Oct 21, 2025
Fall 2025 grants announced to support health, agriculture, and community well-being projects across Canada and internationally
Etobicoke, ON – October 21, 2025 – As co-operatives recognize Co-op Week and the United Nations’ International Year of Co-operatives, the Gay Lea Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of its fall 2025 charitable grants, bringing the Foundation’s total giving this year to more than $1 million.
This fall, the Foundation will award $459,000 in grants to organizations working to strengthen communities locally and globally. These investments reflect the co-operative principle of “concern for community” and highlight the power of co-operation to address pressing issues in health, education, agriculture, poverty relief, and community well-being.
“Co-op Week is a time to celebrate the values that define co-operatives and the positive difference they make in people’s lives,” said DeeDee Bekkers, Chair of the Gay Lea Foundation and member of the Gay Lea Foods board of directors. “This year, with the added significance of the International Year of Co-operatives, we are especially proud to recognize and support these outstanding organizations who embody the spirit of co-operation and grassroots change.”
Fall 2025 Community Impact Grant Recipients
Community Well-Being Grants
Sustainable Agriculture Grants
The announcement follows Co-op Week, an annual celebration of the contributions co-operatives make to communities across Canada. In 2025, this celebration carries even greater meaning as the United Nations recognizes the International Year of Co-operatives, spotlighting how co-operative principles help build stronger, more resilient societies.
By awarding more than $1 million in charitable grants this year, the Gay Lea Foundation joins the global co-operative community in demonstrating how collective action and shared values can create lasting impact at home and abroad.
Since its founding in 2014, the Gay Lea Foundation has awarded more than $3.6 million to over 180 registered charities, helping to nourish communities and foster sustainable development around the world.
ABOUT THE GAY LEA FOUNDATION
Founded in 2014 and funded by Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Ltd. and its members, the Gay Lea Foundation supports community and agricultural initiatives through its Community Impact Grants program. The Foundation funds projects that build community capabilities and address key needs in education, health, poverty relief, and sustainable agriculture, creating lasting, positive change in communities locally and globally. For more information, please visit gaylea.com/foundation.
ABOUT GAY LEA FOODS CO-OPERATIVE LTD.
Gay Lea Foods is a leading Canadian dairy co-operative renowned for producing high-quality, nutritious dairy products that Canadian families love and trust. From farm to table, our 1,200 farmer members in Ontario and Manitoba, and more than 1,200 employees across four provinces, work together to nourish communities through award-winning brands including Gay Lea, Nordica, Salerno, Bothwell Cheese, and more. As part of its deeply rooted, balanced commitment to people, profit, and planet, Gay Lea Foods proudly invests one percent of pre-tax earnings back into Canadian communities through a national food security partnership with Second Harvest, and the community-building efforts of the Gay Lea Foundation. To learn more, visit gaylea.com.
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Media Contacts:
Robin Redstone
Director, Communications, Gay Lea Foods
communications@gayleafoods.com
Oct 21, 2025
As co-operatives recognize Co-op Week and the United Nations’ International Year of Co-operatives, the Gay Lea Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of its fall 2025 charitable grants.
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Spring 2025 grants announced to support health, agriculture, and community well-being projects across Canada and internationally
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