OTF — Youth Innovations Scale Grant
ON, Canada
Empower grassroots initiatives to scale impactful youth-focused projects, enhancing social and economic well-being
grant_single_labels|summary
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- grant_single|maxCount
- grant_single|projectCostPercent
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- grant_single|timelineUnspecified
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Grant and Funding
grant_single|eligibleIndustries
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
grant_single|grantors
- Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF)
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grant_card_status|open
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The Youth Innovations Scale Grant aims to support established youth-led or youth-adult partnerships in Ontario that wish to expand or enhance successful community projects targeting young people, particularly those experiencing systemic barriers. Eligible activities include enhancing the quality of existing projects to deepen impact or expanding current projects to reach more youth. The grant provides up to $150,000 annually for two to three years.
grant_single_labels|projects
Projects eligible for the Youth Innovations Scale Grant must either enhance the quality of existing youth projects for a deeper impact or expand current projects to reach more youth, focusing on systemic issues faced by the youth involved. Eligible activities must align with specified priority outcomes and target youth aged 12-25, or up to 29 for those with special needs or disabilities.
- Enhancing the quality of current youth projects for deeper impact.
- Expanding current projects to reach more youth.
- Addressing systemic issues faced by the youth target group.
- Focusing on a priority outcome, like empowering girls or supporting Indigenous, Black, or newcomer youth entering the labor market.
- Complying with Ontario Trillium Foundation policies and benefiting Ontario youth.
grant_single_labels|admissibility
To be eligible for the Youth Innovations Scale Grant, groups must be youth-led or part of a youth-adult partnership that reflects the identities and experiences of the youth they aim to serve. The project must benefit young people aged 12-25, and/or 12-29 for youth with special needs or disabilities, and the group must have a history of successfully delivering community projects for at least two years.
- Groups must be youth-led or youth-adult partnerships reflecting the identities and experiences of the youth they serve.
- The project must benefit youth aged 12-25 or aged 12-29 for those with special needs or disabilities.
- The group must have successfully delivered community projects for at least two years.
- More than 50% of the group's core members must be at arm's length from each other.
- Youth must make up more than 50% of the core group.
- The group must be based in Ontario and benefit youth in Ontario.
- The group should not be a registered charity or integrated within a larger organization.
- The group should have independently managed revenues of $50,000 or less in either of the last two years if incorporated.
- The group must agree to work with an Organizational Mentor.
grant_eligibility_criteria|who_cannot_apply
There are specific types of entities that are not eligible for the Youth Innovations Scale Grant. These include registered charities, religious entities, municipalities, and for-profit organizations, among others.
- Registered charities
- Religious entities established for the observation of religious beliefs, including churches, temples, mosques, and synagogues
- Municipalities
- Groups composed entirely of members ages 30 years or older (all-adult groups)
- Projects associated with an existing organization (not-for-profit or for-profit)
- Groups specifically designed as committees of institutions like universities, schools, or hospitals
- For-profit organizations and businesses
- Individual applicants
grant_eligibility_criteria|eligible_expenses
The grant covers various eligible project expenses necessary for the effective delivery and scaling of youth projects. Applicants must ensure that their proposed budgets include mandatory expenses to support project implementation and organizational capacity building.
- Staffing (with considerations for Mandatory Employee Required Costs (MERC) of 20%)
- Transportation
- Honorarium (participants, volunteers)
- Support Services (translation, interpretation, child-minding)
- Project supplies and materials
- Project equipment (rental or purchase)
- Food
- Communications (website, promotions)
- Fees (for services delivered by experts, facilitators, professionals)
- Contingency (maximum of 10% per year)
- Administrative Support Costs (OM): 15% of total budget
- Capacity Building: Minimum of $2,000 to a maximum of $4,000 per year
grant_eligibility_criteria|zone
The eligible geographic zone for the Youth Innovations Scale Grant is Ontario, Canada. The grant supports projects led by groups based in Ontario that will benefit youth in Ontario.
- Ontario, Canada
- Projects must benefit youth in Ontario
- Groups must be based in Ontario
grant_single_labels|criteria
The Youth Innovations Scale Grant evaluates applications based on group eligibility, strong youth leadership, and a strategic approach to scaling impactful projects. The assessment criteria encompass the group's history, youth leadership capability, and the project's alignment with systemic barriers faced by the target youth.
- Group Eligibility: Ensures compliance with eligibility standards, including group independence, member characteristics, and compliance with OTF policies.
- People (40% weight): Focuses on demonstrating strong youth leadership, history of collaboration, and the ability to administer the grant effectively.
- Strategy (60% weight): Evaluates the group's understanding of the context, need, or opportunity, clarity in project scaling, and alignment with YOF's Priority Outcomes.
- Setting the Context: The need or issue must connect to systemic barriers faced by the youth, demonstrating effective response through past and proposed activities.
- Scaling Impactful Projects: Must clearly demonstrate a strategy for creating a deeper impact or expanding reach, aligning with past and projected results.
grant_single_labels|register
- Step 1: Prepare your application
- Review the application deadlines and plan ahead.
- Use available application resources for support.
- Contact YOF for assistance if needed.
- Step 2: Create an OTF account
- Submit grant applications through the Granting Portal.
- Returning users sign in, new users create an account.
- Enter the primary contact’s name and email.
- Complete account setup from the email sent to the primary contact.
- Step 3: Submit the Expression of Interest
- Complete and submit the Expression of Interest by the deadline date once the portal opens.
- Step 4: Review and assessment of Expression of Interest
- Wood all elements were met, including group eligibility, project readiness, and alignment with YOF priorities.
- Online presence and activities will be examined for eligibility.
- Step 5: Notification of shortlisted Expressions of Interest
- Notification approximately 6 weeks after the deadline.
- Shortlisted applicants invited to submit a grant application with an Organizational Mentor.
- Step 6: Connect with Organizational Mentors
- Confirm your Organizational Mentor at the grant application stage.
- Eligibility of the Organizational Mentor is verified.
- Step 7: Submit the grant application
- Participate in a mandatory webinar for information on the grant application.
- Draft and finalize the grant application with the Organizational Mentor.
- Upload the signed agreement with your grant application.
- Step 8: Recommendation and selection
- OTF’s Board of Directors approves grant recommendations from YOF’s Grant Review Committee.
- Step 9: Notification
- Notification approximately 8 weeks after the grant application deadline.
- Step 10: Confirmation and Orientation
- Successful groups participate in mandatory orientation and trainings.
- Organizational Mentor receives the OTF Grant Contract.
- Step 11: After approval
- Reporting & monitoring: Complete annual progress and final reports.
- Capacity building: Engage in learning and development activities.
- Evaluation: Measure progress towards selected Priority Outcome.
- Grant Completion: Final payment released after approved Final Report.
- Grantee Compliance Audit: Random audits for compliance.
grant_single_labels|otherInfo
The Youth Innovations Scale Grant offers funding to scale successful youth-led projects focused on addressing systemic barriers faced by specific youth groups in Ontario. Successful applicants must work with an Organizational Mentor to receive support in project administration, mentorship, and financial accountability.
- YOF invests in established youth-led or youth-adult partnerships that are community-led and community-inspired.
- The grant stream emphasizes supporting Black and Indigenous youth and those with intersecting experiences of systemic oppression.
- Applicants must comply with OTF policies and funding exclusions, including advocacy-related restrictions.
- Groups must have an independent operation with no more than $50,000 in revenue in the past two years.
- An Organizational Mentor is mandatory for all applicants, providing administrative support and project oversight.
- Eligible expenses include staffing, transportation, honorarium, support services, project supplies, and relevant fees.
- Ineligible expenses include capital infrastructure, political or religious activities, fundraising campaigns, and direct therapy or professional services.
- Expression of Interest is the first stage, leading to a detailed grant application for shortlisted groups, with a focus on strong youth leadership and impactful strategies.
- All projects must contribute towards a specific Youth Innovations Priority Outcome aligned with the grant's objectives.
grant_single_labels|contact
1-800-263-2887
Apply to this program
Youth Innovations Scale Grant Overview
The Youth Innovations Scale Grant is designed to help youth-led or youth-adult partnership organizations in Ontario, Canada, to scale up their community projects aimed at improving the social and economic well-being of youth. With funding amounts of up to $150,000 per year for a maximum of three years, this grant focuses on enhancing or expanding successful projects that target youth facing systemic barriers.
Detailed Explanation of the Youth Innovations Scale Grant
The Youth Innovations Scale Grant, administered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), offers a unique opportunity for youth-led and youth-adult partnership groups deeply embedded in their communities to amplify the impact of their grassroots work. The primary objective of this grant is to provide financial support to projects that have already demonstrated success and community resonance, enabling them to expand their reach or deepen their impact on young people, particularly those who face systemic challenges. Eligibility criteria are clearly defined to ensure that the funding reaches groups genuinely aligned with the grant’s objectives. To qualify, the applicant group must be based in Ontario and primarily focused on serving youth between the ages of 12 to 25, or 12 to 29 for youth with special needs, disabilities, mental health needs, or addictions. The group must be grassroots in nature, meaning it should reflect the identities and experiences of the communities it serves. Structures eligible for this grant are either youth-led groups where all decision-makers are aged 29 or under, or youth-adult partnerships where decision-making power is shared equally between young people and adults. Furthermore, the organizational framework demands that at least half of the core group members are in arm's-length relationships, maintaining objectivity and reducing conflicts of interest. Additionally, groups applying for funding must not function as extensions of larger entities like municipalities, schools, or religious institutions. Central to the grant application process is the Expression of Interest (EOI), which serves as the preliminary step for applicants. Here, the focus is on demonstrating prior project success and alignment with the grant’s Priority Outcomes. These outcomes emphasize empowerment, economic opportunities, support for marginalized communities, and connection building, with an overarching commitment to Indigenous and Black youth. The evaluation of the EOI — a weight of 40% placed on strong youth leadership and 60% on the strategic plan — sets a rigorous framework for assessing the potential continued impact and expansion plan of the applicant groups. Once an EOI is shortlisted, the applying group will be invited to submit a full grant application alongside an Organizational Mentor. The role of the Organizational Mentor is critical as it not only facilitates fiscal responsibility and administrative support, but it also lends expertise to enhance program delivery and execution. The financial structure of the grant allows for a substantial annual budget of up to $150,000 over a period of two to three years. Eligible expenses under this budget include staffing costs, project materials, transportation, and capacity-building activities, allowing organizations to remunerate staff equitably and sustain a high level of project delivery. The grant places a strong emphasis on capacity building and continuous development, providing groups with resources and guidance to create a significant community impact. Successful grantees are also expected to engage with the YOF community for shared learning experiences and may be subject to audits to ensure compliance with grant terms. The ultimate goal of the Youth Innovations Scale Grant is to sustain and extend the reach of effective youth programs, with careful attention to the systemic barriers faced by priority populations. By fostering projects that have already demonstrated their success in addressing systemic issues, the grant seeks to catalyze change for a more inclusive and equitable society, particularly for youth who historically have been marginalized. This support paves the way for a future where youth can thrive socially, economically, and politically, facilitating the creation of safe, empowering spaces that honor diverse identities and enhance community resilience. In conclusion, the Youth Innovations Scale Grant offers a transformative pathway for grassroots organizations striving to scale impactful community projects. With its strict eligibility criteria, focus on historically marginalized youth, and structured financial support, it provides the necessary resources and framework for these groups to expand their influence and improve the systemic conditions affecting young people across Ontario. Through this grant, the OTF underscores its commitment to empowering youth and addressing the systemic barriers they face, fostering a new generation of leaders equipped to sustain community well-being and equity.
