Community Funds

Captain Nichola Goddard Fund

GRANT CLOSED – Next call for applications in November 2026.

About Captain Nichola Goddard

Captain Nichola Goddard was a true example of leadership. As an Artillery Officer, she led her unit through harrowing situations, supported her comrades, and was highly respected by her peers. Sadly, in May 2006, she was killed in an ambush in Kandahar, Afghanistan, making her the first Canadian woman soldier to die in a combat role. She was 26 years old.

Since 2018, True Patriot Love has proudly honoured her legacy by stewarding the Captain Nichola Goddard Fund, providing national funding for community programs that support servicewomen, women Veterans, and their families, addressing the unique challenges of military life. To date, over $1 million has been distributed to community programs across Canada from the Fund.

The Need

Women account for 16.6% of the Canadian Armed Forces and face unique challenges such as a higher risk of military-related sexual assault and a higher likelihood of mental injuries such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Women Veterans have a 1.9 times higher risk of dying by suicide compared to civilian women in Canada. In addition, 1 in 4 military families experience issues with personal well-being and mental health.

How to Apply

Application window is currently CLOSED.

Grant Term

Approved applicants will receive one year of funding to support their initiatives.

Successful applicants will participate in a verbal interim impact meeting (approximately six months after disbursement) and submit a written final impact report outlining activities, outcomes, and financial expenditures.

Grant recipients may also be contacted periodically for updates outside of these formal reporting periods.

Eligibility

A Canadian registered charity, or a non-profit organization partnering with a Canadian registered charity. An understanding of military culture is required and may be informed through collaborations within the military charitable sector.
Organizations and programs must have appropriate and relevant safeguarding processes, including background and reference checks on staff and volunteers and policies to ensure the safety and security of all participants.
The Fund is open to applications from programs that support mental health, leadership, and military to civilian transition programs and services that demonstrate long-term impact for servicewomen and women Veterans and their families.
Consideration is given to programs and services that are financially sustainable or have developed a strategy for continued funding outside of True Patriot Love’s support.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the Fund, please email funding@truepatriotlove.com.

Community Partners

Can Praxis

With funding from True Patriot Love, Can Praxis will expand its three-day Three Sisters Camp in 2026 to three annual cohorts. This free, evidence-based, women-only, equine-assisted therapy program will support 10 women Veterans per cohort. Participants will engage in facilitated group therapy sessions (neurobiology of trauma, emotional regulation, and healthy boundaries), alongside equine-assisted activities focused on
trust-building, self-awareness, and connection. Program evaluation will be conducted in partnership with the University of Calgary and the University of Saskatchewan.

For more information visit: https://canpraxis.com/

Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada

Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada will create the first national peer-support and storytelling program exclusively for women Veterans navigating brain trauma and mental health conditions. Delivery includes:
a. Women-only moderated peer-support group
b. Increased engagement through the OBH App & TeamUp
c. Walks and Storytelling campaign that amplifies women Veteran voices nationally

For more information visit: https://www.concussionfoundation.ca/

Warrior Adventures Canada

Gear Up for Growth expands on Warrior Adventure Canada’s women-only expeditions by investing in gender-specific outdoor gear and trauma-informed facilitation to support up to 120 women Veterans over the next 10 years. The initiative supports servicewomen and women Veterans living with service-related mental health challenges, including operational stress injuries and military sexual trauma. In addition to the gear, funding from True Patriot Love will enable WAC to offer multi-day, peer-led wilderness expeditions specifically for 12 women Veterans. The programs provide survivor-informed, nature-based healing and bridge the gap between clinical treatment and community support.

For more information visit: https://warrioradventures.ca/

The Pepper Pod

The GardenHERS Challenge is a community-based, participatory project led by women veterans living with visible and invisible disabilities. In partnership with the Pepper Pod, 200 participants will co-design and help build an accessible, inclusive garden that reflects their lived experiences with blindness, limb loss, chronic pain, mobility limitations, and other service-related conditions.

Beyond creating a therapeutic outdoor space, the project includes immersive public awareness sessions where visitors are guided by women veterans to experience gardening through the lens of disability. This approach positions women veterans as leaders and experts, while fostering empathy, education, and community understanding.

The initiative promotes physical, mental, and emotional well-being, strengthens inclusion, and addresses two key gaps: the lack of accessible therapeutic environments and limited public understanding of accessibility challenges.

For more information visit: https://pepperpod.ca/