Terms and Conditions: Contributions to Support Indigenous Women's and 2SLGBTQI+ Organizations
On this page
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Legal and policy authority
- 3. Purpose, objectives and expected results
- 4. Eligibility
- 5. Eligible activities
- 6. Type and nature of eligible expenditures
- 7. Total Canadian government funding and stacking limits
- 8. Method for determining amount of funding
- 9. Maximum amount payable
- 10. Basis and timing for payment
- 11. Application requirements and assessment criteria
- 12. Official languages
- 13. Intellectual property
- 14. Repayable contributions
- 15. Redistribution of contributions
- 16. Terms and conditions effective date
- 17. Other conditions
1. Introduction
The Government of Canada is committed to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in Canada and recognizes the importance of Indigenous women, Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQI+ people (2SLGBTQI+) reclaiming their voices and determining their own priorities.
The Supporting Indigenous Women's and 2SLGBTQI+ Organizations program, administered by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC), funds and supports activities that bolster Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations to increase their ability to engage with community to determine needs, interests, gaps and priorities and work with levels of government to advance these grassroots perspectives and priorities in all areas of decision-making that impact their lives.
To support meaningful systemic change in Canada, it is critical that Indigenous-led, ground-up perspectives are brought forward by Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations at the national, regional and community level, to inform the development of programs, policy, and legislation to address the distinct needs and interests of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
National, regional, and grassroots Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations have identified the importance of stable and longer-term funding to effectively advance this work that must account for the unique needs of Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQI+ people. This approach requires additional flexibility to engage with community and governments in ways that are Indigenous-led, trauma and intersectionally informed and culturally appropriate while also allowing for organizations to exercise financial self-determination to best meet the objectives of the activity, initiative or project.
2. Legal and policy authority
3. Purpose, objectives and expected results
The purpose of this program is to enhance the ability of Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations to work with community and governments at all levels to advance priorities and interests identified by Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQI+ people. Contributions will support activities that increase the capacity of the organizations and support bringing forward the perspectives of Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
The program expects to contribute to advancing departmental priorities and interests including self-determination and reconciliation and is expected to have horizontal impacts, including activities that are complementary towards supporting efforts to address missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, gender-based violence, the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan, culturally-competent gender-based analysis and the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan.
4. Eligibility
With limited exception, all applicants must be Indigenous and meet all the following criteria:
- be Canadian organizations
- be Indigenous not-for-profit organizations
- the organization's mandate focus is Indigenous women, Two-Spirit, Indigenous LGBTQI+ peoples (on and off-reserve, First Nations, Non-Status Indians,Footnote 1 Métis, Inuit and urban)
- provide proof of incorporation or registration
NOTE: Under certain circumstances, an application to the program from an unincorporated or unregistered not-for-profit Indigenous women's or 2SLGBTQI+ organization might be considered if the application is made in partnership with an incorporated not-for-profit Indigenous organization that is legally able to enter into funding agreements. Under this circumstance, any Indigenous organizations putting forth an application in partnership with an Indigenous women's or 2SLGBTQI+ organization, will require demonstrated written support from the Indigenous women's organization or 2SLGBTQI+ organization to be considered if eligible for funding.
5. Eligible activities
Eligible activities aim to improve the recipient's ability to engage with their community at the grassroots level, investigate, develop, propose, review, inform, or consult on policy, program and legislation, as well as to collaborate with all levels of government in Canada to advance Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ people's priorities and needs. Activities may include but are not limited to:
- engagement with community, attendance at or delivery of workshops, conferences, information-sharing and community consultations, with or without levels of government involvement, related to informing the development of, or call for policy, programs, and legislation that reflect the voices of Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQI+ people
- studies, research, knowledge-gathering related to advancing the priorities and interests of Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ people
- development of Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ specific program, policies and legislation or ranges of subject matter related to Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ whose intended purpose or product will be of interest to the department in developing or modifying Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ government policy
- development of tools, policies, or processes that increase organizational capacity
6. Type and nature of eligible expenditures
Eligible expenditures are those incurred by the recipient, which are necessary to carry out the eligible activities.
All eligible expenditures must be directly applicable to the purpose of the contribution agreement and may be further specified in the workplan, budget, and related amendments. As these agreements will provide for different initiatives, the types of expenditures will be flexible taking into consideration the nature of the activity, initiative or project. Eligible expenditures may include but are not limited to:
- salaries and employee benefits for staff for the duration of the project and that are directly related to project delivery
- honoraria
- travel and transportation
- professional fees
- workshops, conferences, events and meetings
- training and professional development
- communications, outreach, information sharing and translation
- facilities that are project specific, such as a room to host a meeting
- volunteer participation expenses and initiative incentive expenses
- overhead administration costsFootnote 2
- costs of engaging consultants or other qualified professionals
- research and studies
Expenditures related to hospitality have to be reasonable for the activities undertaken. Please refer to the Treasury Board guidelines on hospitality for examples of rates and eligible expenditures.
Expenditures related to travel have to be reasonable for the activities undertaken. Please refer to the National Joint Council travel directive for examples of rates and eligible expenditures.
Other expenditures may be considered eligible based on direct link to the activity, initiative or project and are subject to program review and approval.
Ineligible expenditures:
- capital, infrastructure, land and building costs
- international travel
- deficit recovery
- for-profit initiatives and investments
Other expenditures may be considered ineligible and are subject to program review and approval.
7. Total Canadian government funding and stacking limits
The maximum (stacking limits) of total Canadian government funding (federal, provincial, territorial and municipal assistance for any activity, initiative or project) for recipients must not exceed 100% of the expected project costs.
Applicants are required to disclose all confirmed and potential sources of funding, inclusive of all federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal governments (total government assistance) at the time of application. Annual financial reporting is required to identify all sources of funding received during the term of the project.
8. Method for determining amount of funding
The amount of funding is determined by completing an assessment of the proposed project objectives, activities and budget, then negotiating with the recipient the exact required amount of funding in order to achieve the proposed project objective. The department will also ensure that the funding amount is appropriate.
There are often extra costs of living and travelling in northern or remote areas. Consideration will be given to the provision of additional funding for activities in these areas.
9. Maximum amount payable
The maximum amount payable to a recipient per project will not exceed $10 million.
10. Basis and timing for payment
Contributions will be made in accordance with Appendix K of the Directive on Transfer Payments on a fixed, flexible and block funding approach with timing of payments to be set out in the contribution agreement according to the approved workplan and budget.
Consistent with the objective of reducing the administrative burden on both recipients and the department, multi-year agreements to deliver stable and predictable funding to achieve the objectives of the program will be considered in accordance with the Policy on Transfer Payments.
11. Application requirements and assessment criteria
In order for the department to consider entering into an agreement, an eligible recipient must complete and submit an application that identifies the following:
- description of the applicant's name or representative organization and contact details
- description of the project or initiative and how it supports the objectives of the program
- detailed project plan listing all activities to be undertaken and planned deliverables
- list of targeted project outcomes
- detailed budget and if applicable, a cash flow statement
Additional documentation may be requested by the department to assess applicants for the purpose of determining eligibility and suitability to deliver on the objectives of the project.
Funding applications will be assessed against transparent and objective criteria set out in the program guidelines and in accordance with the Policy on Transfer Payments, associated directives and other applicable policy. If an application is not approved for funding, the response from the department will include an explanation for the decision.
11.1 Performance reporting
Performance information is required from recipients at minimum on an annual basis. To limit recipients' reporting burden, performance reporting could include a data collection form, a narrative report, and/or a video or oral presentation to report on activities, results and outcomes achieved. Recipient performance reporting requirements will be outlined in the projects' statement of work in the contribution agreement or related amendments.
Where applicable, performance information related to this authority may be reported publicly through departmental planning and reporting.
11.2 Performance measurement strategy
The program supports the achievement of departmental and government objectives by contributing to Indigenous peoples' capacity and supporting their vision of self-determination. More specifically, this contribution program aims to enhance Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations' capacity to identify their target communities' needs and priorities, and to effectively engage with federal entities in view of influencing federal policy, programs and legislation. These activities will ultimately contribute, among other outcomes, to "Violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people is reduced", as measured and reported by CIRNAC through the Horizontal Initiative on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ People Results Framework.
The performance of this funding program will be measured, at a minimum, with the following indicators. Additional performance measures may be developed and monitored in the future. Given that the primary recipients of this program are organisational entities, disaggregation of the current indicators by various socio-demographic characteristics is not feasible. Results will however be reported by Indigenous distinction.
| Outcomes | Indicators |
|---|---|
| Indigenous women’s and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations have the ability to effectively represent their communities |
|
| Federal departments and agencies have access to Culturally Competent Gender-Based Analysis Plus toolkits and guidance | Number of toolkits developed by national Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations provided to federal government |
| Indigenous Women’s and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations have the ability to engage with government entities regarding their communities’ priorities and interests, and/or to influence policy, programs and legislation | Percentage of funded Indigenous women’s and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations that report an increased ability to engage with their communities and government entities |
11.3 Transfer payment reporting requirements
The contribution contains provisions that outline the financial and non-financial reporting required from recipients. The level and frequency will vary depending on the contribution agreement.
Financial reporting requirements will be set out in the funding agreements and the frequency of reporting will be based on the recipient risk. At a minimum, contribution recipients are required to submit annual financial reports or financial audits that account for the use of funding in accordance with the terms of the funding agreement and the program terms and conditions.
12. Official languages
This program provides contribution funding that is dedicated to support Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations. The department will implement the program in accordance with the obligations of the Government of Canada as set out in Part IV of the Official Languages Act and in compliance with the Policy on Transfer Payments and related directives.
13. Intellectual property
Where a contribution is provided for the development of material in which copyright exists, intellectual property ownership will reside with the recipient. However, in the event the department wishes to use the intellectual property produced by a recipient, a clause outlining requirements will be included in the funding agreement.
14. Repayable contributions
Provisions for repayable contributions do not apply. Any contributions made to private firms under these programs are not intended to generate profits or to increase the value of a business.
15. Redistribution of contributions
As per the Directive on Transfer Payments, a recipient is defined as "…an entity that either has been authorized to receive a transfer payment or that has received that transfer payment." In this context, the department may provide contribution funding to recipients who in turn further distribute payments to one or more ultimate recipient(s) to conduct approved activities.
The recipient shall remain liable to the department for the performance of its obligations under the funding agreement. Neither the objectives of the program nor the expectations of transparent, fair and equitable services shall be compromised by any delegation or redistribution of contribution funding.
Recipients will have independence in the choice of those persons or entities to whom funds will be further distributed and will not be acting as an agent of the government in making distributions.
16. Terms and conditions effective date
These terms and conditions came into effect on April 1, 2024.
17. Other conditions
None.