Supporting Indigenous Women's and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Organizations program: Application guidelines

On this page

• Introduction
• Eligible activities
• Ineligible activities
• Eligible and ineligible expenses
• Selection Process
• Reporting requirements
• Contact us
• Appendix A: Examples of eligible and ineligible expenses
• Appendix B: Example of detailed expenses

Introduction

The objective of this call for proposals is to increase the ability of Indigenous women's and 2SLGTBQQIA+ organizations to:

• engage at the grassroots-level and collaborate with all level of governments in Canada,
• bring forward their voices and perspectives in the development of policy, program and legislation

Eligible activities

Activities that improve organizations' ability to investigate, develop, propose, review, inform, or consult on policy or program development.

Examples of eligible activities include:

• preparing for and participating in federal, provincial or territorial initiatives
• preparing for and participating in workshops, conferences, information-sharing and community consultations
• activities related to informing the development of government policy, programs, and legislation (such as research or consultations)
• developing a strategic and/or advocacy plan to build ability and make positive change
• increasing Indigenous organizations' ability to help bring Indigenous women's or 2SLGBTQQIA+ voices into policies, programs and legislation
• increasing Indigenous organizations' ability to advocate on Indigenous women's or 2SLGBTQQIA+ issues
• building and improving partnerships to strengthen the not-for-profit Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQQIA+ sector

Ineligible activities

Example of ineligible activities include, but are not limited to:

• activities or events that take place outside of Canada or include international participation
• service delivery and programming (for example, direct community services, health and wellness programs and career training services)
• training or development of individual(s) working within the organization that do not relate to organization needs (to be eligible, training would have to benefit the organization, not just the individual)
• research that is not directly linked to the project
• renovations and construction, including purchasing, lease or rental of real property
• activities that generate commercial advantage or profit
• activities that are considered day-to-day operations of the organization

Eligible and ineligible expenses

Eligible expenses are necessary to support the project and are costs incurred after the signature of the agreement. There are 2 types of eligible expenses:

• project delivery expenses: expenses to implement the project
• administrative expenses: expenses to administer and support the project activities
  • these expenses are necessary to deliver the project and cannot exceed 15% of the total funding requested from CIRNAC

CIRNAC reserves the right to make the final decision on the dollar amount and the activities that will be funded.

Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to:

Project delivery expenses (necessary to deliver the project):

• salaries and benefits for staff for the duration of the project and that are directly related to project delivery
• travel expenses within Canada
• honoraria and professional fees
• materials and supplies to support the project
• facilities that are project specific, such as room rental for activities
• translation
• professional development or training
• engagement of Indigenous Elders
• communication, outreach, and information sharing
• other expenses not included in other budget items, such as costs for refreshments/meals served during key project activities

Administrative expenses (central to administer and support the project):

• project oversight
• project staff office space
• telephones
• general office supplies
• IT maintenance
• accounting
• shared postage
• costs related to audits, if required

Please consult Appendix A for detailed examples.

Ineligible expenses include:

• operating costs of your organization that are not related to this project (for example, regular telephone and heating costs, rent, utilities, property taxes, insurance, equipment for staff that are not required for this project)
• salaries, allowances and benefits for members of a board of directors or other decision-makers
• lobbyist fees or payments
• litigation costs, or any legal costs not specified in the work plan
• giving money to other organizations to fund their projects
• budget deficits, repaying debt, organizational reserves or endowment funds
• unexpected costs or costs added to a project above the estimated project value (to cover unexpected costs
• capital expenses, such as land, buildings, vehicles and other major capital costs, with the exception of computer equipment, such as desktops, portables and small peripherals required to carry out the project

Please consult Appendix A for detailed examples.

Selection process

Applications will be evaluated by the same criteria. This ensures that all applications are evaluated fairly against the terms and conditions, community needs, risk and availability of funds.

Proposals are assessed on the following criteria:

• eligibility of the recipient and activities
• how well the activities support the objectives and priorities and their measurement of success
• likelihood for success
• inclusion of a realistic budget outlining the activities and expenses
• how well partnerships and supports are used
• how well the organization is equipped to monitor success and control of the expenses of the project

CIRNAC is using 2 terms and conditions to flow this funding to Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations:

• For First Nations, Inuit, off-reserve, urban and 2SLGBTQQIA+ women's organizations: Contributions for the Purpose of Consultation and Policy Development
• For Métis and non-status women's organizations: Federal Interlocutor's Contribution Program

Please note that the terms and conditions are used to flow the funding, but the project must meet all the requirements above. This funding is specifically to support Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations.

The amount of funding will be based on current circumstances, including:

• the organization's capacity
• membership
• proposed activities
• the number of proposals received
• the total funding available

Reporting requirements

Organizations that receive funding must report annually on April 30 of each year.

An audited financial statement might also be requested for every fiscal year in which funding is received, depending on the organization' general assessment risk score and the cumulative funding amount from Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.

Contact us

If you have any questions about the program, need an application form, or need help preparing your application, please contact:

Email: femmesautochtones-indigenouswomen@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca

Mailing Address:
Indigenous Women's Relations Unit
Indigenous and External Relations Branch
Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
10 rue Wellington, 20th Floor
Gatineau, Quebec  K1A 0H4
Canada

Appendix A: Examples of eligible and ineligible expenses

Appendix B: Example of detailed expenses