Question Period Note: VETERAN AND FAMILY WELL-BEING FUND

• Veterans Affairs Canada fosters strong collaboration and supports innovation through the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund.
• The Fund provides $3 million annually in grants and contributions to organizations striving to improve the well-being of Veterans and their families through innovative projects, initiatives and research. Since 2018, the Fund has awarded $57M to 150 initiatives.
• Eligible organizations include private, public, academic and Indigenous organizations.
• The 2024-2025 Call for Applications for the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund resulted in twenty seven organizations being selected for funding for a total of $14.4 million over four years.
• These organizations strive to improve the lives of Veterans and their families in areas such as homelessness, retraining, employment, mental health, and research. They also place emphasis on supporting women, Indigenous and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans, as well as their families.
• All available funding for the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund has been fully committed for 2025-2026. As a result, a new Call for Applications is not anticipated at this time.

Each year Veterans Affairs Canada receives numerous requests and proposals for funding from outside organizations in support of initiatives and projects that are aimed at improving the health and well-being of Veterans and their families. Many times, these proposals seek funding to conduct research or to develop, test, and implement new and innovative programs and services that focus on various sub-groups of Veterans Affairs Canada’s target populations.
The Veteran and Family Well-being Fund provides a strategic approach to ensure that Veterans Affairs Canada has the capacity to support innovation in Veteran health and well-being, to prevent duplication of service and program delivery, as well as to fill gaps.
The Fund has been in place since 2018. It provides grants and contributions for organizations to conduct research and implement initiatives and projects that support the well-being of Veterans and their families.
All applications to the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund are evaluated against criteria such as project impact, innovation, addressing unmet needs, support for equity-deserving groups, and cost-effectiveness. Applications are first assessed by subject matter experts with specialized knowledge across eight key themes: homelessness, mental health, employment/transition, research, families, Indigenous Veterans, women Veterans and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans. This thematic approach ensures that funding is directed toward a broad range of issues affecting Canadian Veterans.
In addition, by aligning funding with emerging priorities, the Fund remains responsive to the evolving needs of the Veteran community. For example, Budget 2021 allocated an additional $15 million in grants over three years to fund projects that supported Veterans during the post COVID-19 recovery, with added emphasis on homelessness, employment and retraining, and women and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans. Budget 2024 provided an additional $6 million over three years where thirty percent of the funding focused on projects for Indigenous, women and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans.
An example of success is Team Rubicon’s The Veteran Pandemic Recovery Project, a three year project funded by VFWF in 2020-2021. Designed to engage Veterans and their families in serving communities affected by COVID-19 and natural disasters, the project aimed to reduce the emergency management skills gap by building a sustainable Veteran-led humanitarian force. By its conclusion, the initiative had enrolled 503 Veterans as new volunteers and delivered operations and service projects in 79 communities across Canada, showcasing both the resilience of Veterans and the lasting impact of their service.

QUICK FACTS & FIGURES
Overall Impact
• Since 2018, the Fund has awarded $57M to 150 initiatives.
• Demand remains high: 839 applications received, requesting $615M in total.
• All funding is committed until 2028–29.
Historical Calls for Applications
• 2018–19: 155 applications → 21 projects, $7.6M (5 years).
• 2019–20: 114 applications → 22 projects, $7.2M (5 years).
• 2020–21: 142 applications → 23 projects, $10.4M (5 years).
• 2021–22: 98 applications → 36 projects, $11.3M (3 years).
• 2022–23: 120 applications → 21 projects, $6M (3 years).
• 2024–25: 210 applications → 27 projects, $14.4M (4 years).
Funding by Theme (2018-2025)*
• Mental Health: 20%
• Retraining/Employment: 17.9%
• Research: 15.2%
• Homelessness: 14.9%
• Women and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans: 13.1% (Women: 7.8%; 2SLGBTQI+: 5.3%)
• Families: 12.7%
• Indigenous Veterans: 6.2%
* Projects funded through the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund often address multiple areas of need. This breakdown reflects the primary theme identified for each project.