The Youth Action Fund (YAF), as informed by our Strategic Plan, offers grants to grassroots initiatives working with youth who are underserved by the education system and overrepresented in the justice and child welfare systems. The development of this fund was guided by a series of consultations with experts and advocates in the field.

More specifically, the Youth Action Fund grants are for grassroot initiatives to develop and lead projects where they:

• Elevate priorities and voices of youth with lived experiences in the identified systems

• Promote equitable and accountable institutions and systems

• Advocate for evidence-based policy

• Support initiatives working on, or, advocating for prevention, early intervention, and crisis intervention

• Support initiatives that are led and informed by Black and/or Indigenous youth with community buy-in

• Initiatives must be Ontario-based
• Initiatives must demonstrate youth leadership (30 inclusive and under)
• Initiatives by Black and/or Indigenous youth must be led by Black and/or Indigenous youth, respectively
• Initiatives must address issues impacting Black and/or Indigenous youth in at least one of these three systems: Child Welfare, Criminal Justice, and/or Education
• Applicants must be grassroots groups, nonprofits, charities, or First Nations band

Priority will be given, but not limited to:

• Initiatives by and for Black and/or Indigenous youth that have lived experience with at least one or more of these systems: justice, child welfare, and education
• Initiatives that are Black youth-led and/or Indigenous youth-led
• Initiatives that take on a youth-centred approach
• Projects working to combat systemic racism and discrimination presented across all three systems
• Initiatives that connect services and advocacy across all three systems
• Projects that promote or develop better practices for supporting youth disadvantaged by the justice, education and child welfare
• Initiatives that work towards and advocate for systemic changes in at least one of the three systems: child welfare, education, and criminal justice

Initiatives must be:

• Led and informed by young people supporting youth leadership (30 inclusive and under)

• Ontario-based

• Group should be a Charity, Nonprofit, or Grassroots

• Based within the communities they are serving and/or with a proven history of working with the communities they identify

• Distant programming with First Nations must be welcomed by invitation and/or in partnership with the youth and supported by their community-based allies

The Youth Action Fund provides operating and project grants to organizations and initiatives working in Ontario. Groups can request up to $100,000 per year for up to three years.

The Youth Action Fund provides operating and project grants to organizations and initiatives working in Ontario. In general, groups can request up to $100,000 per year for up to three years.

• Salaries, honoraria, stipends
• Transportation, food, childcare and other expenses that make project activities accessible to young people and other stakeholders
• Project materials and small equipment/technology as long as it is directly related to the project administrative costs associated with the project

As a general rule, we are unable to fund:

• Fundraising campaigns

• Capital projects

• Direct financial support to for-profit enterprises

• Endowments

• Sponsorship of events and conferences

• Ongoing operating expenses unrelated to the proposed project

• Projects involving partisan political activities

• Projects involving strictly religious purposes or activities

• Projects outside of Ontario

Note: If there are any expenses you would like to include that are outside the eligibility criteria, please let us know and the Grant Committee will review and make a decision.

Overview of the Fund

Through the Indigenous Youth & Community Futures Fund (IYCFF), we invest in opportunities for Indigenous youth to connect with their land, languages and cultures, and each other. We want to support change-makers to engage in acts of decolonization, nation and community building and cultural resurgence.

More specifically, the IYCFF grants are for Indigenous youth to develop and lead projects where they:

• learn about and are immersed in their lands, languages, rights, laws and cultures

• participate in acts of resurgence, reclamation and cultural care

• build relationships within and across diverse Indigenous communities and nations

• address environmental racism and promote sustainable relationships with the land and water.

This funding call is open to Indigenous youth-led groups based in remote, rural, and urban territories across Ontario. This means the organization, project leads, and project activities must all be located within Ontario.

A youth-led group is defined as a project developed and led by at least two Indigenous young people, 35 years of age or under. We welcome the involvement of adult allies, community members, Elders, and knowledge keepers in supportive roles, as long as the project idea originates from and is led by Indigenous youth.

We are committed to inclusivity and strongly encourage applications from First Nations, Métis, Inuit, Afro-Indigenous, 2SLGBTQ+, and disabled young people.

Please note that Laidlaw Foundation is able to support grassroots groups. However all successful applicants who are not part of a registered nonprofit, charity, or First Nation band office must partner with an Organizational Mentor (OM) to receive funding. Laidlaw can assist unincorporated groups in finding an OM.

Projects could include:

• Land-based learning opportunities and land stewardship like seed planting, community gardens, harvesting, etc.

• Environmental justice initiatives such as climate action, and Indigenous land and water protection

• Language immersion opportunities

• Culture camps or culture-based education that includes ceremonies, medicines, arts, and sciences

• Social justice, law and rights-based education

• Healing, life promotion and community building

• Other projects that communities deem important to support decolonization reconciliation, nation-building and cultural resurgence

You can apply for up to $30,000 for small-scale projects that can last between 6 to 12 months. Please note that due to the number of applications we receive and the limited funds available, grants awarded may be smaller than the amount requested.

If your group was a past 1-year IYCFF grantee, you may apply for a maximum of $30,000 per year for up to two years, for a maximum total of $60,000. However, first-time IYCFF applicants, or those who have not successfully completed a one-year project, may only apply for a one-year grant, with a maximum amount of up to $30,000.

You can apply for funding to cover:

• Expenses associated with project activities and project materials

• Administrative costs (up to 5%)

• Small equipment and technical costs or fees to carry out the proposed project

• Transportation, food, and childcare expenses for project staff and participants

• Salaries and honorariums for Youth Staff, Elders, Knowledge Keepers and Facilitators

(Please contact us If you’re not sure whether the expenses you anticipate would be eligible for funding or not)

As a general rule, we are unable to fund:

• Purchase of land or real estate

• Capital expenses for immovable assets, i.e. buildings

• Fundraising campaigns

• Endowments

• Scholarship and bursaries

• Direct financial support to for-profit enterprises

• Cultural tourism and participating in powwow competitions (as opposed to hosting a powwow)

• Projects involving partisan political activities

• Projects involving strictly religious purposes or activities. Please note that we do not consider Indigenous ceremonies to be religious purposes.

• Salaries for non youth led organization and groups

Laidlaw Foundation will begin accepting applications for IYCFF on January 19, 2026, with a deadline of March 5, 2026 at 5pm EST.

Laidlaw Foundation is hosting a virtual information sessions on the following date:

Tuesday, February 17th at 12:00 PM EST: To register, please click here.

If you were unable to attend the information session you can check out the recording from 2025 by clicking here.

To Apply

1. Review the Indigenous Youth and Community Futures Fund Guidelines to determine if you meet the eligibility criteria.

2. Create an account on our online grant management portal to access the application form.

Applicants with Limited Internet Access

Applications are submitted in writing through our online portal; however, if submitting your application through the online portal is not a possibility due to inadequate internet access, please see below for a link to the application in Word.

Here is the link to the Word version of the application.

Please share the completed application to abernard@laidlawfdn.org

An Organizational Mentor (OM) is a charitable organization, nonprofit or First Nation band office that provides support to newly incorporated, unincorporated grassroots groups and youth-led initiatives. This support may include administrative assistance, project mentoring, governance guidance, and financial oversight.

An OM offers more than a transactional role, they can provide ongoing support throughout your project. All OMs must be located in Ontario, Canada.  To learn more about OM services, please review our Organizational Mentor Booklet.

Who can apply for grants through the Indigenous Youth Community and Futures Fund?

The IYCFF program supports Indigenous, youth-led groups that are based in traditional territories spanning Ontario. This means the organization, project leads and project activities should be located in Ontario. We acknowledge the hard work of adults, aunties, uncles and other older community members, however the application will be stronger if coming directly from the youth.

What’s an Indigenous, youth-led group?

Young people, who identify as Indigenous Peoples, came up with the project idea and will lead the project with community mentors and/or Elders playing supportive roles as needed and defined by youth. Youth-led is intergenerational, as often there are members older or younger that play important roles in the work. The key thing is that Indigenous, young people under the age of 35 are at the core of decision-making and leadership.

Can an unincorporated group apply for a grant?

We welcome applications from unincorporated groups.

We are a social enterprise/ a for-profit business, can we get funded?

No. We do not fund for profit entities. Additionally, we do not fund initiatives that come with a cost to the participants or activities that could generate profit (e.g., markets with vendors, event fee, program fee, etc.)

Why am I being asked to provide proof of my First Nation/Métis/Inuit Citizenship?

To protect Indigenous grantees and ensure equal access, we require proof of Indigenous identity for the youth leads on the project only. Not everyone involved in the project needs to provide ID.

If you do not have a copy of your status card or Métis membership or Inuit beneficiary card, please upload a letter from your First Nation or community or Indigenous organization confirming your connection.

We understand that the Foundation will not fund capital expenditures. Is computer equipment considered to be capital expenditures?

We will not fund capital expenditures for immovable assets (i.e., buildings, furniture, infrastructure, etc.). Small equipment including tech equipment relevant to the project could be included in the budget.

What are the IYCFF grants designed to support?

The IYCFF grants are for projects that provide opportunities for Indigenous young people to increase or regain access to their culture, land and languages; strengthen and deepen relationship building within and across diverse Indigenous people and communities; address environmental racism and promote sustainable relationships with the land and water and support the transmission of cultural practices and knowledge to future generations. Some examples include Indigenous language projects such as running language immersion classes in the community; land- and culture-based projects for Indigenous youth to increase their knowledge of and access to traditional skills and teachings, such as culture camps organized by Indigenous youth with the support of their community members, Elders and knowledge keepers.

Which projects will get priority?

Projects located in remote areas or northern Ontario will get priority. As well, Indigenous-led organizations will take priority over non-Indigenous-led organizations.

An Indigenous-led organization is defined as having Indigenous identity at the center of the organization’s programming. As well, the majority of the governance structure is held by Indigenous people including their executive, senior and staff level. To read about The Circle’s definition of Indigenous-benefiting, Indigenous-informed, Indigenous Partnerships and Indigenous-led please click here.

What is the amount we can request?

You can apply for up to $30,000 for small-scale, short-term projects that can last between 6 to 12 months. IYCFF applicants that have successfully completed a one year grant can apply for multi-year funding of $30,000 per year for a two year period, totaling up to $60,000.

We need funding to support our core activities, not a project. Can we apply to the Indigenous Youth Fund?

No. We do not provide core funding. However, we fund core operating costs associated with a project if they are directly related to the project.

We’ve already received funding from Laidlaw before. How does this affect our new grant application?

Every application is evaluated on its merits. Previous funding status has no bearing on your new application unless you have an active grant (your project is still going on), and you’re seeking support for the same project and activities. If that’s the case, you’ll be asked to communicate clearly how your new application will be building on your learnings from the previous project.

How do we submit an application?

You can submit an application online or via email or paper mail if you have limited access to the internet. You can also submit an oral, video or powerpoint application. For online submissions, you have to create an account on Foundant, the Foundation’s online grant management portal.

When using the online portal, can we leave the application unfinished and return to it later?

Yes. Your application will remain in draft form until you hit submit. You can return to your draft application at any time.

What happens after we submit an application?

• We’ll send you an email confirming receipt of your application.

• We will review each application and create a shortlist.

• Applications that meet the eligibility criteria and align well with the priorities of the IYCFF program will be shared with Laidlaw’s Indigenous Advisory Committee.

• If we and/or the Indigenous Advisors have follow-up questions about your application, we will let you know.

• The Indigenous Advisors will first conduct individual reviews of the shortlisted applications and then meet in person to consider each application. Advisors will decide together which projects should be recommended for funding and the amount of funding that should be provided.

• The Indigenous Advisors recommend projects to the Foundation’s Board for ratification

• Following the Board’s ratification, we will get in touch with you to share information about the decisions made about your application.

What is the decision-making process? How do you decide which projects to fund?

The IYCFF grants are assessed by an advisory committee made up of Indigenous young people and community members. After reading all grant applications that meet the eligibility criteria and align with the Fund’s priorities, the Indigenous Advisory Committee meets as a group to discuss, score and award grants with the support of the IYCFF Program Director. Projects that are recommended for funding by the Advisory Committee are then forwarded to the Foundation’s Board of Directors for ratification.

How many advisors sit on the Committee?

The Indigenous Advisory Committee currently consists of six individuals. You can read about their work here.

How many Indigenous Youth Fund grants does the Foundation intend to make through the current call for applications?

This depends on the number of eligible applications and the budget that potential grantees need to do this work. We’ve made 24 grants over the past year. You can see the list of approved grants from 2024 here.

How do I learn about the outcome of my application?

After a decision is reached on your application, you will receive an email notification. We do not release results by phone unless you went through an offline application process.

Our grant application has been approved – what happens next?

Congratulations! You will be asked to review and sign an agreement, which may have special conditions attached that are specific to your grant. In general, the first installment is paid soon after the receipt of the signed agreement and remaining installments are paid in accordance with the payment schedule drawn up to suit your particular project.

What is a payment schedule?

A payment schedule outlines the dates and grant amounts made to you by the Foundation for your approved budget. It is developed by taking into consideration the information provided in the work plan, and often also in consultation with the grantee.

Our application did not get accepted. Is there somewhere I can get feedback?

You can contact the IYCFF Program Director. They will provide you with feedback on your application based on the Advisory Committee deliberations.

Am I able to accept a grant if I’m currently on ODSP?

Folks can keep their ODSP benefit while gainfully employed. Earnings are capped at $1,000 per month on top of what you receive from ODSP. In 2022, the ODSP earning cap increased from $200 to $1000 per month. For every dollar earned past the $1,000 cap, ODSP claws back $0.75. After the $1,000/month cap, you are entitled to $10,000 in-kind compensation annually. Visit ontario.ca/page/ontario-disability-support-program. If you have questions regarding programming and ODSP, contact the IYCFF Program Director.

What happens if COVID-19 impacts my project?

safety measures are followed. To get the latest updates and learn more on how to protect yourself and others, please click here. Please reach out to the Laidlaw Program Director if you have any questions.

If there is another lock down, the IYCFF grant recipients are encouraged to look at their project plans and see which activities could be conducted virtually ie. Zoom. The Foundation will also approve the reallocation of budgets to allow for the purchase of equipment for online communication where possible.

What adjustments will the Foundation make during the pandemic?

During these uncertain times, Laidlaw Foundation has made adjustments to the monitoring of grants and program delivery to reduce any additional stress. Funds awarded to Grantees should still align with the focus of the grant, however, flexibility will be extended regarding budget reallocation, project deliverables, granting deadline and project start dates. Should you require changes to your project plans or need to make other adjustments to your grant, please be sure to reach out to us to discuss.

We have some questions. Who can I contact?

For more information, please contact the IYCFF Program Director, Amanda Bernard, at abernard@laidlawfdn.org