Deadline: 28-Mar-25
Submissions are now open for the Community Micro-Grants Program, under the stream 4 of the Building Safer Communities Grant Program, to supports not-for-profits, and community groups (including small and emerging groups) to lead projects in their communities.
These micro-grants will fund projects that reduce violence and support positive youth development.
Priorities
- Funded projects will utilize strengths-based approaches to promote positive child, youth and community development through social development and violence prevention activities.
- Social development: Programs for the general child and youth population will aim to prevent the development of risk factors for serious violence and crime and enhance protective factors. Programming can include, but is not limited to, after-school drop-in programs, and general life skills development programming (e.g., leadership development workshops, financial literacy workshops, mental health workshops, youth lounges, etc.).
- Violence prevention: Programs for youth that experience more than one risk factor for involvement in serious violence and crime that aim to reduce these risks. Programming can include but is not limited to conflict mediation/resolution, conflict management workshops and stress management workshops.
Funding Information
- Funding applications will be accepted for up to six months of funding for a maximum of $4,000 for short-term innovative projects. Project will be implemented between June and December 2025.
Eligible use of Funds
- Examples of the eligible use of funds for project activities include, but are not limited to the following:
- Equipment rental
- Program supplies (e.g., food, supplies, etc.).
- Promotion and publicity (e.g., flyers, posters, etc.).
- Purchased services (e.g., web design, translation, catering, printing, etc.).
- Accessibility supports (e.g., American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation).
- Administrative costs – related/required for the delivery of your project (e.g., partial rent for office space, partial staff cellphone costs, photocopies).
- Space rental (not including space rental for pre-existing programs).
- Stipends for project leaders, up to a maximum of $1,200.
- Transportation to and from project activities by youth leaders, participants, staff and volunteers.
- Volunteer honorarium and expenses.
- Caretaking (e.g., of children, elders, etc.) costs for participants and volunteers to support participation in project activities.
Eligibility Criteria
- Stream 4 Community Micro-Grants of the Building Safer Communities Grant Program supports emerging non-profit organizations/groups and resident-led/grassroots groups, in addressing youth violence and justice involvement by enhancing child and youth wellbeing and encouraging resident engagement and leadership development.
- Emerging non-profit organizations/groups and resident-led/ grassroots groups are defined as follows:
- Emerging non-profit organizations/groups: Registered or non-registered non-profit organizations that are new to the non-profit sector with limited or no previous revenue.
- Resident-led/grassroots groups: (e.g. neighbours, parents, classmates) for a greater cause, at a local level, and largely on a volunteer and not-for-profit basis, at a local level, and largely on a volunteer and not-for-profit basis.
- Additional eligibility criteria:
- The group shall be located in the Region of Durham, and the majority of members must be residents of Durham Region.
- The services provided by the group shall be targeted to the residents of the Region of Durham, with the exception of services being delivered by off-reserve Indigenous-led organizations or treaty partner communities that yield direct benefits for the Indigenous communities of the Region of Durham.
- It is further understood that there may exist unique considerations for applications from Indigenous led organizations.
- The applicant must be in good financial standing with the Region of Durham and must not be in default of the terms and conditions of any agreements (including any previous community investment agreements) with any department of the Region of Durham. This includes any outstanding reporting requirements of previous investment agreements.
- Only groups with a combined operating budget and revenue of $10,000 or less will be considered.
- Eligible groups may submit a maximum of one application under this program.
- The applicant shall submit a completed application and any supplementary documents required to determine eligibility.
- The applicant shall verify that all information included in the application is confirmed true and the application must be signed by an authorized representative.
- Awarded groups must submit vulnerable sector checks to the Region of Durham for all members and volunteers over the age of 18.
- Funds shall not be used for the purpose of deficit reduction.
- Recipients of these funds for the 2023-2024 program are not eligible to apply.
For more information, visit Region of Durham.