Family Innovations Scale Grant (Canada)

Deadline: 9-Apr-25

The Youth Opportunities Fund (YOF) is inviting applications from groups led by parents, guardians and caregivers to scale work they have been delivering to community.

YOF believes that grassroots leaders with at least two years of experience running community-based projects have the skills to expand and improve them for the communities they serve.

Funding Information

• Amount: Maximum $150,000
• Term length: Minimum 2 years, Maximum 3 years

Outcomes

• Creating opportunities for Indigenous and/or Black parents, guardians, and caregivers to strengthen relationships, build strong community and cultural connections, and heal from trauma
• Supporting parents, guardians, and caregivers to navigate and access resources for economic stability
• Supporting parents, guardians and caregivers to effectively navigate, access, and influence systems that affect family wellbeing

Who can apply?

• YOF supports projects led by parents, guardians and caregivers who share identities, experiences, and face the same systemic barriers as the parents, guardians and caregivers who will benefit from the project.
• Eligible groups
  • A grassroots group that is not registered as a charity or as an incorporated not-for-profit
    • The work of a parent, guardian and caregiver-led grassroots group is community-led and community-inspired. Grassroots group means that core group members share identities and lived experiences with the parents, guardians and caregivers who will benefit from the project.
    • If you are a grassroots group from a First Nation, you are eligible to apply. Your group cannot have more than 50% of its members as part of the band office or band council.
  • An organization incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation without share capital in a Canadian jurisdiction
    • This includes a Chartered Community Council, operating under the Métis Nation of Ontario, or Inuit communities that are registered as not-for-profit corporations without share capital in Canada.
    • The organization cannot have more than $50,000 in gross revenue in each of the last two fiscal years. Revenue also needs to be independently managed.
    • Board members and day-to-day management must also be parents, guardians and caregivers.
    • The group is led by parents, guardians and caregivers.
• Group requirements
  • Groups need to meet the following requirements to be eligible for funding.
    • Reflect communities served
      • Core group members (including board members, where applicable) reflect the identities and experiences of the parents, guardians and caregivers they are working with and for.
      • YOF prioritizes projects led by and for Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, Inuit) and Black parents, guardians and caregivers.
    • Experience
      • Core group members have experience doing work together. This experience can include delivering core program model or other activities.
      • The group demonstrates that collectively they have the skills and experiences to deliver project activities and scale this project.
    • Core group
      • The group has at least three core group members.
      • More than 50% of core group members need to be at arm’s length relationship to each other. An ‘arm’s length’ relationship means board members and group members are not married or related to each other, do not work as business partners or are otherwise in a relationship where interests may be compromised.
      • Parents, guardians and caregivers must make up more than 50% of the core group.
      • The group is based in Ontario and the work will benefit parents, guardians, and caregivers in Ontario.
      • The group exists independently of a larger organization (other not-for-profit), charitable organization or municipality, university, school, religious institution and/or hospital.
      • The group agrees to work with an Organizational Mentor and has autonomy to choose their Organizational Mentor, design the project, identify group members, and plan for the future.
• Note 
  • Groups can only apply for one Youth Opportunities Fund grant at a time.
  • If your group has an active Youth Opportunities Fund grant, you can only apply for funding if you are in the last year of your active grant.

Ineligible Groups 

• The following are not eligible to apply:
  • Registered charities
  • Religious entities established for the observation of religious beliefs, including, but not limited to, churches, temples, mosques and synagogues.
  • Municipalities
  • Groups/projects based at an existing organization (not-for-profit or for profit)
  • Groups specifically designed to serve parents, guardians, and caregivers through committees or clubs of institutions, including municipalities, universities, schools, and hospitals
  • Groups looking to design programming for children
  • For-profit organizations and businesses
  • Individuals

For more information, visit OTF.