CREation is a multi-level funding program that supports strengths-based, community-focused and youth-led projects taking place in communities across Canada. Grassroot youth groups/collectives (comprised of Indigenous youth ages 15-29) are eligible to apply for funding to support community programs and projects while receiving innovative mentorship, training and capacity-building opportunities. Funding will be provided to projects/groups that seek to create impactful community change and increase the wellness, resiliency and engagement of Indigenous youth.
This program aims to support Indigenous youth to take ownership over the wellness of their peers and community.
Interested in applying?
Before applying, please read through the program description and eligibility requirements in the Funding Guides below. CREation runs multiple funding streams per year. New funding opportunities below:
June grant intake (June 1st – June 30th, 2022) :
- Youth Empowerment Stream: Sprout – $2500
- Youth Empowerment Stream: Blossom – $5000
- Digital Sharing and Storytelling – $20,000
CREation is led by an Advisory Circle of 15 Indigenous youth and community members.
Learn more about the Advisory Circle and who the members are here!
Upcoming Funding Streams 2022
August intake (August 1 – August 31):
- Youth Empowerment Stream: Sprout – $2500 grants
- Youth Empowerment Stream: Blossom – $5000 grants
- Education and Training Stream – $20,000
- Medium Project Stream – $30,000
November intake ( November 1 – November 30):
- Youth Empowerment Stream: Sprout – $2500 grants
- Small Project Stream – $15,000 grants
- Land and Food Sovereignty Stream – $25,000 grants
- Shared Struggle and Solidarity Stream – $25,000 grants
Youth Empowerment Stream: Sprout Funding Guide
CREation Funding Guide: Youth Empowerment Stream – Sprout
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. Funding is dispersed through themed streams, which focus on specific funding gaps and needs in communities.
The Youth Empowerment Stream – Sprout will provide small grants of up to $2,500 to youth-led projects happening in urban, rural and remote communities across Canada. The focus of this stream is to fund new and emerging micro-projects that focus on increasing the resilience, engagement and wellness of youth. Projects must be led by 2+ Indigenous youth (ages 15-29). Grantees and youth will receive innovative mentorship, training and capacity-building opportunities throughout the project. The Youth Empowerment Stream Sprout can be used as a stepping stone to implementing a new idea or starting your work with a project idea. Grantees that receive funding from the Youth Empowerment Stream Sprout are encouraged to apply to the Youth Empowerment Stream Blossom ($5,000 grants) to continue to grow their projects and impact.
Funding Stream Priorities
There is a priority in this stream to support:
- New and emerging Indigenous grassroots groups and collectives
- Projects that are testing and/or trying a new idea
- New groups who have never run a project before
- Groups who have never received funding from CREaton before
Project Focus Areas
Projects should focus on providing programming, training or capacity-building opportunities for Indigenous youth. Below are some possible examples of eligible projects. These examples do not include every type of project that we would fund.
- Programs for youth to participate in recreational, wellness and/or arts-based programming
- Cultural programming, including ceremonies, teaching circles and land-based activities
- Peer-led circles where youth can build relationships and participate in online activities
- Intergenerational programs, that provide youth opportunities to work with Elders, parents, families, children, etc
- Programs that increase youth leadership skills
- Professional development programs for members of a youth council/organization to increase their knowledge about organizational governance
- Projects that target making resources (such as mental health services) safer and more accessible
All funded projects engage more youth other than just project leaders.
Eligibility
CREation will only fund grassroots Indigenous youth groups consisting of a minimum of 2 youth.
Please note: for the purpose of this program, CRE 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/collectives/councils comprised primarily of Indigenous youth
- Emerging, incorporated youth groups (note: CRE defines “emerging” as groups that have an operating budget of less than $50,000)
- Projects must serve primarily serve Indigenous youth
Ineligible groups and projects:
- Individuals and/or projects that are not led by 2+ Indigenous youth
- Projects that are not youth-led (or where the majority of the leadership is 30+)
- Non-Indigenous groups and organizations
- Groups that have received more than $10,000 in funding from CRE over the past 12 months
- Projects taking place outside of Canada
- For-profit corporations
Ineligible Expenses
CRE will NOT fund projects that are political in nature, or that involve distributing substances (i.e. alcohol, non-traditional tobacco, marijuana, illicit substances, etc).
Project leaders cannot receive honorariums of more than $500.
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
Youth will be invited to participate in CRE’s Capacity Building Program. This program is geared toward strengthening skillsets around program administration, facilitation, and evaluation as well as providing opportunities to learn about program design, organizational governance and growth, personal development and youth leadership. Youth will have the opportunity to work toward a certificate in the program.
Reporting and Evaluation
Grantees will be asked to submit one report:
Final Report (2 months after project completion): Grantees will submit a budget report and an evaluation report. Grantees will receive a copy of the evaluation report within the first month of their project start date.
Financial Oversight and Trusteeship
Groups/councils/collectives with members who are over the age of 18 do not require an external funding administrator and, if successful, will receive the grant funds directly.
Successful applicant groups (with leaders 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 CRE 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
CRE 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
| Stages | Spring Intake | Summer Intake | Fall Intake | Winter Intake |
| Applications Open | April 1st, 2022 | June 1st, 2022 | August 1st, 2022 | November 1st, 2022 |
| Application Deadline | May 2nd, 2021 | June 30th, 2022 | August 31st, 2022 | November 30th, 2022 |
| Decisions Released | June 30th, 2022 | August 31st, 2022 | October 31st, 2022 | January 31st, 2023 |
| Project Start Date | July 1st, 2022 | September 1st, 2022 | November 1st, 2022 | February 1st, 2023 |
| Project End Date | November 30th, 2022 | January 31st, 2023 | March 31st, 2023 | June 30, 2023 |
| Final Report Due | January 31, 2023 | March 31st, 2023 | May 31st, 2023 | August 31st, 2023 |
Unless otherwise noted, all deadlines are 11:59 pm PST
Questions
CRE encourages applicants to reach out if they have any questions. Please email jessica@canadianroots.ca to speak to a member of the team.
Youth Empowerment Stream – Blossom Funding Guide
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. Funding is dispersed through themed streams, which focus on specific funding gaps and needs in communities.
The Youth Empowerment Stream – Blossom will provide small grants of up to $5,000 to youth-led projects happening in urban, rural and remote communities across Canada. The focus of this stream is to give funds to support emerging micro-projects that focus on increasing the resilience, engagement and wellness of youth.
There are two ways to enter the Blossom stream:
- Pathway One: Applicants who have received funding in either the Youth Empowerment – Sprout stream, the general Youth Empowerment Stream or through the Community Support Fund, can apply to expand and grow their project. Your group fits these criteria if they have received funding from CRE before, but the total amount of funding received was less than $10,000.
- Pathway Two: Applicants who do not meet the Pathway One criteria can apply as long as they meet the following criteria:
- Group has not received any funding from CRE
- Group has an annual operating budget of $50,000 or less; and
- Group and/or project is a new and emerging initiative
CRE strongly encourages applicants to start in the Sprout phase with a new idea and then grow into the Blossom phase. CRE will only fund new and emerging groups in Youth Empowerment Streams. Projects must be meaningfully led by 2+ Indigenous youth (ages 15-29). Grantees and youth will receive innovative mentorship, training and capacity-building opportunities throughout the project.
Funding Stream Priorities:
There is a priority in this stream to support:
- New and emerging Indigenous grassroots groups and collectives
- Projects that are testing and/or trying a new idea
- New groups who have never run a project before
- Groups who have never received funding from CREation before
Project Focus Areas
Projects should focus on providing programming, training or capacity-building opportunities for Indigenous youth. Below are some possible examples of eligible projects. These examples do not include every type of project that we would fund.
- Programs for youth to participate in recreational, wellness and/or arts-based programming
- Cultural programming, including ceremonies, teaching circles and land-based activities
- Peer-led circles where youth can build relationships and participate in online activities
- Intergenerational programs, that provide youth opportunities to work with Elders, parents, families, children, etc
- Programs that increase youth leadership skills
- Professional development programs for members of a youth council/organization to increase their knowledge about organizational governance
- Projects that target making resources (such as mental health services) safer and more accessible
All funded projects engage more youth other than just project leaders.
Eligibility:
CREation will only fund grassroots Indigenous youth groups consisting of a minimum of 2 youth. Please note: for the purpose of this program, CRE 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/collectives/councils comprised primarily of Indigenous youth
- Emerging, incorporated youth groups (note: CRE defines “emerging” as groups that have an operating budget of less than $50,000)
- Projects must serve primarily serve Indigenous youth
Ineligible groups and projects:
- Individuals and/or projects that are not led by 2+ Indigenous youth
- Projects that are not youth-led (or where the majority of the leadership is 30+)
- Non-Indigenous groups and organizations
- Groups that have received more than $10,000 in funding from CRE over the past 12 months
- Projects taking place outside of Canada
- For profit corporations
Ineligible Expenses:
CRE will NOT fund projects that are political in nature, or that involve distributing substances (i.e. alcohol, non-traditional tobacco, marijuana, illicit substances, etc).
Project leaders cannot receive honorariums of more than $500.
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 a CRE staff member and will have individual meetings with this staff member throughout the project.
Reporting and Evaluation:
Grantees will be asked to submit one report: Final Report (2 months after project completion): Grantees will submit a budget report and an evaluation report. Grantees will receive a copy of the evaluation report within the first month of their project start date.
Financial Oversight and Trusteeship
Groups/councils/collectives with members who are over the age of 18 do not require an external funding administrator and, if successful, will receive the grant funds directly.
Successful applicant groups (with leaders 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 CRE 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
CRE 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
| Stages | Summer Intake | Fall Intake | ||||
| Applications Open | June 1st, 2022 | August 1st, 2022 | ||||
| Application Deadline | June 30th, 2022 | August 31st, 2022 | ||||
| Decisions Released | August 31st, 2022 | October 31st, 2022 | ||||
| Project Start Date | September 1st, 2022 | November 1st, 2022 | ||||
| Project End Date | February 28th, 2023 | April 28th, 2023 | ||||
| Final Report Due | April 28th, 2023 | June 30th, 2023 |
Questions
CRE encourages applicants to reach out if they have any questions. Please email jessica@canadianroots.ca to speak to a member of the team.
Digital Sharing and Storytelling Funding Guide
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 Digital Sharing and Storytelling stream will provide funding of up to $20,000 to Indigenous youth-led projects and groups of non-profits that are using technology to digitally share stories, knowledge and experiences. Projects must be led by 3+ 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
- Schools and School Groups
- Groups that have some 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)
Project Focus Areas
Successful projects will fall within the following areas. Please note that projects can fall within multiple focus areas (just select the one that best describes your project).
- Building Our Capacity
- Projects will support training and development opportunities for youth to learn skills related to digital content creation. Projects in this area must have a plan to either share this knowledge with other youth as a part of their program and/or to develop a piece of digital media that can be shared (i.e.: taking videography classes and then making a video sharing your group’s community impact).
- Creating New Platforms
- Projects will support the creation of platforms and/or systems (i.e.: VR, video games, etc) to engage youth and community in learning about Indigenous perspectives, futurisms and knowledge.
- Sharing Our Knowledge and Perspectives
- Projects will support using digital platforms to share knowledge and information related to wellness, culture/teachings, language, news, perspectives, and any other information that helps to amplify Indigenous youth voices.
- Telling Our Stories
- Projects will focus on using digital platforms (podcasts, blogposts, video creation, art-sharing platforms, radio shows, social media, etc) to share stories and knowledge from youth, Knowledge Keepers and community members.
Eligibility:
CREation will only fund grassroots Indigenous youth groups consisting of a minimum of 3 youth. Please note: for the purpose of this program, CRE 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: CRE defines a small organization as groups that have 1-8 full-time employees and an operating budget of less than $500,000)
- Youth Councils
- School groups
Ineligible groups and projects:
- Projects that do not have a digital sharing component
- 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
Ineligible Expenses:
CRE will NOT fund projects that are political in nature, or that involve distributing substances (i.e. alcohol, non-traditional tobacco, marijuana, illicit substances, 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 a CRE 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 narrative report, 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 applicant groups (with leaders 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 CRE 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
CRE 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.
Timelines
| Stages | Summer Intake | ||||
| Applications Open | June 1st, 2022 | ||||
| Application Deadline | June 30th, 2022 | ||||
| Decisions Released | August 29th, 2022 | ||||
| Project Start Date | August 30th, 2022 | ||||
| Midterm Report Due | January 10th, 2023 | ||||
| Project End Date | May 30th, 2023 | ||||
| Final Report Due | July 31st, 2023 |
Questions
CRE encourages applicants to reach out if they have any questions. Please email jessica@canadianroots.ca to speak to a member of the team.
Medium Project Stream Funding Guide
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 3+ 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 3 Indigenous youth.
Please note: for the purpose of this program CRE 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: CRE 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
Ineligible Expenses
CRE will NOT fund projects that are political in nature, or that involve distributing substances (i.e. alcohol, non-traditional tobacco, marijuana, illicit substances, 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 a CRE 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 narrative report, 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 CRE 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
CRE 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.
Timelines
| Stages | Spring Intake | Fall Intake |
| Applications Open | April 1st, 2022 | August 1st, 2022 |
| Application Deadline | May 2nd, 2022 | August 31st, 2022 |
| Decisions Released | June 30th, 2022 | October 31st, 2022 |
| Project Start Date | July 1st, 2022 | November 1st, 2022 |
| Midterm Report | December 15th, 2022 | April 14th, 2023 |
| Project End Date | June 30th, 2023 | October 31st, 2023 |
| Final Report Due | August 31st, 2023 | January 3rd, 2024 |
Unless otherwise noted, all deadlines are 11:59 pm PST
Questions
CRE encourages applicants to reach out if they have any questions. Please email jessica@canadianroots.ca to speak to a member of the team.
Large Project Stream Funding Guide
CREation is a multi-level funding program that will support strengths-based, community-focused and youth-led projects taking place in communities across Canada. Groups are eligible to apply for funding to support community programs and projects while receiving innovative mentorship, training and capacity-building opportunities.
The Large Project Funding Stream will provide funding of up to $75,000 to Indigenous non-profits and charities that seek to create impactful community change and increase the wellness, resiliency and engagement of Indigenous youth. Projects must be led by 3+ Indigenous youth (ages 15-29) who are meaningfully involved in project guidance, planning, implementation and/or evaluation. Successful applicants must be either an incorporated organization or have a trustee in place to hold grant funds.
Funding Stream Priorities
There is a priority in this stream to support:
- Indigenous non-profits and registered charities
- Groups that have strong experience running programming and projects
- Projects that are large in scale and scope (i.e. high impact over a long period of time)
- 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:
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
Funding in this stream is only open to incorporated/registered non-profit organizations and charities. CREation will prioritize funding Indigenous and youth-focused organizations. Projects must have a clear plan for how youth will lead and support projects (i.e. youth advisory, youth staff, etc)
Please note: for the purpose of this program CRE 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:
- Incorporated non-profit organizations
- Registered Charities
- Indigenous organizations
- Youth Councils (that are a part of an incorporated organization)
- Grassroots groups that have an incorporated organization that has agreed to trustee the project (please include a trustee letter as a part of your application)
Ineligible groups and projects:
- Individuals
- Unincorporated and grassroots groups without a trustee
- 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
Ineligible Expenses
CRE will NOT fund projects that are political in nature, or that involve distributing substances (i.e. alcohol, non-traditional tobacco, marijuana, illicit substances, 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 also be mandatory orientation sessions for all new grantees. All grantees will be assigned a CRE 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 narrative report, 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
Unincorporated/grassroots groups will require an incorporated non-profit to serve as their grant trustee. This trustee may be someone the applicants are already familiar with or CRE can support in connecting them with a willing organization as well as with creating a trustee agreement that ensures youth will be supported.
Release of Funds
CRE does not issue cheques. Funding will be sent to grantees via a Plooto bank transfer/direct deposit.
Funding will be released in three installments: 60% after the contract is signed, 35% following the midterm check in and the final 5% will be released after the submission of your final report.
Timelines
| Stages | Important Dates |
| Applications Open | April 1st, 2022 |
| Application Deadline | May 2nd, 2022 |
| Decisions Released | June 30th, 2022 |
| Project Start Date | July 1st, 2022 |
| Midterm Report | December 15th, 2022 |
| Project End Date | June 30th, 2023 |
| Final Report Due | August 31st, 2023 |
Unless otherwise noted, all deadlines are 11:59pm PST
Questions
CRE encourages applicants to reach out if they have any questions. Please email jessica@canadianroots.ca to speak to a member of the team.
Past Funding Guides
En français: Guides de demande de bourse
Artist Credit
The artwork featured on the graphics for the Shared Struggles Stream was commissioned from Pranavi Suthagar.
For more information, contact:
jessica alegria
Program Manager – Granting
Email: jessica@canadianroots.ca
