QUESTIONS ON PROCESS

What is the timeline of the Grant Program?

Below is the timeline for this grant cycle:

• May 2026 - Arc'teryx employees nominate community groups 
• June 1, 2026 – Select community groups/ organizations invited to apply in Survey Monkey Apply 
• June 30, 2026, midnight (PT) – Survey Monkey Apply site closes for applications.
• July – August 2026 – Review period. The review committee will read and meet to make grant selections.
• August 15, 2026 – All applicants will be notified of final decisions.

Who reviews the applications?

Our Review Committees are made up of team members from the Arc’teryx community who care about grassroots change-making. This could include members of our Employee Belonging Councils, folks from a store, corporate employees, Ambassadors, Athletes and previous grantees.

Please keep in mind that the Committee members who review your application may or may not be familiar with your organization and the proposal you have submitted – we suggest that you don’t presume familiarity, are specific in the details of your application and use plain language.

How will you assess my application?

In the interests of transparency, below are our criteria for assessing the applications we receive. Our assessment is based on:

• Is this group effectively implementing an equity lens to the work?
• Is this group likely to have a sustained impact on the community?
• Does this group serve equitable access, conservation, stewardship, circularity or skills building?
• Does this group focus on climb, snow or trail? If they’re a Walk Gently partner, do they focus on connection to land?
• Is this group effective in listening and acting on feedback from community?
• To what extent does the proposal seek to understand and meet the needs of the people it intends to serve?
• Is this group operating within our regional scope?

How is funding distributed to successful grants?

Funding will be distributed once a signed Grant Agreement and invoice have been provided. You will receive full funding within a few weeks of us having received the signed agreement.

Are there any reporting requirements?

We heard your requests to make our process light in terms of resources it requires, and meaningful in terms of what it captures. To that end, one year on from the award of the grant, we ask successful applicants to respond to a handful of questions that reflect and celebrate the work pursued in the prior year. It is here that we will also seek insights on how Arc’teryx might become a better grantor and partner.

QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR APPLICATION

Can I request a donation of gear instead of financial support?

This work is our mechanism to provide direct financial support to those requiring it. We heard you that gear is a priority for many groups. There may be an opportunity to secure gear support outside of the financial grant. We will stay in open conversation throughout our partnership. If any questions arise, please email communityimpact@arcteryx.com.

Do you require charitable status or equivalent to apply?

No. The requirement of charitable status, or being a 501(c)(3) can be a barrier to many great projects looking to receive grants. We remove that barrier and do not require charitable status; rather we seek a demonstration of your values and a commitment to your mission.

What level of financial support can my project receive?

We fund organizations in a range of $10,000- $50,000 CAD grants. We provide funds without restriction, because we trust your judgment on the best use of the funds. If you need funds to support your operating expenses, great. If you need them to support a specific project, equally great. The only thing out of scope for support is political lobbying. Simply present a compelling case for the work you wish to pursue with the grant.

Can I make changes after I submit my application?

No. Unfortunately, you cannot make changes to the application once it has been submitted.

What do successful applications have in common?

Successful applications are often those that can clearly articulate the vision for the grant. Be sure your application does not rely on the use of acronyms or jargon and instead favors plain language.

The stand-out applications center the needs of the people you intend to serve in your work. The deeper this commitment, and the more truly embedded you are, the more compelling your application will be.

Why ask who leads the organization?

We see the power of community-led initiatives to affect positive change. As such, we seek to support organizations that center community in their work.

Our priority is to support projects that listen deeply to the needs of the community they intend to serve and work in relationship with community to build initiatives.

As we continue to deepen our commitment to embedding equity and inclusion in our work, we seek to prioritize support for organizations that are led by folks from the communities they intend to serve. From experience, it is these leaders of the movement that have often been denied access to resources.

In the application, you ask two questions about whom the organization is “led by”.  What do you mean by “led by”?

We want to know that the people impacted by your projects and decisions are the ones who are shaping, informing and influencing your projects and decisions from a place of agency and power. We acknowledge that there are multiple models and expressions of leadership within organizations. We are not prescriptive on the model you adopt; rather we seek to prioritize support for organizations where the decisions that impact the direction of the organization are made by people from the communities they intend to serve.

Help! I'm experiencing some technical difficulties. Please can I have assistance

Depending on the nature of your query, either Arc'teryx or Survey Monkey Apply will be happy to assist. For technical support, log in to your Survey Monkey Apply account, and select the information icon from the banner at the top of the screen. You can then select which of the 3 support options is most relevant to your query.