Medium Project Stream

Project Summary:

Creation is a multi-level funding program that will support strengths-based, community-focused and youth-led projects taking place in communities across Canada. Grassroots and incorporated youth groups/collectives are eligible to apply for funding to support community programs and projects while receiving innovative mentorship, training and capacity-building opportunities. 

The Medium Funding Stream will provide funding of up to $30,000 to Indigenous youth-led projects and groups of non-profits that seek to create impactful community change and increase the wellness, resiliency and engagement of Indigenous youth. Projects must be led by 2+ Indigenous youth (ages 15-29) who are meaningfully involved in project guidance, planning, implementation and/or evaluation.  

 Funding Stream Priorities:

There is a priority in this stream to support: 

• • Indigenous grassroots groups and collectives 

• • Groups that have experience running programming and projects, but are looking to scale to a new level or try something new 

• • Projects that have an appropriate scale and scope for the funding provided (i.e. engagement numbers and frequency make sense for the funding requested) 

• • Projects that are multi-dimensional (i.e. are doing more than just one thing, and are looking to improve wellness overall) 

Project Focus Areas: 

Successful projects will fall within the following areas: 

• • Assessment and Feasibility Studies

    • • Projects will focus on assessing community and youth needs, doing feasibility projects and engaging the community in consultation. 

• • Arts and Culture

    • • Projects that increase access to arts, art-based workshops, cultural knowledge, traditions and ceremony 

• • Innovation and Change

    • • Projects will support youth groups in accessing capacity-building, knowledge mobilization and funding resources. Projects will focus on innovating healthcare systems, developing solutions to infrastructure and resource challenges (such as access to clean water and sustainable food sources) and increasing access to technology. 

• • Intergenerational Relationship Building

    • • Projects will engage multiple age groups and should help to enhance the sense of community (i.e. projects where youth participate in programs with Elders, families, adults, etc). 

• • Resiliency Building

    • • Projects will focus on organizational development in Indigenous agencies. The intention of this focus area is to increase leadership, governance, capacity and opportunity for Indigenous organizations to impact communities and systems. Projects can include organizational enhancements (i.e. training, website development, strategic plan development, consulting projects, purchase of supplies, etc). 

• • Youth and Community Wellness

    • • Projects will focus on enhancing community wellness and can include one-off events or long-term programs and any type of programming related to wellness (i.e. workshops, teachings, gatherings). 

Eligibility:

Creation will prioritize funding grassroots youth groups consisting of a minimum of 2 Indigenous youth.  

Please note: for the purpose of this program IYR defines Indigenous as status and non-status First Nation, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada, living both on and off-reserve. 

Eligible groups and projects include:

• Unincorporated/grassroots youth groups and collectives
• Incorporated youth groups
• Youth Councils

Ineligible groups and projects:

• Individuals
• Projects that are not youth-led (or where the majority of leadership is 30+)
• Non-Indigenous organizations
• Projects taking place outside of Canada
• For profit corporations and businesses
• Groups that have an organizational budget of over $1,000,000

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Ineligible Expenses: 

IYR will NOT fund projects that are political in nature, or that involve distributing substances (i.e. alcohol, non-traditional tobacco, marijuana, illicit substances, etc).  IYR will also not fund projects or activities that are taking place outside of Canada.

Review Process:

Applications will be reviewed by a Community Grants Committee that includes Advisory Circle members, community members, Indigenous youth and other knowledge carriers. All members will have experience running programs and initiatives, overseeing projects and offering community support. 100% of the review committee will be Indigenous, and a minimum of 75% will be youth. 

Capacity Building: 

All funded groups will be required to take part in online training/skills development workshops on managing, facilitating, evaluating, and reporting on programs. There will be orientation sessions for all new grantees. All grantees will be assigned an IYR staff member and will have individual meetings with this staff member throughout the project. 

Reporting and Evaluation:

Grantees will be asked to report twice on their projects.  

Midterm Check-In (6 months into the project): Grantees will complete a short report and meet digitally with a Creation staff to talk through challenges and successes. Grantees will share updates on budget spending, completed activities and youth reach.  

Final Report (2 months after project completion): Grantees will submit an evaluation report that will include reporting on the final budget (how much money you spent), data on the number of participants reached in your project, data on time spent on the project and a narrative report on the project. The final report will likely take 3 – 7 hours to complete. Grantees will receive a copy of the evaluation report within the first month of their project start date.

Financial Oversight and Trusteeship: 

Successful applicants over age 18 do not require an external funding administrator/trustee and, if successful, will receive the grant funds directly. 

Successful applicants aged 15-17 will require a local non-profit or trusted community member over age 18 to serve as their grant trustee. This trustee may be someone the applicants are already familiar with or IYR can support in connecting them with a willing organization or community member as well as with creating a trustee agreement that ensures youth will be supported.  

You can view IYR’s definition of Trustee HERE

Release of Funds: 

IYR does not issue cheques. Funding will be sent to grantees via a Plooto bank transfer/direct deposit. Grantees will receive funds within three weeks of submitting a signed funding agreement. 

Unless otherwise noted, all deadlines are 11:59pm PST

Questions

IYR encourages applicants to reach out if they have any questions. Please email gwen@indigenousyouthroots.ca to speak to a member of the team.