Grants and Contributions

Through this 29-month project, Canvas Arts Action Programs will increase their capacity to meet the demand for 2SLGBTQI+ programming and, ultimately, deliver on their mission of advancing 2SLGBTQI+ inclusion in Ontario’s schools, summer camps, community settings, and workplaces. First, this project will address Canvas’ need for a new staffing model that accounts for the barriers faced by early-career 2SLGBTQI+ youth and works towards higher 2SLGBTQI+ staff retention levels through establishing a workplace mentorship program. Second, this project will address Canvas’ need for diversified and ongoing funding through the hiring of a development coordinator and the development of a sustainable fundraising strategy. Activities will be evaluated throughout the duration of the project.

hrough this 28-month project, Dignity Seniors Society (DSS) will build stronger capacity of 2SLGBTQI+ community organizations and networks to advance 2SLGBTQI+ equality. It will address the needs of 2SLGBTQI+ older adults and community members through the engagement and support of community volunteers, and will build organizational capacity within DSS. The project will include the development of HR policies and procedures, undertaking a DSS website restructure and communications strategy, and the creation of a funding and finance strategy.

Supplemental funds will be used to support the organization to obtain charitable status and to moderate DSS social media platforms.

Through this 29-month project, Restorations Second Stage Homes will highlight the expertise of Survivor Staff to develop a toolkit designed to empower all caregivers — professional and personal — in their support of survivors of human trafficking and exploitation, to strengthen the GBV sector. It will address the need for a survivor-informed, comprehensive resource that will enhance the capacity of caregivers across Canada. To do so, the project will include developing, piloting, and launching The Empowered Caregivers Individualized Exploitation Preparedness Plan (ECIEPP) toolkit to empower caregivers in the identification, prevention, and intervention of human trafficking with particular attention to youth. An external evaluator will assess the impact of this promising practice. Restorations Second Stages Homes will share information on the promising practice with the GBV Knowledge Centre and with relevant organizations across Canada so that they may replicate it or expand upon it.

The supplemental funding will be used to: host a conference for approximately 176 attendees to amplify the Empowering Caregivers toolkit and promote activities that the toolkit addresses (e.g. the importance of collaboration, amplifying survivors’ voices, etc.). An evaluation component has been integrated into this activity.

Through this 24-month project, The Pride in Art Society will build stronger capacity of 2SLGBTQI+ community organizations and networks to advance 2SLGBTQI+ equality. It will address the need for community relationships among 2SLGBTQI+ organizations and individuals, and ensure the future viability of The Pride in Art Society through improved financial planning and development. The project will include developing a Fundraising and Partnerships plan, improving financial planning structures, improving grant writing and development capacity, as well as developing a capacity-building network of local 2SLGBTQI+ organizations.

Through this 29-month project, Outloud Foundation for LGBTQ+ Community Supports and Services will build stronger capacity of 2SLGBTQI+ community organizations and networks to advance 2SLGBTQI+ equality. It will address increasing awareness of the 2SLGBTQIAP+ community in St. Albert.

This will be achieved by creating a Community Advisory Committee and by consulting with members of the 2SLGBTQIAP+ community in St. Albert, Edmonton, and surrounding areas on the development of strategic planning and a sustainable fundraising plan. Project results and evaluation will be shared with community members to ensure ongoing accountability.

This project will engage Eleven Eleven Consulting to guide the development of their strategic plan, and with Hello Public Design to design and develop the website and media graphics for the organization.

Throughout this 29-month project, Gay and Grey Montreal will build stronger internal capacity in order to develop 2SLGBTQI+ community organizations and networks to advance 2SLGBTQI+ equality.

It will address the issues of ageism, isolation, homophobia ∕transphobia∕ lesbophobia, access to responsive health and social services care, all affecting the ability of the 50+ anglophone queer individuals in Montreal and area to live fully and with dignity.

The project will include the development of a strategic action plan, a gender-based analysis informed human resources policy, a funding strategy plan and a partnership with key researchers and allied organizations for data analysis and planning.

Through this 29-month project, Canadian Coalition for Women in Science, Engineering, Trades and Technology (CCWESTT) will scale multiple promising practices and address systemic factors in skilled trades workplaces by working collaboratively with partners across British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia to strengthen the GBV sector.

To do so, the project will engage and mobilize men as allies to prevent and end GBV in skilled trades workplaces. It will maximize impact through collaborative partnerships and knowledge-sharing, and include three approaches to systems change:
1. Scaling Out: Support organizational and cultural shifts towards safer workplaces in skilled trades by scaling three promising practices across four different regions (BC, MB, ON, and NS)
2. Scaling Up: Convene sector partners and policymakers to disseminate knowledge of root causes and systemic factors that enable GBV in skilled trades and discuss how, collectively, we can build safe working cultures.
3. Scaling Deep: Expand collaborations with Indigenous communities by exchanging knowledge on how current training methods, especially those addressing psychological safety, can influence gender-based violence (GBV) in the workplace, and integrate this shared knowledge into effective practices to enhance support for an intersectional approach.

CCWESTT will actively share information on these promising practices, enabling others to replicate or build upon its success and impact.

Amendment No. 1 – 2024-2025 supplement funds will facilitate the documentation and the mobilization of knowledge and successes through video storytelling and participation at industry conferences. The engagement of experts from Next Gen Men will facilitate in person sessions, and scale out to the province of New Brunswick through regional partnerships.

Through this 29-month project, Circling Buffalo Inc. will conduct research in partnership with RESOLVE Manitoba that will help improve GBV services for Indigenous women. The research seeks to identify and address the challenges that Indigenous women face when accessing women’s shelters across the Province of Manitoba. To do so, the project aims to
conduct a literature review of grey and academic literature and interview Indigenous survivors and Indigenous and non-Indigenous-identifying service providers. Circling Buffalo Inc. in partnership with RESOLVE will prepare a final report,briefs, and a story map to share information on the research findings.

Through this 18-month project, TransParent Okanagan will register as a non-profit society to build stronger capacity of 2SLGBTQI+ community organizations and networks to advance 2SLGBTQI+ equality. It will address its organization sustainability and capacity building. The project will include registering as a society, developing bylaws and policies through facilitated strategic planning and Board development.

Through this 29-month project, Voice Found, in partnership with The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking (The Centre), will develop and put in place a promising practice building upon Voice Found's existing training. It will be enhanced and piloted to add and assess the addition of an ethical peer support training program for survivors of human trafficking. The Ethical Peer Support project aims to address anti-human trafficking peer supporters' current lack of access to training and resources using trauma-informed practice. To do so, Voice Found will complete a literature review, an environmental scan, and develop a theory of change and evaluative framework. The project will be piloted on a pan-Canadian scale in locations with high interest in peer-support work but limited resources in addition to virtual training using both synchronous and asynchronous learning.

An external evaluator will work with the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking and Voice Found to measure and assess the program impact. Outcomes of the evaluation and a model of ethical peer-support training will be widely disseminated so that other organizations and survivor leaders may replicate or expand upon it. This information will also be shared with Women and Gender Equality Canada GBV Knowledge Centre.

This supplemental funding will enhance Voice Found’s peer support program for survivors of human trafficking by improving digital learning infrastructure, expanding and leadership training, refining evaluation tools, and translating materials to support national and bilingual delivery to strengthen program accessibility, sustainability, and impact across Canada.