbia

The Okanagan Junior Aces will utilize this funding to facilitate the participation of girl wheelchair athletes and coaches in training sessions with a BC wheelchair tennis coach who will help them improve their abilities in a supportive, girls-oriented environment.

Truro, Nova Scotia

The Cougar Dome plans to create a new 12-week tennis program that will allow participants to experience the mental and physical health benefits of the sport. The program will include mentor training and preparation, parental participation, and team tennis within a safe and inclusive environment to ensure participants are comfortable during their first experiences playing tennis.

Montreal, Quebec

Triple-A International Center of Culture and Sport plans to utilize the grant to grow “Empowering Her Game” program, which aims to retain women and girl participation in tennis by creating a supportive and inclusive environment for newcomers and immigrants to learn the sport. The funding will allow for the program to inspire women and girls to embrace tennis, develop their skills, and further their passion for the sport.

Toronto, Ontario

Scadding Court Community Centre will utilize the funding to create the Slice Girls Tennis Program, a progressive initiative geared toward low-income girls and gender-diverse people of different backgrounds. This program aims to provide a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for youth to build their self-confidence and improve their physical health and wellbeing through tennis.

Scarborough, Ontario

This grant will allow Change Through Sport’s Blind Tennis program to be more conducive and oriented toward women and girl participants, aspiring to increase the retention and participation of visually impaired participants. Change Through Sport will gather feedback from its participants to alter the design and marketing of their Blind Tennis program to grow and improve this program.

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Tennis NWT Association’s initiative will support three girls from the Northwestern Territories in obtaining their coaching certification. Tennis in their territory lacks women and girl-specific coaching and programming. In obtaining their certification, these girls will become role models for the next generation of women and girl participants.

Vancouver, British Columbia

The UBC’s Women’s Tennis Team will utilize their grant to provide additional opportunities for women tennis players to continue playing tennis throughout their post-secondary education. As a completely self-funded team, this funding will allow for increased training time as well as more travel, competitions, and participants.

Burnaby, British Columbia

Burnaby Tennis Club will utilize the funding for a new initiative through which they will host multiple tennis sessions for youth girls during the bubble season, removing any participation costs. They aspire to provide the opportunity for non-competitive players to experience the sport in a safe and inclusive environment.

Southampton, Ontario

Southampton Tennis Club will utilize funding to improve their Girls on Court initiative that they launched this past summer. The initiative encourages greater participation in tennis for those who self-identify as girls as they aim to attract and retain girls to encourage lifelong participation and develop more women and girl tennis coaches.