Your Impact on Team Canada

“When you are competing with the best in the world, when a fraction of a second can land you on—or just off—the podium, every contribution counts. Funding from donors provides a level of stability for athletes that is absolutely essential for performing at the highest level. Donor support gives athletes that all-important competitive edge by providing stability, peace of mind and access to resources to maintain our health.“

Aaron Brown, Canadian competitive sprinter and two-time Olympic medalist

Since 2016, the Canadian Olympic Foundation has helped 530 Team Canada athletes and 2,846 Next Gen athletes train and compete at the highest level. 

By working in lockstep with the Canadian Olympic Committee  – a truly unique relationship in the worlds of sport and philanthropy – the COF invests in four pillars of impact: 

What Donor Support Achieved in 2023:

176 Team Canada athletes received funding through awards such as the Murphy Family Awards, Bitove Indigenous Awards, Future Olympians Fund, and Toller Cranston Awards.

At the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, 80 percent of athletes who received direct support from the Canadian Olympic Foundation brought home a medal.

Established the Marissa and Moez Kassam Level the Playing Field Fund to drive resources directly to grassroots programs that engage youth from newcomer and marginalized communities in sport.

Granted a total of $6.28M to the Canadian sport system to support the following grantees:

• $3.31M to the COC to support its priority programs including the NextGen initiative, Level the Playing Field, Diversity Internships, and the Team Canada Impact Agenda.

• $280K direct to athlete bursaries

• $2.69M to National Sport Organizations and sport partners

• At the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, 80 percent of athletes who received direct support from the Canadian Olympic Foundation brought home a medal.

Canadian Olympic Foundation Programs

Bitove Indigenous Awards: an annual bursary to support five Indigenous athletes on Team Canada.

Future Olympians Fund Awards: supports promising next generation athletes and their primary coach, propelling these duos forward on their path to the podium. The award grants athlete and coach recipients with $5,000 each for two years. In the past 10 years, 48 athletes and 54 coaches have benefitted from the fund.

Murphy Family Awards: supports well-established athletes who have a high international ranking with a strong probability of representing Team Canada at an upcoming Olympic Games, often from an underrepresented sport.

Toller Cranston Memorial Awards: assists young skaters who possess the artistry and style that Toller Cranston exhibited. 85 skaters have received funding since 2017.

Olympians Supporting Olympians (OSO) Bursary: provides financial support for athletes on their journey to the Olympic Games, funded through donations from Team Canada alumni.

Bursary Program for Quebec Olympic Athletes: designed to offer financial relief to athletes from Quebec and aims to help offset the rising costs of training and competition as they strive to represent Canada on the world stage.

Next Gen: available to athletes from anywhere across the country who are identified as having podium potential in an upcoming Games, creating a strong pipeline of promising talent. Funding from Next Gen helps provide whatever resources are necessary to propel Olympic hopefuls along their journey including coaching, equipment, funding for international competition, or sport medicine considerations. 

Great to Gold: delivers on its name by directly supporting Team Canada athletes from different sports and disciplines who are poised for the podium at Paris 2024 but need a financial boost to help them reach their potential and inspire us all.