We collaborate with partners across Nova Scotia and the country, championing issues that will make for a stronger future for Nova Scotians – issues such as affordable housing, food insecurity, gender equality, mental health, social entrepreneurship, youth and more.

Green Shield Canada
Green Shield Canada (GSC) celebrated their 60th anniversary of social responsibility and charitable giving in 2019, and established the GSC Impact Fund to mark this milestone. Through the Fund, they donated $6 million to priority projects across six Canadian communities. Titled “Six 4 Six,” the program included the Atlantic region.
CFNS partnered with GSC to administer the program in Atlantic Canada where the initiative’s granting focused on oral and mental health.
2021 Grant Recipients
Mental Health
- Association of Black Social Workers
- Brigadoon Village. Click here to see first hand the impact the funds have made to this program.
- Chebucto Family Centre
- Mawita’mk Society
- The John Howard Society of Nova Scotia
- The North Grove
- Third Place Transition House
Oral Health
- Bright Smiles Project – Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia
- Chebucto Connections
- Dalhousie University – Community Oral Health Partnership
Background on Mental Health Issues Facing Atlantic Canadians
In December 2018, representatives from the Hamilton Community Foundation, who are working as partners with Green Shield Canada, attended a workshop in Halifax to learn about the state of mental health in the region and hear the thoughts of local mental health leaders regarding issues and potential opportunities.
The identification and definition of four key issues/gaps facing organizations dealing with mental health issues were identified as a result.

Nova Scotia Nonprofit COVID-19 Coalition
Nova Scotia’s nonprofit, volunteer and social enterprise sectors are a vital part of the fabric of our communities. Perhaps more than ever, we see the difference our more than 6,000 organizations and 20,000 staff are making as we, together, face the challenges of COVID-19.
In March 2020, nonprofit leaders came together to form the Nova Scotia Nonprofit COVID-19 Coalition. Their collective goal is to support, champion and celebrate this valued sector as we work through – and rebuild from – the pandemic. This team of leaders came together to engage a larger network of organizations that share a common goal: supporting non-profit, voluntary and social enterprise organizations help their clients and communities.