Upcoming Funding Dates

In 2024, the only Emerging Needs Stream IYR will be running is Land and Food Sovereignty Stream. You can learn more about that stream here.

Description

Each year, the Creation Advisory Circle determines 1-4 Emerging Needs Streams. These streams are different from our other streams in that they have a targeted focus and funding goal that is based on community needs. We run the Emerging Needs streams to allow us to put funding into the emerging barriers, gaps and opportunities that are facing our communities, and to make targeted change. It’s important to us that this stream is led by Indigenous youth voices, which is why the themes are selected by the Creation Advisory Circle each year.  

Previous Emerging Needs Stream

Learn about the Emerging Needs Streams that we have previously run: 

This stream was last run in September 2021. 

The Art Funding Stream provided funding of up to $15,000 to projects/groups that empowered Indigenous artists and art-based programs. The stream aimed to increase opportunities for artists to create and share art, for youth to participate in art-based programming and to support youth-run art-based businesses. Projects in this stream needed to be Indigenous-led and youth-focused, although community-focused and intergenerational activities could be run.  

This stream has been run one time. In total, the Arts  Stream provided $153,500 in funding to 11 groups in 4 Provinces and Territories.

This stream was last run in March 2021. 

The Community Support Fund Stream provided small grants of $2,500 and $5,000 to youth-focused projects happening in urban, rural and remote communities across Canada. The focus of this stream is to enable small organizations and collectives to support youth wellbeing during COVID-19 through providing innovative and essential supports, resources and initiatives.  

The Community Support Fund was Creation’s first funding stream (launching in 2020).  

IYR first ran the first Community Support Fund in Spring/Summer 2020. $300,000 in funding was provided to 58 groups in 11 provinces and territories across Canada. During the second intake period in Winter 2021, we will be releasing an additional $300,000 in funding. 

This stream was run six times. In total, the Community Support Fund provided $437,500 in funding to 88 groups in 11 Provinces and Territories 

The Digital Sharing and Storytelling stream provided funding of up to $20,000 to Indigenous youth-led projects and groups non-profits that were using technology to digitally share stories, knowledge and experiences.  The stream aimed to increase opportunities for youth to share, protect and carry forward stories from their communities, and to think about the relationship between technology and storytelling. Funded projects focused on one of the following areas: Building Our Capacity, Creating New Platforms, Sharing Our Knowledge and Perspectives, or Telling Our Stories.  

This stream was run one time. In total, the Digital Sharing and Storytelling Stream provided $220,000 in funding to 11 groups in 7 Provinces and Territories.

This stream was last run in August 2022. 

The Education and Training stream provided funding of up to $20,000 to Indigenous youth-led groups, non-profits and school groups that running programs and initiatives that focus on supporting Indigenous youth to enhance their skill-building and stay engaged in educational spaces.  The stream focused on empowering youth to build support systems that enable them to feel comfortable, engaged and connected while attending school. Funded projects fell into one of the following focus areas: Building a Student Community (Post-Secondary), Building a Student Community (Elementary and Highschool), Creating Mentorship Opportunities, Education Resources and Supports, or Strengthening Our Skills. 

This stream has been run one time. In total, the Education and Training Stream provided $99,500 in funding to 5 groups in 3 Provinces and Territories. 

This stream was last run in August 2023.  

The Experiential Learning Stream provided funding of up to $20,000 to Indigenous youth-led projects, groups and non-profits. Experiential Learning is the process of learning by doing. It is an approach that emphasizes learning through direct experience, reflection, and active engagement. It involves hands-on, practical activities that allow youth participants to acquire knowledge, develop skills, and gain insights by engaging in real-world situations and encouraging youth to actively participate, experiment, and interact with their environment.

This stream was run one time. In total, the Experiential Learning stream provided $137,400 in funding to 7 groups in 2 Provinces and Territories

This stream will accept applications in October 2024. 

The Land and Food Sovereignty Stream provides funding of up to $25,000 to projects that supported youth to participate in land-based programming, learn about food and medicines and engage with knowledge keepers. A major focus of this stream has been supporting the development of land-based camps, supporting ceremony and cultural workshops, revitalizing food systems and supporting the development of community gardens. This stream is active currently, and will accept applications in 2024.  

This stream has been run three times. In total, the Land and Food Sovereignty stream provided $762,000 in funding to 32 groups in 9 Provinces and Territories.

This stream was last run in November 2022.

The Shared Struggle and Solidarity Stream funded projects that aimed to strengthen solidarity between BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) youth and provide relationship-building opportunities. Projects focused on empowering youth to learn about shared and different histories, to explore advocacy and systems change and to understand community-building on a deeper level. Funded projects focused on one of the following areas: Sharing Knowledge and Culture, Learning History and Lived Realities, Reclaiming and Rebuilding, or Changing Systems.  

This stream was run two times. In total, the Shared Struggle and Solidarity Funding Stream provided $415,000 in funding to 16 groups in 4 Provinces and Territories.

Impact of Emerging Needs Stream

In total, $2,224,900 in funding has been mobilized through the Emerging Needs Streams. This includes supports provided to 93 projects and groups.  

Beyond the resources these streams have provided to communities, they also have supported new and emerging projects, and the scaled growth of existing work. IYR is incredibly proud to have been able to support diverse projects that included everything from building a land-based camp, to developing language resources, to running afterschool programming to running exchange programs for youth from different communities.  

Impact Reports

Stream Specific FAQ

See the general FAQ Here

Please feel free to reach out to us! You also can take a look at our Creation Annual Reports to see funded projects and an overview of the stream. 

Yes! Land and Food Sovereignty was our first Emerging Needs Stream and the longest running Emerging Needs Stream.  

There are a few different pieces that factor into this. The number of Emerging Needs Streams we run depends on how much funding we have that year. Some years we’ve been able to run up to four Emerging Needs Streams, and sometimes only one. Once we know how many we can run, Creation’s Advisory Circle meets and discusses what the focus should be. Sometimes they decide to run a previous stream, and sometimes they identify new streams based on gaps they are seeing in community. They also look at things like application numbers when making their decisions. 

Maybe! Each year we talk about all the streams that have been run in the past, and sometimes the Advisory Circle decided to run streams a second, third or even a fourth time! If there is a steam you would like to see run again, please reach out to the Creation Team and we can share that information with the Advisory Circle. 

It depends on the funding stream! Some only require two youth leaders, but others (like Shared Struggle and Solidarity) require up to four youth leaders. The best way to be sure is to look at the individual funding guides.  

Funding Guides

Here are links to recent and active funding guides for the Emerging Needs Streams. Please note we have only included the most recent funding guide in this list. If you would like to see an older funding guide, please reach out to staff. 

Grant Contact Name and Pronouns

Sareema Husain

(she/her)

Grant Manager