Call for proposals: Community Support and Healing for Families Initiative

On this page

• Overview
• Project criteria
• How to apply
• Contact information

Overview

The Federal Victims Strategy (FVS) is a horizontal initiative led by the Department of Justice Canada that seeks to improve access to justice for victims of crime and give victims a more effective voice in the criminal justice system.

The Victims Fund, a component of the FVS, provides grants and contributions to support projects and activities that encourage the development of new approaches, promote access to justice, improve the capacity of service providers, foster the establishment of referral networks, and increase awareness of services available to victims of crime and their families.

Since 2016, The Community Support and Healing for Families (CSHF) Initiative has supported Indigenous community organizations across Canada to design and deliver culturally grounded, community-based initiatives and activities that provide direct support and assistance to family members of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Plus (2SLGBTQI+) people, specifically to assist them with the grief and trauma of their loss.

Examples of community-based supports provided through the Community Support and Healing for Families Initiative

Indigenous community-based organizations have undertaken a wide range of activities to support families. Projects are designed to meet the unique needs of the community in which the organization is located and/or the clients they provide services for, by ensuring culturally responsive services that are trauma-informed and grounded in, or informed by, the various cultures of the families they seek to support.

Family-centered activities may include:

• Healing circles
• Sharing circles
• Cultural ceremonies and sweats
• Learning events and family-centred workshops
• Land-based healing events
• Family gatherings
• Community events at sacred sites
• Individual and group counselling with Elders, or Western-based counsellors

Funding to support these activities can be used for such things as (but not limited to):

• organizing healing events for families of missing or murdered Indigenous people, including specialized supports for women, men, children, youth and 2SLGBTQI+ people
• undertaking strategic planning, research or consultations on community gaps for families of missing and murdered Indigenous people and how to fill them (aligned with the CSHF initiative objectives)
• partnership building to increase capacity to support families that are current clients, or to prepare to work with new communities or families

Funding is available for one-time activities as well as longer-term activities, depending on the applicant’s mandate, capacity and priorities for assisting families.

Project criteria

Budget 2023 included increased funding to the CSHF initiative to allow more community organizations to deliver supports and services to support families of missing and murdered Indigenous people, including men and boys. Funding for these activities helps fill gaps where needs are high, building on the work of Indigenous organizations and specialized victim services programs.

Funding is linked to the following Victims Fund objectives:

1. to enhance victim assistance programs across Canada
2. to promote access to justice and participation in the justice system and the development of law, policies and programs
3. to promote the implementation of principles, guidelines and laws designed to address the needs of victims of crime and articulate their role in the criminal justice system
4. to contribute to increased knowledge and awareness of the impact of victimization, the needs of victims of crime, available services, assistance and programs and legislation
5. to promote, encourage and enhance governmental and non-governmental organizations’ (NGOs) involvement in the identification of victim needs and gaps in services and in the development and delivery of programs, services and assistance to victims, including capacity building within NGOs

Eligibility

Funding is available to Indigenous agencies, organizations, local and regional governments, and for Indigenous-led initiatives in NGOs working to provide services and assistance to families of missing and murdered Indigenous people.

Examples of eligible and ineligible expenses

The following are typically considered eligible for funding:

• salaries and wages of individuals, including employee benefits (excludes federal government employees)
• honoraria
• culturally appropriate costs, including gifts and community feasts or meals
• travel, accommodation, meals and incidentals, childcare, dependent care (consistent with the National Joint Council Travel Directive)
• the costs of rental or leasing, or both, of meeting and conference facilities
• services provided under contract with a private contractor or consultant or community-based organization
• all reasonable operating expenses including, but not limited to, office supplies, printing, publishing, distribution, promotion, rent, utilities, telephone, insurance, computer service rentals and minor capital expenses (such as computers, laptops, computer software, computer repair and maintenance)
• contracting for the audit requirements of the contribution agreement
• other costs that are consistent with the objectives of the project or activity, such as training, evaluations, registration fees, etc.
• translation of materials
• administrative expenses (which should be limited to no more than 15% of the total project or activity cost)

Ineligible expenses include the following:

• Capital expenses (particularly purchases of land, buildings and vehicles)
• Retroactive funding
• Expenses related to fundraising activities
• Entertainment fees, alcohol, sponsorships, thesis-related activities, contests, gifts and souvenirs

Funding availability

The level of funding will vary from project to project, based on the nature of the proposed activities with a maximum of $150K per year.

Project length

The length of the project will depend on the initiative, activities and budget proposed, up to a maximum of 5 years.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus

Justice Canada is dedicated to ensuring that its activities align with the Government of Canada’s commitments to Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus). Projects should apply GBA Plus and ensure that work considers and reflects the diverse needs of different groups of people.

GBA Plus helps to ensure that projects are responsive, inclusive and reflective of diverse experiences and realities in order to address inequities and barriers. Learn more about key steps for applying GBA Plus here.

How to apply

To apply for funding, please request a Word version of the application form by contacting: pb-dgp@justice.gc.ca. A minimum of 2 letters of support from partner or community organizations are required to be submitted with your application.

An information session will be available on November 3rd, at 1:30 pm EST to provide an overview and to answer any questions regarding the funding and the application process. Please email pb-dgp@justice.gc.ca if you would like to attend and we will provide the link to the session.

Please note that Justice Canada encourages Indigenous language needs be included in proposed project applications.

Deadline to submit your application

The deadline to submit applications under this call for proposals is 12:00 pm PST on December 13, 2023.

Starting your project

Successful applicants will be able to begin their projects following notification of approval, no earlier than April 1, 2024.

What to expect from a funding agreement

The following guide is designed as a reference tool to help funding recipients better understand and comply with the financial requirements described in contribution agreements:

• Contribution Funds for Non-governmental Organizations - a Handbook

It is recommended that recipients review this handbook at the onset of their funding agreement.

Official languages

In support of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act, the Department is committed to facilitating the participation of official language minority communities and their organizations in the development and assessment of the Department's policies, programs and services having significant impact on the development of the communities; and to take measures to ensure that the Department of Justice's programs and services reach official language minority communities. In the context of project funding, these measures include:

• outreach to official language minority communities to enhance their understanding of the Department of Justice funding programs
• encouraging contacts between organizations that are receiving financial assistance and official language minority organizations or groups to ensure that the needs of these communities are taken into consideration in relation to the proposed projects to be considered for Department of Justice Canada funding

Please note that Justice Canada encourages Indigenous languages needs be included in proposed project applications.

Contact information

For more information about the CSHF Initiative and how to apply for funding, please contact:

Victims Fund Manager
Programs Branch
Department of Justice Canada
284 Wellington Street, 6th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H8
Telephone: 613-941-4193
E-mail: pb-dgp@justice.gc.ca