Support for Indigenous Victims of Crime Initiative: Call for Proposals

On this page:

• Overview
• Project criteria
• Eligibility
• How to apply
• Other considerations
• 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/or increase awareness of services available to victims of crime and their families.

Through Budget 2023, the Government of Canada provided $8 million annually on an ongoing basis to enhance the availability and accessibility of services and supports for Indigenous victims and survivors of crime.

Project Criteria

The “Supporting Indigenous Victims of Crime” (SIVC) initiative is intended to advance a wide range of projects and activities to increase support and assistance for Indigenous people who are victims and survivors of crime. Projects supported through this funding are intended to improve access to justice for Indigenous victims of crime through the design and delivery of victim supports and victim services, as well as through strengthened partnerships and activities to improve the experiences of Indigenous victims and survivors when in contact with the criminal justice system.

The key objectives of the SIVC funding are to:

1. Increase access to Indigenous-led, culturally safe, survivor-centred services and supports, at the community level, for Indigenous people who are victims and survivors of crime (including those who report the crime and those who do not); and
2. Support and strengthen partnerships between Indigenous agencies, all levels of government, and various justice agencies to identify and design actions, practices and initiatives within the justice system (including policing, courts, and victim services) to reduce the harm that Indigenous victims and survivors experience in the system while strengthening victims’ rights.

Project activities can focus on specific actions and activities that:

• address a wide range of harm, violence, and crime (e.g., family violence, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and violence, and elder abuse);
• increase support for those who report/engage the criminal justice system as well as for those who choose not to report harm;
• increase support for victims of any age group and gender;
• increase or strengthen partnerships among community agencies to address the root causes of violence and victimization; and
• increase or strengthen partnerships among criminal justice agencies to address systemic issues and/or to improve support to victims.

Project activities must include:

• Victims-centred approaches; and
• Indigenous-led or jointly led activities

Examples of activities that could be supported through the SIVC initiative

The launch of the SIVC initiative is expected to increase access to justice through Indigenous led and jointly led actions and initiatives in support of Indigenous women, men, children and 2SLGBTQI+ people who have been harmed by crime and violence.

This funding will advance a wide range of activities that increase access to Indigenous-led, culturally safe, survivor-centred services, supports and activities. These can take many forms reflecting community need, the nature of partnerships in place and community agency capacity.

Some examples of activities could include:

• Community dialogue or consultation on how to meet victims’ needs at the community level (such as strategic planning, research or consultations on community gaps and experiences of violence and harm);
• Design and delivery of new or enhanced services for victims in the community (such as community-led supports and services, liaison positions, specialized services for children, youth, men, 2SLGBTQI+ people, victims of certain forms of violence or crime, specialized supports for victims who choose not to report the harm);
• Healing events for victims and those affected in the community (such as healing circles, sharing circles, cultural ceremonies/sweats and land-based healing events);
• Creating opportunities for groups and agencies to strengthen or build partnerships at the community level or within relevant agencies or systems to increase responsiveness to the needs of Indigenous victims and survivors of crime;
• Develop new training, or deliver existing training on the needs of victims of crime, for criminal justice professionals or for community agencies;
• Awareness raising activities;
• Focused research and data collection;
• Knowledge exchanges and symposiums on emerging victim issues, ways to address the barriers that Indigenous victims and survivors experience in the criminal justice system, and good practices / effective interventions; or
• Other actions identified by community organizations to increase support and assistance to victims of crime.

Many key areas for action have been outlined in commissions and reports to address the systemic and intersecting issues that create further harm for Indigenous people who have been victims of crime and are in contact with the justice system. To enhance efforts in this area, funding is available to support collaboration between Indigenous community agencies and governments and officials responsible for the criminal justice system to identify, prioritize, or jointly lead actions and ways forward to better meet the needs of Indigenous victims of crime throughout the various stages of the criminal justice system, including policing, victim services, courts, and corrections. Activities to meet this objective may include, but are not limited to:

• Dialogue or consultation within the victim and survivor community on where systemic changes are needed;
• Dialogue between Indigenous community organizations, governments, and justice sector agencies (as well as other sectors) to improve the experiences of Indigenous victims of crime within those systems;
• Outlining priority activities to address the systemic racism, barriers, and harm that Indigenous peoples who have been victims of crime and violence experience when engaged in the criminal justice system.
• Dialogue between Indigenous community organizations, governments, and justice sector agencies on options to guide new victim focussed policy initiatives, procedures or directives, and training. This could include outlining priority activities to address the systemic racism, barriers, and harm that Indigenous peoples who have been victims of crime and violence experience when engaged in the criminal justice system. This can be followed by implementation or action on any of the above-listed actions.

Eligibility

Funding is available to:

• bands and tribal councils and self-governing First Nations who are working to provide services and assistance to victims of crime in Indigenous communities (on-reserve), including Indigenous women, youth, Elders, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQI+ persons;
• Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) organisations and agencies in urban areas who are working to provide services and assistance to victims of crime (off-reserve) including Indigenous women, youth, Elders, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQI+ persons;
• not-for-profit non-governmental organizations*, including shelters, sexual assault centres, and other victim service organizations working in partnership with Indigenous agencies and organizations;
• municipal or regional government or agency working in partnership with Indigenous governments, agencies or organizations; and
• provincial and territorial governments working directly with Indigenous governments, agencies or organizations

* Non-Indigenous community and regional organizations and agencies seeking to access this funding are welcome to submit an application. In assessing these proposals, Justice Canada will seek confirmation of the applicant’s partnerships and capacity to ensure that the work is adequately Indigenous-supported. Proposals from non-Indigenous organizations must illustrate how Indigenous partners within the community they propose to serve support the project and will be involved in the planning, design and/or delivery of the proposed activities. Non-Indigenous applicants will also be asked to demonstrate measures they have put in place to support the process of decolonizing their agency’s policies and practices to increase accessibility for Indigenous community members (e.g. reconciliation plan integrated into the organization’s work, cultural safety committees, and/or Indigenous individuals designing and delivering the activities proposed). Justice Canada will also be seeking confirmation that there are no Indigenous-led equivalent organizations in that area that have the capacity to undertake the project objectives.

Definitions:

The funding is intended to support Indigenous-led and jointly led activities and initiatives that help Indigenous victims of crime and survivors of violence across Canada.

Indigenous-led activities and services are those designed and delivered by an Indigenous community agency, organizations or government.

Jointly led activities and services are those designed and delivered in partnership between Indigenous agencies, governments, organizations and non-Indigenous agencies, governments and organizations, working together in equal partnership to develop and advance common objectives. Jointly led activities are a key method for achieving institutional and systemic change, when activities are grounded in formal provincial and territorial victim services or criminal justice system agencies or legislation (i.e., Indigenous victim support workers, police liaisons, court-based support, policy and operational practices, delivery of training, partnership building. etc.).

Examples of Eligible and Ineligible Expenses

The following are typically considered eligible cost necessary to project delivery:

• salaries and wages of individuals (including Elders and Wisdom or Knowledge Keepers) which would include employee benefits (excludes federal government employees)
• honoraria
• culturally appropriate costs, including gifts, traditional medicines 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
• Thesis-related activities

Funding Availability

The level of funding will vary from project to project, based on the nature of the proposed activities. The maximum is $200,000 annually.

Project Length

Funding is available for one-time activities and activities that are multi-year.

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

How to Apply

To apply for funding, please request a Word version of the application form by contacting: pb-dgp@justice.gc.ca. If a jointly led project is being proposed by a non-Indigenous organisation, a minimum of 2 letters of support from partner or community organizations must be submitted with the application. Depending on the nature of the proposed activities, officials may request further information about partnerships and seek additional letters of support.

Deadline to Submit Application

The deadline to submit applications under this call for proposals is October 4, 2024.

Please note that we encourage you to submit your proposal once it is ready and not wait until the deadline to submit.

Once submitted, within 7 calendar days you will receive an acknowledgement of your funding application. If you do not receive this, please contact the Programs Branch by phone at 613-941-4193.

Starting Your Project

Successful applicants will be able to begin their projects following notification of approval.

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.

Other considerations

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 to address inequities and barriers. Learn more about key steps for applying GBA Plus here.

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 SIVC 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