Identify "N' Impact
GRANT Identify ‘N’ Impact (INI) was initiated through the advocacy efforts of the Toronto Youth Cabinet (TYC), the City of Toronto's official youth advocacy body, established in 1998 by the Toronto City Council.
Since 2006, the purpose of the Identify 'N' Impact (INI) Grant Program has been to:
- Help promote youth engagement and community safety in the City of Toronto
- Support youth to turn IDEAS into ACTION
- Support emerging (i.e. new, small, grassroots) youth-led groups
- Motivate and encourage MVP youth to become involved in their communities. MVP stands for Most Vulnerable People, and is the acronym used to describe "youth most vulnerable to involvement in serious violence and crime"
What Activities Are Eligible?
The INI grants support a by-youth-for-youth approach and work being done to address issues outlined in the Toronto Youth Equity Strategy (TYES). For more information on the Toronto Youth Equity Strategy and MVP youth, visit the website: www.toronto.ca/youth
All funded projects must work towards advancing one or more of the following priorities to be eligible to apply:
- community safety and violence prevention
- civic engagement*
- mental health and wellbeing
- skills development
- increasing access to educational attainment
- youth-friendly spaces
- arts
*Note: Political activity is not eligible for funding. Civic education, leadership and volunteer training, advocacy on youth issues and policy changes are eligible activities.
Project proposals will be given priority if they:
- Work with and/or engage MVP youth (youth most vulnerable to involvement in serious violence and crime), or focus specifically on Indigenous, Black, and/or 2SLGBTQ+ youth
- Involve youth from/and or based in one of the 33 Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (NIAs) and/or one of the 10 Emerging Neighbourhoods in the City of Toronto.
Tip: Use the Find Your Neighbourhood tool here to find out which neighbourhood you live in or are offering your project activities. Filter results in the search to see the Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (NIAs).
Who is Eligible to Apply?
INI was developed to support emerging (i.e. new, small, grassroots) youth-led groups. Your group is eligible to apply if it:
- Is youth-led and includes at least three or more youth, ages 15 to 29 years old
- Is based in Toronto
- Is a not-for-profit proposing project activities that will run in Toronto only Unless specifically for Indigenous-based cultural activities outside of Toronto as per the City of Toronto Grants Policy
For the INI grant program, a group is considered "youth-led" if the following criteria are met:
- A majority of the group's leaders are youth between the ages of 15 to 29 years old.
- The group makes decisions about its activities independent of any other community organization.
- Youth are the leaders in the project planning/design, management and delivery.
Youth Committees/Groups of Non-Profit Organizations:
A youth committee or initiative of a non-profit organization can apply if it is the applicant group. Youth must write the application, plan the project and make the project happen. Adult-led non-profit organizations cannot apply on behalf of a youth committee or initiative.
Youth Committees/Groups of Religious Organizations:
- A youth committee or group of a religious organization can apply if it meets the criteria above for being youth-led and clearly shows a separation between religious activities and community activities.
- Project activities must be open and accessible to youth outside of the religious group's participants.
- Project activities cannot include any religious content.
Youth-led Groups that are not incorporated:
- Youth-led groups that are not incorporated and do not have audited financial statements can still apply for INI funding.
- If recommended for funding, your group will need to work with an Organizational Mentor (OM), also referred to as a trustee or administrative partner. Groups will be provided with a list of potential Organizational Mentors to choose from. Funded groups are also able to work with an existing trustee, as long as the City of Toronto's trusteeship requirements are met.
What is an Organizational Mentor (also referred to as a trustee)?
- An Organizational Mentor (OM) is a non-profit or charitable organization that works with you to provide the financial and management support needed for the project to succeed.
- OM's are able to provide coaching, training, and templates to help strengthen your project's effectiveness and project delivery.
- The OM provides financial accountability for the funding if a group does not have the financial systems or organizational structure to do so.
- The OM will provide insurance coverage for the project activities.
- All successful grant applicants will need to secure an OM before the funded project activities can begin. The City‘s INI grants staff will provide you with guidance on this.
- The OM may charge a fee of up to 20% of the total grant amount to provide these services
Role of Adult Allies in Supporting INI-Funded Groups
Adult allies (e.g. Elders, community workers, mentors, residents, agency staff, etc.) and/or community organizations led by adults can support youth-led groups and INI-funded projects as advisors, mentors, coaches, partners, and collaborators; by providing in-kind support (e.g. space for meetings); and/or by filling the role of an organizational mentor. Youth-led groups are encouraged to develop relationships with other community groups, including adult-led organizations.
Adult allies should not run INI projects or tell youth how to run their projects.
Adult allies can support youth leaders as they develop and strengthen planning, coordination, team building, and leadership skills.
Who is NOT eligible to apply?
- Individuals
- Projects led by youth who live outside of Toronto
- Adult-led organizations
- Foundations
- Registered businesses or other for-profit groups
Grant Funding Amounts
How much can our youth-led group apply for? INI project budget: Youth-led groups can apply for up to $17,000 for youth to lead and deliver INI projects from November 1, 2024 – September 1, 2025.
Additional funds may be available to support deaf individuals or people with disabilities to lead and/or participate in your project, as follows:
Your group can also apply for up to $2,000 in additional project funds to support youth leaders and/or members of your group and/or project participants who are deaf and/or living with disabilities to lead and/or participate in your INI project.
To apply for these additional funds, applicants must complete extra questions in the grant application form. Some examples of eligible costs you can apply for to support the participation of deaf and/or individuals living with disabilities in your project can include the following:
- American Sign Language (ALS) interpretation
- Audio description
- Closed captioning
- Communication assistance
- Attendant care
- Support worker(s)
- Assistive devise equipment rentals
Closing Date for Applications is: 5:00 p.m., Thursday 15th August 2024
