Upcoming Funding Dates

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

Description

The Youth and Community Wellness Grants, supported by Manulife funding Stream will provide small grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 to Indigenous youth-led initiatives. The focus of this stream is to fund projects that center around engaging youth in programming that focuses on wellness, health and the land. Projects must be led by two or more Indigenous youth aged 15-29. Youth leaders (grantees) will receive innovative mentorship, training, and capacity-building opportunities throughout the project. 

Project must take place on one of the following communities: 

  • Vancouver, British Columbia 
  • Montreal, Quebec 
  • Halifax, Nova Scotia 
  • Toronto, Ontario 
  • Kitchener and/or Waterloo Region, Ontario 

There is a priority in this stream to support: 

  • Projects that are focused on land, health and wellness 
  • New and emerging Indigenous youth-led grassroots groups and collectives 
  • New groups who have never run a project before 
  • Groups who have never received funding from Creation before 

This stream was made possible through the support of:

Focus Areas

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

Projects that focus on increasing Indigenous youth’s access to foods, knowledge about traditional and healthy foods and building skills around planting, growing and harvesting. Projects in this focus area can include: community gardens, initiatives to start family gardens, workshops about cooking, harvesting and preserving etc. 

Projects will engage youth in initiatives related to climate action and justice, as well as to increase their knowledge of environmental protection, advocacy, and our responsibilities as Indigenous people to the land. Projects in this focus area could include climate action workshops, teaching circles, sessions on how to support environmental initiatives, water walks, advocacy initiatives, and other activities. 

Projects will engage youth in participating in programming on the land. These can include overnight camps or workshop series. Projects will work to increase youth’s connection to the land and knowledge of food and land teachings. Projects in this focus area can include: medicine walks, ceremony, foraging activities, water-based projects (such as water walks), recreational land-based recreation activities (e.g., canoeing), language camps, traditional hunting and fishing and other activities. 

Eligibility

Funding in this stream will only fund grassroots Indigenous youth groups consisting of a minimum of 2 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. 

  • Unincorporated/grassroots youth groups/collectives/councils comprised primarily of Indigenous youth
  • Projects run by incorporated groups/registered charities with strong youth leadership
  • Projects must serve primarily serve Indigenous youth
  • Projects must work to increase youth access to health, wellness and/or the land

  • Individuals and/or projects that are not led by 2+ Indigenous youth
  • Projects that are not youth-led (or where the majority of leadership is 30+)
  • Non-Indigenous groups and organizations
  • Projects taking place outside of Canada
  • For profit corporations
  • Projects not focused on increasing youth access to health, wellness and/or the land
  • Projects not occurring in Toronto, Kitchener, Waterloo, Montreal, Halifax or Vancouver

Examples of Funded Projects

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

Finding Our Power Together (FOPT) will host a traditional sweat lodge and individual healing sessions for Indigenous youth. These sessions will offer a holistic, culturally-sensitive approach to mental health and well-being that is rooted in traditional Indigenous practices, teachings, and knowledge. This project will reach 12 youth and 6 community members.

Wabanaki Two Spirit Youth Council will host a 3 day summer camp for Two-Spirit youth from Wabanaki communities. Participants will engage in cultural events and ceremonies. This project will provide a safer space for 2S youth to access community and connect with Elders/Knowledge Keepers on the land, in a space that promotes and teaches cultural aspects and skills. This project will reach 15 youth and 10 community members.

Kahnawake Collective Impact addresses the need for youth-led initiatives that promote sustainable practices and community engagement in Kahnawake. With a focus on gardening, our project provides a platform for young individuals to develop valuable skills, connect with nature, and contribute to the well-being of the community. Their focus will be Garden Planning and Design Workshops, Planting Sessions, Maintenance and Care Workshops, Harvesting, Food preservation workshops and Community Engagement. This project will reach 12 youth and 70 community members. 

Stream Specific FAQ

See the general FAQ here

Unfortunately this stream can only fund projects happening in and around those communities! If you have a project happening elsewhere, consider applying for a Youth Empowerment Stream grant!  

We’ve been working with Manulife as a funding partner over the past several years. Both Manulife and IYR really believe in empowering Indigenous youth as leaders, mobilizers and change-makers in their communities! Previously, we offered Manulife funding to projects in the Youth Empowerment Stream if they were running in one of Manulife’s 5 priority communities (Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, Montreal and Kitchener/Waterloo). With our new two year funding agreement, we’re able to fund a lot more projects and it made sense to separate the funding into its own stream.  

Funding Guides

Grant Contact Name and Pronouns

Arizona Commanda-Boissoneau

(she/her)

Grant Coordinator