Deadline: 4 November 2019
The Canadian Women’s Foundation is currently accepting Letters of Intent for its Girls’ Fund Grants 2020-2024.
Focus Areas
Organizations can apply for one grant in only one of the following areas:
- Girls’ programs – up to $40,000/year to support weekly programs for girls between the ages of 9 and 13.
- Girls’ mentoring programs – up to $40,000/year to support a program for girls involving formal mentoring and matching of small groups of girls between the ages of 9 to 13 with one mentor or team of mentors.
- Combined girls’ program and girls’ group mentoring program – up to $40,000/year to support an organization to provide a continuum of programming involving both a weekly girls’ program and group mentoring.
- National or regional networks – up to $40,000/year to develop networks that strengthen and enhance the capacity of girl-serving organizations across a region or nationally.
Overall Eligibility
To be considered for a grant under the Girls’ Fund grant, program or initiative is required to meet the following:
- Must focus on girls between the ages of 9 and 13
- Must be inclusive of all girls. Canadian Women’s Foundation embraces an inclusive definition of “women” and “girls” that includes people who identify as women, girls, trans, genderqueer, gender non-binary, Two-Spirit, and gender questioning. An inclusive environment means all participants feel safe and supported, however they may identify.
- Must have valid charitable number from Canada Revenue Agency or be a First Nation that is designated by Canada Revenue Agency as a qualified donee or be working with a partner who fits this eligibility requirement.
Grantee Activities
In addition to funding, successful applicants will help develop and take part in learning and evaluation activities such as:
- Grantee meetings
- Peer-to-peer learning opportunities
- Evaluation strategy
- Skills institutes that increase knowledge and build the field of practice
- Strategic alliances and networks
If the Canadian Women’s Foundation has funded a project previously, applicants may reapply, but please note that they will only fund the same project for two funding cycles.
Program Specific Criteria
- GIRLS’ PROGRAMS: Up to $40,000 per year for a maximum of 4 years
- The Foundation will fund programs that enhance protective factors for girls, such as connectedness, confidence, and enhanced critical thinking skills.
- The Girls’ Program grants must use one or more of the following approaches in their programming:
- Science, technology, arts, engineering, and math (STEAM)
- Physical literacy and sports
- Leadership and empowerment
- Media literacy
- Social and/or environmental justice
- Indigenous culture and teaching
- GIRLS’ GROUP MENTORING PROGRAMS: Up to $40,000 per year for a maximum of 4 years
- The Foundation will fund programs that enhance protective factors, such as connectedness, confidence, and enhanced critical thinking skills, through the delivery of an intentional and comprehensive group mentoring program.
- Programs may determine the best fit for their community in terms of mentoring format, including engaging older students, adults, or Elders as mentors, as well as using group or team mentoring. While one-on-one mentoring is a valuable model of mentoring, it will not be considered for this funding.
- COMBINED GIRLS’ PROGRAM AND GIRLS GROUP MENTORING PROGRAM: Up to $40,000 per year for a maximum of 4 years
- The Foundation will fund organizations that are interested in developing a continuum of services that includes both girls programming and girls group mentoring.
- NATIONAL OR REGIONAL NETWORKS: Up to $40,000 per year for a maximum of 4 years
- The Foundation will fund organizations to develop networks that build the capacity of organizations to deliver girls’ programs or girls’ group mentoring programs across a region or throughout the country. This stream is for organizations interested in developing a collaborative approach to strengthening programs for girls aged 9 to 13 by engaging key stakeholders in a particular identified community.
Selection Criteria
- Related to the Program
- Relevance of the approach for girls in local area
- Organization’s mission, values, and previous experience with girls
- Inclusion of an outreach and recruitment strategy that strives to reach potential participants who may experience barriers to accessing programs
- Programs are for girls who face multiple barriers and are underserved, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples; Black people; people of colour; those living in rural or northern communities; those who identify as 2SLGBTQI+; those living on low-incomes; refugees; immigrant or non-status people; those with disabilities and/or who are Deaf
- Strong gender analysis with a commitment to including gender issues as a central part of the learning objectives
- Related to the Organization
- Organization’s relationship to the community in which the program takes place
- Organization’s ability to carry out the work and to attract the other funds required if the request to the Foundation is for partial support of costs
- Demonstrated experience applying a gender-analysis on the issues and delivering programming from an intersectional feminist approach
- Organization’s openness to learning from other approaches and interest in testing new ideas
- Experience with monitoring and documenting learnings, and willingness to participate in national evaluation activities led by the Canadian Women’s Foundation
- Strong gender analysis with a commitment to including gender issues as a central part of the learning objectives, and is demonstrated in all aspects of the program from outreach to evaluation
- Clear competencies and skills that will be developed and offers opportunities for participants to practice
- Demonstrate a focus on facilitation/facilitators, including team or co-facilitation as a best practice, that facilitators reflect the communities they are working with, and that consideration is paid to facilitator retention
- Partnerships with organizations that have prior experience with programs of this type
- Related to the Letter Of Intent
- Clarity and viability of ideas along with a realistic assessment of program goals and challenges
- Ongoing effects/impact which will endure beyond the grant
- Balanced, clear budget
How to Apply
Interested applicants can apply online via the given website.
For more information, visit this link.