Youth Take Charge

• The total financial assistance from the Youth Take Charge Program and all levels of government cannot exceed 100% of total eligible project costs.
• The maximum federal government assistance, including this program, is 75% of eligible expenditures.
• Grants: up to $50,000 per fiscal year (April 1 to March 31); Contributions: up to $500,000 per fiscal year.
• The average funding amount per project typically ranges between $20,000 and $100,000.
• Administrative expenses for direct project delivery are capped at 15% of total approved funding.

• The applicant must be a Canadian registered not-for-profit organization, registered charitable group, or an Indigenous representative organization (such as Indigenous governments or equivalent organizations representing First Nation, Inuit, or Métis communities).
• The organization must have at least 3 years of active experience delivering youth programs within the last 5 years at a significant national or provincial/territorial scale, with regular activities that extend beyond its immediate regional community and direct engagement of at least 200 youth annually (assessed on a case-by-case basis).
• The applicant must have adequate security and safety policies and procedures in place for delivering a youth project similar to the proposed initiative.
• The proposed project must be youth-led, actively involve a significant number of youth aged 7 to 30, and integrate digital tools or platforms to support engagement and collaboration.
• The project must demonstrate support from community partners or other sources (either financial or in-kind) and focus on one or more of the following areas: arts and culture, civic engagement and youth service, economic activities (excluding employment and skills development), or history and heritage.

Who is eligible?

• Canadian registered not-for-profit organizations
• Canadian registered charitable groups
• Indigenous representative organizations (including Indigenous governments and organizations representing First Nation, Inuit or Métis communities)

Who is not eligible

• For-profit businesses and commercial enterprises.
• Government bodies (federal, provincial/territorial, municipal administrations).
• Crown corporations or other federal institutions.
• Public or parapublic organizations (such as schools, colleges, universities, school boards, public libraries).

Eligible expenses

• Costs directly related to the development, management, implementation, delivery, coordination, and logistical support of youth-led projects (e.g., artists and performers, event/venue fees, hospitality fees, professional consultant fees, promotion and communication, printing of resources, project evaluation, salaries for project coordination, security measures, recruitment and training of youth participants and adult supervisors).
• Travel expenses for youth participants, supervisors, and staff (reasonable round-trip transportation, accommodation, and meal costs, not exceeding government rates).
• Special measures expenses (e.g., participation costs for youth from low-income families, basic travel for those accompanying youth with disabilities, hiring a sign-language interpreter).
• Exceptional expenses to meet official languages requirements (translation and simultaneous interpretation, production of bilingual informational or promotional materials).
• Administrative expenses directly related to project delivery (e.g., book-keeping, office supplies, telecommunications, postage and courier fees, rent for office space, audit or legal costs), up to 15% of total approved funding.

Eligible geographic areas

• National scope: Eligible organizations must deliver youth programs that extend beyond their immediate regional community, which may include projects at the national, interprovincial/territorial, or provincial/territorial level across Canada.

• Anticipated impact of the project, including the extent to which activities support the Program’s objectives and priorities, with specific, measurable, achievable, and realistic results.
• The degree of youth leadership, ensuring youth play a significant role in the design, delivery, and evaluation of the project.
• The project’s reach, including the number of youth actively engaged and efforts to involve under-represented groups and participants from across Canada.
• Organizational capacity, demonstrated by the organization’s stability, financial capacity, necessary staff, expertise, and relevant experience.
• Budget realism and reasonableness, showing that expenses are justified, well-forecasted, and balanced with other funding sources, including value for money (such as cost per participant).

• The total financial assistance from all levels of government cannot exceed 100% of total eligible project-related costs.
• The maximum level of total federal government assistance, including the Youth Take Charge Program, cannot exceed 75% of eligible expenditures.
• This program emphasizes the importance of including both official languages in communication and deliverables, as applicable.
• Organizations must have and maintain a minimum of $2 million general liability insurance for the project duration.