Upcoming Funding Dates

This stream will next open for applications in July 2025. Please check back here for more information, and review previous funding guides (at the bottom of the page!).

Description

The Small Funding Stream will provide funding of up to $15,000 to Indigenous youth-led projects and groups 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.

There is a priority in this stream to support: 

  • Indigenous grassroots groups and collectives 
  • Previous grantees who have only held grants in the Youth Empowerment Stream (Sprout and Blossom) 
  • Groups that have some experience running programming and projects, but are looking to scale to a new level or try something new

Focus Areas

We’re looking to fund projects that focus on one or more of the following areas:

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

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

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. 

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).

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).

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 3 Indigenous youth. Please note: for the purpose of this program, IYR defines Indigenous as status and non-status First Nations, 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

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

Examples of Funded Projects

Learn about some projects that have been funded in this stream:

Inotsiavik Centre is working on a long-term project to create a community centre in Hopedale. Over the summer, to help foster that sense of community, they will host Kamik-making worksops, sealskin cleaning and processing demonstrations, a seal hunting outing, and cooking workshops. This project will reach 30 youth.

Nakoda AV Club will teach youth in their community how to design, make, and care for their regalia. The project will consist of 4 workshops (sweetgrass medallion making, bird fan making, bustle making, and roach making) as well as 4 pow wow prep classes. This project will reach 30 youth and 20 community members.

Takla Nation Chil’keh Youth Group will lead a sacred medicine gathering trip. Participants will be taken on a week–long trip across their traditional lands to other communities in BC and Alberta. Activities will include gathering on the land, working with medicines to create crafts or teas, participating in ceremonies such as sweat ceremonies, and storytelling and reflection. This project will reach 12 youth and 6 community members.  
 

Finding Our Power Together will host six-week sessions so Indigenous youth can connect with one another and the world, and explore weekly topics oriented around developing self-help skills in facing mental health challenges, developing leadership capacities, and engaging in peer-to-peer communication through a cultural relational approach. This project will reach 30 youth.

Learn more about this group in their grantee highlight here.

The Maamwi noojmadaa “Let’s Heal Together” Project will host a two-day event where youth from any of the seven reserves surrounding Manitoulin Island will have the opportunity to attend wellness and empowerment workshops, access land-based teachings and listen to guest speakers and knowledge keepers at the Rising Youth Gathering they will host in August 2023. The theme for this event is around mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being, which will be split into 2 days, one inside and one on the land. This project will reach 50 youth.
Learn more about this group in their grantee highlight here.

Stream Specific FAQ

See the general FAQ here

You need at least two Indigenous youth who are leading your project. If you have more youth leading and/or also have adults supporting, that’s fine too!  

Reach looks different for different projects. Some projects are focused on reaching big numbers of youth (like 500+ over one single event). Other projects are focused on reaching a small number of youth but with a deeper engagement (like 15 youth but weekly over several months). We’ve funded both types of projects! 

You have a couple of options:

  • If you have other funders/funding sources confirmed, please let us know in your application.
  • If you don’t have other funders confirmed, make a plan for how you will get the rest of the funding and share that plan somewhere in your application. 
  • You also can apply for a bigger round of funding (like our Medium Project Funding Stream).
     

Stream Impact & Reports

IYR has run three rounds of the Small Project Funding Stream. In total $544,500 in funding has been given to 39 projects. Funded projects have reached 5,100 Indigenous youth. What excited us about this stream is that it’s an opportunity for youth to scale or pilot a new project, and help get them ready for taking on larger funding opportunities.

2023 Stream Overview

2022 Stream Overview

Past Small Project Funding Guides

2024

October View English Guide | View French Guide

2023

November View English Guide | View French Guide

2022

November View English Guide | View French Guide

Grant Contact Name and Pronouns

Arizona Commanda-Boissoneau

(she/her)

Grant Coordinator