CREation Community Grants Program

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 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 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.

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
• 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)
• Projects must serve primarily serve Indigenous youth

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

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 community members, program staff and CRE staff. All members will have experience running programs and initiatives, overseeing projects and offering community supports. A minimum of 75% of the review committee will be Indigenous, and 50% will be youth.

Capacity Building

Youth will be invited to participate in CRE’s Capacity Building Program. This program is geared towards strengthening skill sets around program administration, facilitation, 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 two reports:

Midterm Report (February 2021): Grantees will submit a short one-page report sharing their impact and budget updates.

Final Report (1 month 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	Fall Application Period
Applications Open	November 2nd, 2020
Application Deadline	November 23rd, 2020
Decisions Released	December 11th, 2020
Project Start Date	December 14th, 2020
Midterm Check In	February, 2021
Project End Date	April 30th, 2021
Final Report Due	May 28th, 2021

Unless otherwise noted, all deadlines are 6:00pm CST

Questions

CRE encourages applicants to reach out if they have any questions. Please email creation@canadianroots,ca to speak to a member of the team.

CREation is a multi-level funding program that will support strengths-based, community-focused and youth-led projects taking place in communities across Canada. Grassroot youth groups/collectives (comprised of 3+ 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 of up to $25,000 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. Providing funding for Indigenous youth to mobilize is an act of reconciliation, as much as the work that they will do for their communities is reconciliation. 

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 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 youth of which at least 2 identify as Indigenous. 

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 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

CRE will be evaluating applications through an internal review circle of 6 evaluators. All members will have experience running programs and initiatives, overseeing projects and offering community supports. 

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 (4-5 months into project): Grantees will 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 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

Successful applicants over age 18 do not require an external funding administrator 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 two weeks of submitting a signed funding agreement.

Timelines

Stages	Summer Application Period	Winter Application Period
Applications Open	July 6th, 2020	December 1st, 2020
Application Deadline	August 14th, 2020	January 15th, 2021
Decisions Released	September 14th, 2020	February 12th, 2021
Project Start Date	October 1st, 2020	March 1st, 2021
Project End Date	June 30th, 2021	November 30th, 2021
Final Report Due	August 28th, 2021	January 31st, 2022

Unless otherwise noted, all deadlines are 6:00pm CST

Questions

CRE encourages applicants to reach out if they have any questions. Please email creation@canadianroots,ca to speak to a member of the team.