Applications open for Community Needs Grants – Canada

Deadline: 16-Feb-2024

The Canadian Women’s Foundation is now accepting applications for Community Needs grants to provide short-term support for organizations doing gender justice work, with a focus on smaller grassroots organizations, to meet a range of immediate needs.

The Canadian Women’s Foundation funds organizations throughout Canada, prioritizing communities where the need is greatest. These organizations are working in various capacities to address three urgent priority issues: gender-based violence, economic development, and girls’ empowerment.

Applicants may apply for funds to cover existing program costs, to pilot new projects, to undertake timely policy or advocacy initiatives, to support organizational capacity-building or professional development, to build networks, and/or to cover core operational and administrative expenses.

Funding Pillars

• The proposed funding will support your organization’s ability to provide programs, services and/or advocacy initiatives, either directly through funding program or service costs, or indirectly through funding core operational costs, that align with one or more of the Foundation’s funding pillars:
  • Gender-Based Violence: Organizations that support women, Two Spirit, trans, and non-binary people, and their children, who have experienced violence or that work towards violence prevention with teens of all genders.
  • Economic Development: Organizations that aim to improve employability and economic possibilities for women, Two Spirit, trans, and non-binary people living with low incomes, or who are unemployed or underemployed. Proposals for programs or services solely aimed at poverty alleviation or providing direct financial support will not be considered.
  • Girls’ Empowerment: Organizations that support girls, Two Spirit, trans, and nonbinary youth aged 9-13 years through regular group activities, in girls-only settings, that empower and build a sense of belonging among participants.

Funding Information

• Approximately 25 grants of up to $20,000 each will be allocated in 2024.

What do they Fund?

• The Community Needs Grants can fund a range of costs from supporting direct program and service delivery costs, to undertaking timely policy or advocacy initiatives, to supporting organizational capacity-building or professional development, to building networks, and/or for operational and administrative expenses.
  • Gender-based violence
    • Housing or shelter and wraparound supports provided to women who have experienced violence, and their children.
    • Crisis counselling, support and information services or lines, systems navigation, and case management for survivors of gender-based violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, financial, spiritual, and harassment or stalking.
    • Outreach services, participant-led support groups, and other programs or supports to survivors of sexual assault and harassment in the workplace and on campus.
    • Legal information, court support, or other navigation programs for those involved in family, criminal, other justice systems resulting from gender-based violence.
  • Economic development
    • Note: The Foundation will not consider programs or services solely aimed poverty alleviation measures or direct financial support.
    • Workplace navigation and inclusion programs providing workplace readiness support, including within a social enterprise setting.
    • Trades and technology programs that develop opportunities for participants to enter work in the areas of skilled trades and technology, including job-readiness, placements, and apprenticeship programs.
    • Self-employment training and business accelerator programs that provide one-on-one coaching, financial management training, business goal setting, and/or customized marketing and sales training.
    • Sectoral resource sharing, capacity building or training opportunities, and knowledge mobilization by regional, provincial, or national groups.
  • Girls’ empowerment
    • Note: Programs or services applying for funding under this pillar must be aimed at participants aged 9-13 years.
    • Regular programming in schools or community settings that enhance protective factors for girls, such as connectedness, confidence, and critical thinking skills using one of the following approaches:
      • Science, technology, arts, engineering, and math (STEAM);
      • Social and/or environmental justice;
      • Indigenous culture and teaching;
    • Group mentorship programs or services that engage older students/youth, adults, and/or Elders.
    • Capacity-building with girl-serving organizations through formal networks that focus on one of the following populations or issue areas:
      • Northern, rural, or remote communities;
      • Girls with disabilities;
      • Gender diversity;
      • Mental health.
    • Additional staff or other operational and/or administrative support for organizations working to address girls’ empowerment.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be deemed eligible for a Community Needs Grant, you must demonstrate that your proposal meets the following criteria.
  • Charitable Status or Qualified Donees
    • Applicants must be incorporated non-profit organizations and have a valid charitable number or be a First Nations Band designated as a qualified donee by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
    • If your incorporated non-profit organization does not have charitable status or is not a qualified donee, they can consider an application in partnership with another organization that is a registered charity or qualified donee with a mandate relevant to your proposal. The other organization’s Board of Directors will have fiscal responsibility for the grant and be legally responsible for ensuring that the funds are spent for the charitable purposes intended. They will be required to sign the funding agreement and work in partnership with the organization delivering the project.
  • Organizational Mandate
    • Gender-based programming, services, and/or advocacy are core or central to your organization’s mission AND you have significant experience working with women, girls, Two Spirit, trans, and non-binary people who face multiple barriers and are underserved, including:
      • First Nations, Métis, and Inuit
      • Black
      • 2SLGBTQIA+
      • With disabilities
      • Living in rural, remote, or northern communities
      • Racialized o Refugee, immigrant, or non-status
      • Living on low incomes
      • Older/Seniors
      • Youth o Sex workers
    • Your organization is grassroots with a small budget, defined as follows:
      • Shelters or transitional housing providers with an operating budget of less than $2 million per year;
      • Organizations not providing shelter or housing services with an operating budget of less than $1 million per year; or,
      • Larger organizations (ex. Band Councils, shared platforms, etc.) may present an application on behalf of a non-profit organization without charitable or qualified donee status.
  • Note: The Foundation can only fund a single proposal to any one charitable entity under this call.

Ineligible

• Canadian Women’s Foundation does not fund:
  • Individuals
  • Federal, provincial, or municipal government agencies and school boards
  • For-profit organizations or businesses
  • Fundraising events
  • Conferences, festivals, seminars, and symposiums

For more information, visit Canadian Women’s Foundation.