Grants and Contributions

Through this 17-month project, Thunder Pride Association will build stronger capacity of 2SLGBTQI+ community organizations and networks to advance 2SLGBTQI+ equality. It will address the need to increase organizational capacity to advocate for, educate, advance, celebrate and create opportunities for those in the 2SLGBTQ+ community to live safely and openly as themselves in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. The project will build and expand connections in Thunder Bay and surrounding northern communities, including a specific focus on reaching out to Indigenous communities and groups. This will be accomplished by holding online and in-person community meetings and events, conducting a needs assessment, sharing results with stakeholders and developing a volunteer engagement plan to engage in next steps.

Through this 29-month project, Queer and Trans Health Collective Society will address the needs and barriers to equality for 2SLGBTQI+ communities. More specifically, this project will address obstacles to healthcare faced by trans individuals in Alberta. This will be achieved through formative research, by working with healthcare providers and professional organizations to develop and implement best practice guidelines, a care strategy, and a training toolkit to support gender affirming care. By the end of the project, the organization aims to reduce discrimination to trans and gender diverse patients, leading to more positive experiences and increased access to gender affirming healthcare in Alberta.

Through this 29-month project, QueerTech will address the needs and barriers to equality for 2SLGBTQI+ communities in the tech ecosystem. QueerTech will achieve this by building awareness around 2SLGBTQI+ realities in the tech space, fostering inclusive workplaces in the tech industry, and promoting more inclusions in the use of AI products and services. For this, QueerTech will develop a comprehensive toolkit and a series of workshops designed for key industry professionals who want to create a more inclusive Canadian tech ecosystem. QueerTech will support 600 HR professionals at small, medium, and large tech companies in assessing and addressing gaps in representation among their workforce and adopting more inclusive management practices. QueerTech will also build the awareness of 400 AI product managers and developers around algorithmic biases and help them identify ways to circumvent them and build AI tools that truly include and represent 2SLGBTQI+ realities. This project will improve the workplace experience and career development of over 2,500 2SLGBTQI+ professionals and significantly limit the exposure to harmful stereotypes or inaccurate information for millions of Canadian AI users.

Through this 28- month project, Rise Up Indigenous Wellness Society will address the needs and barriers to equality for 2SLGBTQI+ communities. This will be achieved by establishing a Two-Spirit advisory circle, conducting policy review and identifying barriers, developing culturally relevant resources, advocating for policy changes, completing an evaluation and celebrating the Two-Spirited community.

Through this 17-month project, EcoEquitable Inc. will build its capacity to advance gender equality. It will address the employment barriers faced by women, especially newcomers, living with low income, living with a disability, or racialized, whose first language is not English. The project will include the development of three core strategies; a fund diversification and fundraising strategy, a strategic plan, and an advocacy strategy, along with a gender-based analyses of their existing programs and communications plan, which will improve the ability of the organization to reach their goals, be sustainable, and make change.

Through this 17-month project, Maama Watali will build its capacity to advance gender equality. It will address the lack of culturally appropriate supports for black/racialized women who have experienced GBV and the need for second stage housing for this population. The project will include the development and implementation of governance and financial management training for board and staff; the development of a communications and engagement plan with the community to promote the project & extend partnerships; and the development and beginning implementation of a 5-year strategic plan.

Through this 17-month project, Shifra Homes Inc. will build its capacity to advance gender equality. It will address the need to improve organizational capacity in human resources, fundraising and client management, towards increasing the access to vital services for marginalized women in Burlington. The project will include: 1) a review of human resources policies and procedures; 2) the development and implementation of strategies to reduce barriers and support staff retention; 3) staff training and development of resources to improve teamwork, reduce stress and increase the organization capacity; 4) improvement of data management system for clients and donors; and 5) update of case management processes.

Through this 17-month project, Taking Charge! Inc. will build its capacity to advance gender equality by conducting an internal review of organizational policies. It will address the need for processes pertaining to governance, financial management and continuous learning. The project will include research, workplan development, engaging with elders for content development and support, updating program content and curriculum to integrate Indigenous cultural knowledge, hosting focus groups to gather information and identify gaps, developing and publishing curriculum documents/tools, and training facilitators on the content. Finally, the organization will build an advocacy strategy by assessing the needs, incorporating the feedback from focus groups to develop an awareness campaign and engaging with a marketing agency to develop images for the campaign.

Through this 17-month project, South Central Committee on Family Violence Inc., known as Genesis House, will build its capacity to advance gender equality by conducting an analysis of policies and programs across the Southern health region that reflect a trauma and violence-informed approach to the delivery of services. Key activities include conducting an environmental scan and a literature review for best practices regarding low barrier service delivery, recruiting and interviewing participants, staff members and organizational staff with lived experiences to identify gaps and recommendations for improved policies, developing a new policy book and training manual, training staff and board members, creating and implementing a new development plan for the organization, and finally, evaluating achievements and outcomes of the project.

Through this 17-month project BC Native Women’s Association will build its capacity to advance gender equality. It will address gaps in systems and processes; enhance governance; foster dynamic partnerships; and further engage BCNWA’s membership. The project will include improving IT systems and processes, improving board and executive efficiency and effectiveness, developing new policies on governance, planning for new sources of funding, creating and implementing communications and engagement plans.