Media Release: $68,500 OTF Seed Grant empowers local organization to strengthen economic opportunities and financial autonomy of women through online sewing job board

Ottawa, ON – On Saturday 31st May 2026, local MPP Lucille Collard met with the team at EcoEquitable to hear more about the $68,500 Seed Grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) that was used to build an online job board to facilitate economic opportunities for women graduating from
their professional sewing training program, Sewing for Jobs.

“EcoEquitable’s work is a powerful example of how community-based organizations can create lasting change by investing in women’s skills, confidence, and economic independence,” said Lucille Collard, MPP for Ottawa—Vanier. “This Ontario Trillium Foundation grant will help connect talented graduates of the Sewing for Jobs program with real opportunities in our community, while also supporting local entrepreneurship, sustainability, and the circular economy. I am proud to see this investment helping newcomer women and women facing barriers build brighter futures here in Ottawa.”

Supported by OTF funding, EcoEquitable was able to build the online infrastructure that will help them streamline, scale, and ultimately create more meaningful economic opportunities for a diversity of women graduating from their program in professional skills. The initiative will help to connect alumni to local individuals, business, and other nonprofits looking for locally-made goods. The project comes to completion on June 30, 2026 and will mark a 6-month journey of development for EcoEquitable as they look to continue to scale their programs. 

"We are thrilled to receive the Ontario Trillium Foundation Seed Grant,” said Julia Hunter, Executive Director of EcoEquitable. “This grant is an investment which will support local women from our professional skills program who are ready and eager to apply their trade to projects in the community that matter to them, that compensate fairly, and that support the circular economy here in Ottawa.”

The organization is accessed for a variety of reasons, from their Sewing for Jobs program that equips newcomer women and women experiencing barriers with professional sewing skills, to their Eco Fabric Boutique that receives over 10,000 pounds of donated textiles per year that is resold to the public and upcycled through sewing classes. Thanks to the grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, this organization and the women it serves will continue to thrive into the future.

To learn more about their mission and programs, please visit: www.ecoequitable.ca

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, celebrates 40 years of grant-making in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested over $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Visit otf.ca to learn more.

Organization Contact for Media Inquiries:
Julia Hunter
Executive Director
EcoEquitable
613-562-1739
director@ecoequitable.ca