Youth Innovations Scale Grant

Choose the project type that closely aligns with your specific work: 

Enhance the quality of youth experiences to deepen the impact of a current project

This project type is for groups that want to make a project event better to increase impact on youth. This project type includes adding new program components, such as modifying and/or making refinements to your existing model. 

Choose this project type if:

• This is a project your group currently delivers and/or has delivered for at least two years.
• Your group has strong evidence of the project's success and impact that aligns with one of the Priority Outcomes associated with this grant. 
• Your group can demonstrate how you can enhance your core project and deepen the impact for the profile of youth you are currently working with.
• Your core group of three or more members have history and experience doing work together. This experience can include delivering the core program model or other activities in community.

Expand a current project to impact more youth

This project type is for groups that want to reach more young people and expand the impact of their project. Expanding an existing successful project should also include aiming to increase the number of young people who can access your program. For example, you could add more locations or hours to expand program delivery and increase access for youth beneficiaries. 

Choose this project type if:

• This is a project your group currently delivers and/or has delivered for at least two years.
• Your group has strong evidence of the project's success and impact that aligns with one of the Priority Outcomes associated with this grant.
• Your group can demonstrate how you can expand the reach of the project and achieve your chosen Priority Outcome to serve more youth.
• Your core group of three or more members have history and experience doing work together. This experience can include delivering the core program model or other activities in community. 

Priority Outcomes reflect the changes YOF is investing in. All approved projects must advance one of these outcomes through project activities. While many of the outcomes focus on key priority populations or experiences, we will prioritize Indigenous and Black youth as part of our commitments to addressing systemic barriers to economic and social wellbeing.

The one Priority Outcome your group chooses identifies the impact your project will build on in your Scale grant. 

List of Priority Outcomes

• Empowering girls and young women to lead, including women's economic empowerment initiative
• Supporting Indigenous, Black, and/or newcomer youth to enter the labour market and transition to sustainable career pathways
• Supporting youth in and/or leaving care and/or involved in the justice system to navigate and access resources for wellbeing
  • Note: For this outcome, core group members can be up to 35 years of age
• Addressing racism and its impacts on youth in urban, rural and/or Northern communities
• Creating safe spaces for Indigenous and/or Black youth to build strong community and cultural connections

How to choose a Priority Outcome

When choosing your Priority Outcome, ask yourself:

• What key issues and/or challenges do your selected  youth beneficiaries face?
• Over the past two years, what changes did your group achieve through your core project activities and what changes do you want to sustain as a group?
• What results does your group hope to achieve through your project? 

As you fill out your application, you should align your answers to the Priority Outcome your project will achieve.

As you complete your application, align your Scale project with the primary beneficiaries named in your chosen Priority Outcome. We recognize that your primary beneficiaries may hold other identities and experiences that are critical to the design and delivery of your project.

In your application, identify the primary beneficiaries of your project and their intersecting identities and lived experiences. Your core group members should share the identities and lived experiences of your primary beneficiaries.

List of primary beneficiaries 

• Indigenous youth (First Nation, Métis, or Inuit)
  • When selecting Indigenous (First Nations, Métis or Inuit), beneficiaries can be from urban, rural and on reserve communities
• Black youth  
• Racialized youth  
• Newcomer youth  
• Francophone youth  
• Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) youth*
• Girls and young women
• Youth living with disabilities or special needs between the ages of 12 to 29*
• Youth living in rural, remote and/or Northern communities  
• Youth in conflict or at risk of being in conflict with the law*  
• Youth in care or leaving care*  
• Youth in low-income situations or from low-income families  
• Youth who are homeless or at risk of being homeless  
• Youth at-risk of dropping out or have dropped out of school*
• Youth living with mental health needs and/or addictions between the ages of 12 to 29
• Youth who are not engaged and/or at risk of not being engaged with education, employment and training programs

* In addition to prioritizing Black and Indigenous grassroots groups and youth, YOF prioritizes investing in projects that positively impact youth with these intersecting lived experiences or identities.

Prepare a clear Budget and ensure that the identified costs correspond with the deliverables and major activities of your Project Plan.

All costs funded must be eligible and directly attributable to the project. Ensure that budget amounts align with Project Plan activities. Familiarize yourself with the sample Project Plan and Budget.

Eligible Budget Categories

You can apply for funding to cover project costs across the following categories:

Staffing 

As you consider the roles and responsibilities of staff, ensure you include livable wages to support your program delivery (with considerations for Mandatory Employee Required Costs (MERC) of 20%).

• Full Time Staff (35 hours or more per week)
• Part Time Staff (less than 35 hours per week)

Project expenses 

• Transportation 
• Honorarium (to recognize the contributions of community leaders, elders and/or volunteers)
• Support Services (translation, interpretation, child-minding) 
• Project supplies and materials 
• Project equipment (rental or purchase) 
• Food (for program participants)
• Communications (website, promotions)
• Fees (for services delivered by experts, facilitators)

Required budget categories

The following costs are required for this grant:

• Administrative Support Costs (for Organizational Mentors): 15% of total budget.
• Capacity Building Costs: $2,000 to $4,000 per year. Learn more about eligible capacity building activities.

Ineligible costs

• Taxes, such as GST and HST, for which the Organizational Mentor is eligible for a tax rebate, and all other costs eligible for rebates.
• Capital infrastructure costs (renovations to space).
• Contingency costs.
• Costs related to political or religious activities.
• General or ongoing operating costs (unrelated to the project).
• Personal one-on-one professional services (including expenses related to direct therapy, counselling/ legal and/or accounting advice).
• Costs related to paying for participant groceries, household supplies, or equipment.
• Bursaries, scholarships, sponsorships or individual requests (including regranting funds to other projects or people).
• Fundraising campaigns.

Review all ineligible activities.