Shared Struggle and Solidarity Stream

This stream will next open for applications in 2024

Funding 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. Funding of up to $25,000 will be provided to projects/groups that seek to create impactful community change and increase wellness, resiliency and engagement of youth.

The Shared Struggle and Solidarity Stream aims to strengthen solidarity between BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) youth and provide relationship-building opportunities. Projects in this stream will need to
engage at least two groups, one of which must be Indigenous. Projects can be up to 12 months in length. Projects must be led by 4 youths that represent the communities they will be working with.

Group Leaders and Project Reach:

The focus of this funding stream is to bring together BIPOC youth from different backgrounds. Successful projects must bring together Indigenous (First Nations, Metis and/or Inuit) youth AND Black and/or POC youth.

Projects must bring together 2+ different communities. Projects that only bring together Indigenous youth (and do not engage other Black and/or POC youth) will not be eligible for funding in this stream.

A minimum of four youths must be identified at the application phase as project leaders. At least two of the project leaders must be Indigenous to Canada. The other youth leaders should be representative of other communities that are engaged. For example: if a project was bringing together Indigenous and Newcomer youth, two leaders should be Indigenous and the other two should be from the newcomer community/communities being engaged.

Funding Stream Priorities:

There is a priority in this stream to support:

• 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:

The intention of this stream is to provide youth opportunities to collectively grow, create, heal and cause change. Successful projects will fall under one or more of the following areas:

• Sharing Knowledge and Culture
  • Projects that focus on building community between diverse groups through the sharing of knowledge and culture as a pathway to relationship building. Activities should be focused on both groups sharing their culture and community. Activities could include the following activities: storytelling, dance workshops, cooking workshops, feasts and gatherings, art workshops, recreation/games and other activities.
• Learning History and Lived Realities
  • Projects will bring together youth to learn about each other’s history, lived reality, barriers and resilience. This can take the form of sharing circles, speaker series, gatherings, workshops/sessions, etc. The focus in this area is on helping youth to understand each other better and to build an understanding of the differences and similarities between groups.
• Reclaiming and Rebuilding
  • Projects will focus on giving youth the tools to address systemic and community barriers they face through skill-building sessions and programming around mobilization, organizing and advocacy. Activities can include spaces where youth learn skills around lifting each other’s voices, building allyship, advocating for change, bringing together community and collectively visioning a more equitable future landscape.
• Changing Systems
  • Projects will focus on creating system-level and community-level change, including creating safe(r) pathways in system navigation, disruption and dismantling of oppressive systems and taking tangible steps toward making organizations and community spaces more accessible to BIPOC youth. Examples of a Changing System Project could include bringing youth together to create better pathways in accessing employment or education services; providing training and advocacy around equitable health care access, etc.

Eligibility:

Creation will prioritize funding grassroots youth groups consisting of a minimum of 3 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
• Small, incorporated youth groups (note: IYR defines a small organization as groups that have 1-8 full-time employees and an operating budget of less than $500,000)
• Youth Councils
• Projects must focus on bringing together two diverse groups, one of which must be Indigenous
• Project leadership must have at least 2 Indigenous youth, and be representative of the communities the project is bringing together

Ineligible groups and projects:

• Individuals
• Projects that are not youth-led (or where the majority of the leadership is 30+)
• Non-Indigenous organizations
• Projects taking place outside of Canada
• For-profit corporations and businesses
• Projects that are only bringing together Indigenous youth (and not youth from other communities)

Ineligible Expenses:

IYR will NOT fund projects that are political in nature, or that involve distributing substances (i.e. alcohol, nontraditional tobacco, marijuana, illicit substances, etc) and any activity outside of Canada (i.e travel, accommodations, food, etc)

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 a final report (including a narrative report, the budget report, participant tracking sheet, program hour tracking sheet, etc) Grantees will receive a copy of the final report within the first month of their project start date.

Grantees will have to collect data as a part of their reporting.

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.

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 two weeks of submitting a signed funding agreement.

Timelines:

Unless otherwise noted, all deadlines are 11:59 PST

November 2023   View English Guide  |  View French Guide

November 2022    View English Guide  |  View French Guide

January 2022    View English Guide  |  View French Guide