Youth Organizing Program

YOUTH ORGANIZING (YO) PROGRAM

OVERVIEW

Young people have ideas and strategies for addressing issues and solving problems in their own lives, communities and broader society. The Laidlaw Foundation supports young people directly to organize projects and initiatives that address issues that concern and inspire them.

We are committed to supporting youth-led initiatives because we believe:

·         Engaged young people are a cornerstone of a healthy and inclusive society.

·         Young people are knowledgeable about what is working and not working for their peers, families and communities.

·         Young people draw on lived experience that allows them to create healthier places and spaces. When given the chance, youth innovate and experiment with strategies that can be effective at transforming society and challenging institutions and structures to be more inclusive.

·         All young people need multiple opportunities to identify their talents and be supported to use and evolve these talents and passions to positively affect communities and broader society.

·         Social change is a process that everyone is involved in and young people are leaders in their communities right now.

BACKGROUND

Youth Organizing is a process where young people come together with their peers, supportive allies and/or partners to tackle issues that have an impact on personal and community health. Youth Organizing takes on different forms based on the experiences, priorities and strategies being used by young people and their allies.

Drawing from their experiences of what affects the health and well-being of young people and communities, some examples of approaches that the Foundation’s youth-led partners are taking include:

·         Youth-led collectives that support organizational and personal change work to be more inclusive, accessible and safe for young people.

·         Youth-led strategies that create empowering educational spaces that enable personal discovery, challenge systemic oppressions, support critical reflection on society and explore diverse histories/herstories

·         Youth-led strategies that create opportunities for young people involved in the criminal justice system to access peers, mentors, educational opportunities and other resources

·         Youth-led collectives that create supports for young people who have experienced insecure housing and homelessness

·         Youth-led strategies that create accessible opportunities for young people to develop their creative and artistic practices.

For examples of specific projects and groups being supported by the Foundation, please see The Laidlaw Foundation’s Annual Reports.

FUNDING:

The Foundation offers funding and other supports to youth-led groups that have ideas and strategies for tackling issues that affect communities and broader society.

WHO CAN APPLY:

Youth-led groups, (youth identified as generally between 14-25 years old)

·         Located within the Greater Golden Horseshoe of Ontario (click here for a description).

·         With charitable status or partnering with an organization that has charitable status and whose purposes are consistent with your work. If you want to apply, but you are not a registered charity, please contact the Foundation.

TYPES OF FUNDING AVAILABLE:

The Foundation will support youth-led groups through:

YO INITIATIVE GRANTS

Amount of funding available: $10 000-$25 000

Duration: generally 12-18 months of activities

Description: YO Initiative grants support youth-led groups to implement a specific project they have developed; to focus on strengthening their group/organizational capacity; to develop collaborations, partnerships and networks.  In general, 12-20 initiative grants are made each year.

YO MULTI-YEAR GRANTS:

Amounts: up to $50 000 per year

Duration: up to 3 years

Description: YO Multi-Year grants support core operating and capacity strengthening within youth-led groups. In order for a group to be eligible for multi-year funding there must be a history of partnering with the Foundation and the group must have received a previous grant.  In general, 2-3 multi-year grants are made each year.

DEADLINES:

WHAT WE FUND:

We will support projects that have the following characteristics:

·         Youth-led initiatives: where young people identify issues they are passionate about, that affect them and their community and where young people are developing the proposals and will take a lead to make the activities happen

·         Strategies that are grounded in the lived experiences of young people and where the group who develops the strategies is clearly connected to the issues is working to address

·         Strategies that provide hands-on, experiential opportunities to enhance leadership, organizing skills and knowledge 

·         Projects that connect to partners and networks so the group does not have to work in isolation

·         Proposals which have clear and realistic plans for making the project happen.

WHAT WE DO NOT FUND:

As a rule, grants are NOT MADE toward the following:

·         Projects outside of Canada

·         Local projects outside of Ontario

·         Fundraising campaigns, dinners, benefits, endowments, sponsorships, emergency funding or other special events

·         One-time or annual conferences, events or workshops

·         Building/capital campaigns, renovations, furnishings, vehicles or other acquisitions

·         Deficit reduction programs

·         Non-secular and faith-based activities

·         Scholarships or bursaries (other than those initiated by the Foundation)

·         Personal appeals for financial support

·         Retroactive requests for projects already completed.

Also, in general the Foundation is not able to fund:

·         Campus-based or school-based groups and/or in-school programming

·         Youth Advisory Committees to non-youth-led organizations; summer camps or youth programs of organizations