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Objective 

This project aims to provide additional support to the grantees of the 2024-2026 Collective Fund for Social Equity, with a focus on the well-being of their members. Only those recipients are eligible to receive financial assistance as part of this program, in the following areas :

  • Organizational development;
  • Learning about the ecosystem;
  • Collaborations;
  • Long-term viability of organisations ;
  • Implementation of policies on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) and anti-oppressive practices.

In numerous discussions, organizations and activists have expressed their concerns about the unstable conditions and widespread burnout within the sector. In response, FGM emphasizes an anti-oppressive approach to capacity building. This approach aims to enhance organizational capacity and create equitable, empowering working conditions where individuals can thrive.

Total Project Budget: $230,000 for the years 2025 and 2026, divided into two streams.

Stream 1 – Capacity Enhancement

Terms and Conditions
  • Total budget of $180,000, i.e., $90,000 per year (2025 and 2026).
  • Maximum amount of $5,000 per year per organization.
  • Any organization that is part of the grantee  cohort of the 2024-2026 Collective Fund for Social Equity may apply.
  • Priority will be given to emerging organizations, those without recurring funding, or those who do not have access to capacity building programs offered by other funders.
  • If the amount requested exceeds the available budget, priority will be determined by the FGM’s Community Engagement team based on the following criteria:
    • Alignment with the project’s funding priorities;
    • Overall organizational capacity;
    • Potential access to other funding sources for the same type of support;
    • Impact of the project on the organization’s sustainability.
  • For registered charities, granted amounts will be paid directly to the grantees .
  • For organizations without a charity number, the amounts will be paid to the service provider upon presentation of an invoice (note that the invoice must be issued in FGM’s name).
  • Funding can be used for external support chosen by the organization (training, workshops, or implementation of processes within the organization based on the projects and themes described below).
Supported Projects and Themes
  • Support for structuring and incorporation (bylaws, registration with the Canada Revenue Agency, other registrations, etc.);
  • Organizational development (governance, strategic planning, management and leadership structures);
  • Support for the sustainability of the organization (financial management, fundraising, digital transition, communication strategy, etc.);
  • Engagement of community members and beneficiaries in the organization’s structuring and decision-making (establishing direct democracy structures within the organization, organizing participatory design sessions and compensating participants, training and capacity building for beneficiaries to participate in decision-making);
  • Support and training on justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility  approaches and anti-oppressive policies (anti-racism, anti-oppression, trauma-informed approaches, healing-centered approaches, feminist approaches, decolonial approaches, disability-centered approaches     , etc.);
  • Measures to reduce burnout and promote the holistic well-being of leaders, employees, volunteers, and activists (training on trauma-informed and healing-centered approaches, creative therapy workshops, conflict management and transformation, etc.)
Application Process for Stream 1
  • Organizations are invited to submit a support request by completing a short online form.
  • If an organization has identified a need for capacity building but does not yet know a suitable service provider, it is invited to share their requirements with FGM and discuss it with their FGM contact person (Marie-Andrée Farmer or Vira Kovalova) to explore possible support options.
  • The application can be submitted at any time between January 1st and December 31st, 2025, for the year 2025, and between January 1st and December 31st, 2026, for the year 2026. Applications will be evaluated by FGM on an ongoing basis and based on available funding.
  • If mutiple organizations express a similar need, the FGM team will attempt to connect them or identify  a service provider to facilitate shared support.
Follow-up and Reporting
  • The follow-up on capacity building projects will be conducted alongside the regular monitoring carried out by the FGM team as part of the Collective Fund for Social Equity.

Stream 2 – Fund dedicated to knowledge sharing and exchange

Terms and Conditions
  • Total budget of $50,000 over two years (2025-2026) to support events, thematic meetings, and the exchange of skills among the Fund’s grantees .
  • Funding may be used to cover organizational costs, honorariums, accessibility (simultaneous translation, LSQ or ASL interpretation, etc.), or participation fees for third-party events.
  • Particular attention will be given to facilitating the participation of individuals who are typically excluded from skill-building opportunities, as well as those with lived experience related to the priority issues of the Collective Fund for Social Equity (frontline workers, volunteers, members or beneficiaries of organizations, etc.).
Supported Opportunities
  • Collective meetings between grantees
  • Knowledge sharing and exchange events (meetings and presentations led by recipient organizations in their field of expertise).
  • Workshops or group training sessions that address needs identified by multiple organizations in the cohort.
  • Participation of the members of organizations (employees, volunteers, leadership, beneficiaries) in third-party events related to the issues supported by the Collective Fund for Social Equity, subject to available funding.
Prioritization Process for Stream 2
  • The FGM team will send a short survey to the Fund’s grantees to identify their interests and the skills they wish to acquire or share with others. The selection of themes, as well as the schedule of events and exchanges, will be determined based on the responses received and will be communicated to all organizations.
  • Participation in events is optional, depending on the availability and interests of each individual.
  • Organizations that share their expertise at events will receive an honorarium of $1,000.
  • If the organization wishes to receive funding  for participating in a third-party event, it can submit a request by email to its contact person at FGM. Support will be subject to the availability of funds.
  • If the organization wishes to facilitate access to an event organized as part of the capacity building project of the Collective Fund for Social Equity or a third-party event for individuals who are usually excluded from capacity building opportunities (particularly volunteers and members or beneficiaries), it can submit a request by email to its contact person at FGM, specifying the required support (participation fees, travel expenses, participation honorariums, etc.).
  • Some events organized as part of the capacity building project (knowledge sharing sessions led by organizations, workshops, or group training) will be open to organizations that are not supported by the Fund. Grantees will have an opportunity  to share invitations with their community partners.
  • A survey will be conducted annually to assess the relevance of events based on the needs of the organizations.

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