Canadian Family Justice Fund — Family Justice Activities component

• Contact details for the authorized representative, plus organizational structure and legal status.
• Organization mandate, objectives and achievements.
• Evidence of the capacity to achieve the project or activity objectives and the funding needs.
• Detailed project or activity description, work plan and detailed budget, including other revenue sources and a list of expected expenses.
• Supporting letters, where applicable, plus information on official-language delivery, gender and diversity impacts, conflict of interest disclosures, and how federal support will be acknowledged.

Who is eligible?

• Provincial and territorial ministries.
• Organizations designated by provincial and territorial governments as responsible for child support, enforcement of family orders and agreements, and parenting arrangement programs or services.

Eligible expenses

• Salaries, including benefits, excluding federal public servants.
• Travel, accommodation, meal, incidental, child care and dependent care costs.
• Rent or lease of meeting and conference facilities, equipment rental, and contracted services from private contractors, consultants, universities, institutions or Canadian community organizations.
• Reasonable operating costs, including office supplies, printing, publication, distribution, promotion, utilities, telephone, insurance, IT services and small operating costs.
• Capital expenditures up to $100,000 per year for IT equipment and software for technical development, plus honoraria, training, evaluations, registration fees, audit or compliance contracting, and administrative costs up to 15% of total project or activity expenses.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Core ongoing funding.
• Foreign travel, entertainment, alcohol, sponsorships, thesis-related activities, contests, gifts and souvenirs.
• Purchase of buildings, land, vehicles and most other major capital costs.
• Retroactive funding for expenses incurred before the official project or activity start date.
• Professional development costs except for national operational training, renovations, repairs and leasehold improvements unless specifically eligible, and services or activities already funded or offered by other organizations or governments.

• Alignment with the Fund’s objectives and the priorities of the Government and the Department, including gender equality, diversity, official-language minority communities and sustainable development.
• Ability to increase the Department’s knowledge and support the development of family-law legislation, policy and programs.
• Project feasibility, including the nature and scope of the work, the reasonableness of costs, cost-effectiveness, available funding and the risk of a deficit.
• Delivery quality, including how the project will be developed, implemented and monitored, the applicant’s ability to deliver on time and on budget, whether the work is already underway, and whether it is distinct from the organization’s core activities.
• Additional factors such as innovation, jurisdiction, prior collaboration with the Department, support from provinces or territories, reporting plans, post-demonstration funding, impact on the justice system, transferability and public recognition of the Department’s contribution.

• A ministerial committee evaluates funding proposals, and officials may consult other federal, provincial and territorial colleagues and key system stakeholders.
• Only projects or activities supported by officials are recommended for approval.
• During the agreement, recipients may have to submit interim financial statements and supporting documents for review and acceptance.
• At the end of each fiscal year and or funding agreement, recipients must submit a payment claim, which may include audited financial statements, for review and approval.
• Officials may monitor funded projects on site and suggest corrective measures, and co-funded projects have coordinated reporting to reduce the burden on recipients.

• The program is designed to help families experiencing separation or divorce access family justice services, programs and information.
• Materials and services for applicants and beneficiaries are available in the official language of their choice.
• When beneficiaries provide public services under the agreement, they must respect the spirit and intent of the Official Languages Act of Canada.
• Intellectual property created through funding under a contribution agreement belongs to the beneficiary.